worms?

xytrix01

Aquaria Intern (NOOB)
Sep 26, 2004
146
0
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San Jose, CA
I have been having sooooo many problems with this new tank! argh!!! anyhow, the newest problem is these tiny brown worms in the tank. I have no clue whjat they are or where they came from, but it cant be good. They are tiny, I'd say about 1/2 a cm long, and are free-swimming. for propultion they fold themselfs in half and straighten out again. they ar mostly down in or near the gravel.

Tank right now:
ammonia=0
nitrites=0
nitrates=0
ph=~8
temp is 86, salt in the tank at 1 tbsp per 5 gal for treatment of ICH.
The tank contains 1 common plecto and 1 clown knife. the plecto ois the sick one, the knife seems to be fine.

Any idea what on earth these things are? and how I kill them?
 
They are most likely harmless nemotodes or planaria worms. They are th eresult of a dirty substrate. That is likely to happen in pleco tanks for sure. If you don't already have one get a gravel vacuum and use to it really siphon a lot fo gunk out of the subtrate during water changes. For now also feed your fish only every other day.

While the worms are harmless the fact they are so plentiful could be a problem. I find it hard to believe that you have 0 nitrates unless you haven't cycled the tank. All tanks have some sort of nitrate level once they are established. And with a pleco in there nitrates should be quite high. I would try the test again or else take a water sample to a fish store for testing, your kit mihgt not be working.
 
sorry, nitrates are at 10, I musta missed the 1 key. thanks for your advice. I do have a gravel vac, and just did a water change today. I did notice that I sucked a bunch of gross stuff outa the gravel, mostly uneaten bits of food. Will they just die off by themselfs? where the heck did they come from? It just seems odd to me that worms would just magicly appear. As long as they're harmless though, then it dosn't really matter. mabey the clown knife will eat them *shrug*
 
Fish will eat them and with a lack of food they will eventually die down to low levels. Do a search in the forums for nemotode or planaria and you will find lots of good info.
 
20 gal is too small for a CLown Knifefish...

check Google Images under "FeatherBack" and u'll see a nice surprise :D

U need at least 200-300 gallons
 
Oddball~ said:
20 gal is too small for a CLown Knifefish...

check Google Images under "FeatherBack" and u'll see a nice surprise :D

U need at least 200-300 gallons
I know, thanks. He's just in there so he can grow up and go in the big tank. :laugh: The other fish in there would eat him right now. He's only about 4"

I googled these nemotode things and it looks like them. weird little buggers arent they? Do you think that they came in on the fish, or could it be in the food somehow?
 
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Your "big tank" is way overstocked as is. I highly recommend not trying to own fish that you just don't have room for (common pleco, bullhead, knifefish, bala shark).

These are all very large fish that need huge tanks to live healthy lives. You obviously aren't providing that with your "big" tank, a whopping 45 gallons. :eek: :(
 
I will be getting a larger tank When the time comes. He's little right now. In fact they all are. My 45 gal is just fine, especily with the filtration I have on there. I know the adult sizes of all my fish, and have plans to accomadate all of them. The Bala I only have for a while till a friend can get her tanks back up, The spotted raphiel is already full-grown at 5" and the Bulhead will probably end up in our pond when he outgrows my tanks. The bala will be gone by the time I am able to add the knife, and same for the plecto. Trust me, I am defenatly looking at getting a larger tank when the time comes that my knife and plecto need the room. Theres no sence in me having a huge tank now, because I can't accomadate it, and the fish don't need it. Don't be so quick to pass judgement when you don't know all the facts! :mad2
 
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