white wiggly worms

[Emg]

Just wondering if anyone knows what these little white wiggly worms are that I find swimming around in my tanks on occasion. Usually after I stir up the gravel during a cleaning....they are thin hairlike worms that are about 1/4-1/2 inch long and the tail end (I guess) corkscrews while they swim.

I'm thinking they are just harmless little things that reside in the gravel and live off the junk that collects there...but I do want to be sure. I saw one swimming around and my male ram scoffed it up before I could syphon it out.

 

[sublime1184]

i have never seen that before, but as a precaution, i would vac them out just to be safe until you know what they are and whether or not they are harmful.

 

[daveedka]

Nematodes,
Most are harmless some are not. I always have a few but also know their population will descrease drastically with increased cleaning of my tank. Sounds like your ram may take care of them anyhow.
dave

 

[YoFishboy]

I have seen these for many years as well...I was told that they are harmless...I see them a lot less now that I have only a few tanks with undergravel filters left and don't use feeder fish any more.

 

[Kissofthegorami]

They are called planaria and are a big indicator of too much organic waste in the aquarium. They are not dangerous to fish but eat eggs. Plus who wants to stick their hands in a tank full of worms? You need to clean your gravel and maybe feed less/ get better filtration. I know people who have just completely removed their gravel and washed it out in the sink but that would kill your bacteria. Salt and water changes seem to work well, and feed less! Vacuum the gravel a few times and do more water changes.

http://www.****************/information/having_trouble_p2.htm
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/qa/f/faq0050.htm

 

[Harlock]

They are called planaria and are a big indicator of too much organic waste in the aquarium. They are not dangerous to fish but eat eggs. Plus who wants to stick their hands in a tank full of worms? You need to clean your gravel and maybe feed less/ get better filtration. I know people who have just completely removed their gravel and washed it out in the sink but that would kill your bacteria. Salt and water changes seem to work well, and feed less! Vacuum the gravel a few times and do more water changes.

http://www.****************/information/having_trouble_p2.htm
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/qa/f/faq0050.htm

They may or may not be Planaria. As Daveedka pointed out they very well could be nematodes. The way to tell the differece is shape and locomotion. From what Emg described I am thinking likely they are nematodes as well. Still, the advice about feeding, water changes and filtration is true in either case. Some nematodes are parasites, but if you can see them, they usually aren't as most of the interal, parasitic nematodes are seldom outside of the host.

 

[Emg]

Thanks for the info Kiss and Harlock

I just did a major cleaning of the tank over the weekend, with a huge gravel vac job. Took everything out to do it. This tank has been set up since just after Christmas 2004.

I have a penguin 170 bio-wheel on that tank, it's a 29 gallon. I have been thinking of upgrading that to the 330 and using that 170 in a 20L tank I am preparing to set up.

I do feed sparingly...I only have 2 dwarf gourami and 2 blue rams in the tank along with 3 otocinclus, which I don't worry too much about feeding as there are plenty of plants in the tank and some driftwood. The other fish usually scoff up any algae tabs I have put in there in the past...even when I put them in in the evening after lights out....so I haven't added any of those in awhile.

I do water changes more than once a week. I take out 2-3 gallons about every 3 days (including a gravel vac) and replace with heated aged conditioned water. Because of the rams in there I like to make sure the water is good and clean at all times.

So, I don't think I have an infestation to worry about. I only saw one worm so far and that was soon after the major cleaning. I just wanted to know what it was and if it's ok for the fish to eat them....guess it is..lol..

Thanks again !