Tiny white worms

[Soundline]

K soooooo long story short my 20 gallon planted tank broke last night, so we rushed all the livestock into the new 46. So I decided to run that tanks filters as well to help reduce the possible cycle. When I turned it on a rush of tiny white worms rushed out of the filter the fish started eating them and the Intake sucked them all in really fast. They are like as thick as a piece of thick thread and about a little less then half an inch.

I'm assuming they came from the wood cause I've never sent them and then I see them shortly after the wood was put in. The wood from that tank came from the beach at ocean shores.

What are they and how do I get rid of them?

I noticed a blue gourami is bloated and sitting at the bottom of the tank u till I do a water change and he is fine for the day.

 

[clownie]

From algone web site "Noticing small white worms the size of a few millimeters crawling along the glass are either flat or roundworms. Flat appearances are planaria (flatworms) and the more thin and wiggly ones are nematodes (roundworms). Both of them do not exceed 4-5 millimeters. Both types are harmless to fish and thrive on excessive waste in the water column."

 

[VickiK]

From algone web site "Noticing small white worms the size of a few millimeters crawling along the glass are either flat or roundworms. Flat appearances are planaria (flatworms) and the more thin and wiggly ones are nematodes (roundworms). Both of them do not exceed 4-5 millimeters. Both types are harmless to fish and thrive on excessive waste in the water column."

Excessive waste! In my 35G, I have this really big, coarse black gravel PLUS its planted VERY LUSHLY so it's not like you can get in there and really go to town with the aqua-vac thing. I do bi-weekly water changes - 25-30% - and rinse the HOB filter (rated for a 75G tank) regularly. It's stocked with two giant (now they're big - they started out the size of a quarter) Koi Angels, 1 African Leaf Fish, 1 Rosy Barb, 4 Giant Danios, 1 Bristlenose 5", and 1 SAE I inherited from @julzhull. (One died and his brother is in with the Texas Red Cichlid) My water looks great and I have live plants growing out of the top of this tank. When do you say, "time to break it down and start over"? And if you do this, do you not completely start over but --- how do you really clean a seasoned tank such as this -- which clearly has too much poo in it due to the worms arrival --- without "starting over"? Does that make sense?

The 10 GAL I have in the kitchen, has been running continuously since 2006 or something. Water quality and parameters are good -- but I know that gravel is full of GOO. It has to be. I gravel vac for sure - but you can't get everything. There are floating live plants in there and a school of Porkchop Rasboras and a few Endlers that won't let me catch them. There's also one of those Aquatic Frogs who has been in there for a good three years. Do you wait until everything dies to FLIP IT or what?

I'm having a cleaning crisis I guess. lol

Any and all advise embraced enthusiastically.

 

[clownie]

Vicky.....for me, if there isn't any fish deaths I would leave it be. Actually the worms are doing you a favor! thy clean up some of the excess waste and provide a healthy snack for your fishes! I have had tanks set up for 10 years without a major cleaning an all was fine.

 

[FishBeast]

Excessive waste! In my 35G, I have this really big, coarse black gravel PLUS its planted VERY LUSHLY so it's not like you can get in there and really go to town with the aqua-vac thing. I do bi-weekly water changes - 25-30% - and rinse the HOB filter (rated for a 75G tank) regularly. It's stocked with two giant (now they're big - they started out the size of a quarter) Koi Angels, 1 African Leaf Fish, 1 Rosy Barb, 4 Giant Danios, 1 Bristlenose 5", and 1 SAE I inherited from @julzhull. (One died and his brother is in with the Texas Red Cichlid) My water looks great and I have live plants growing out of the top of this tank. When do you say, "time to break it down and start over"? And if you do this, do you not completely start over but --- how do you really clean a seasoned tank such as this -- which clearly has too much poo in it due to the worms arrival --- without "starting over"? Does that make sense?

The 10 GAL I have in the kitchen, has been running continuously since 2006 or something. Water quality and parameters are good -- but I know that gravel is full of GOO. It has to be. I gravel vac for sure - but you can't get everything. There are floating live plants in there and a school of Porkchop Rasboras and a few Endlers that won't let me catch them. There's also one of those Aquatic Frogs who has been in there for a good three years. Do you wait until everything dies to FLIP IT or what?

I'm having a cleaning crisis I guess. lol

Any and all advise embraced enthusiastically.

I would say leave it alone. I would think muck in the substrate surely is being used by the plants in some way. Don’t stress about the deep clean too much. You may try feeding once only every other day for a week or two and/or performing larger water changes of 50 to 80% every 3-4 days.

 

[VickiK]

Vicky.....for me, if there isn't any fish deaths I would leave it be. Actually the worms are doing you a favor! thy clean up some of the excess waste and provide a healthy snack for your fishes! I have had tanks set up for 10 years without a major cleaning an all was fine.

I'm loving your advise, Clownie. I've been examining the worms closely. Are they detritus worms or plenaira? (spelling) I think they are simply detritus worms. I don't see the angled head on any of them.

HOWEVER I am seeing them === i think --- in my CRS tank. HOWEVER the tiny creatures act more shrimp like than worm like. So I am hesitant to intervene at this point!

Such wonders await the home aquarist!

 

[VickiK]

I would say leave it alone. I would think muck in the substrate surely is being used by the plants in some way. Don’t stress about the deep clean too much. You may try feeding once only every other day for a week or two and/or performing larger water changes of 50 to 80% every 3-4 days.

I will do this.

As it happens, today, cleaning my Fluval 406 there's leaking at the auto stop valves. I ordered a new one to replace this one from amazon. I'm not convinced this is the issue --- but I'm not sure what to do. I'm also going to shorten the hoses ---- intake and outtake---- as I have a tiny tiny bit of a curve in the hose -- which they warn against. This filter has worked amazing awesomely perfect since I got it --- last October? -- and I clean it and this happens. I am ANNOYED.

 

[VickiK]

UPDATE - I saw a video online where you make a worm trap out of a short, plastic bottle -- like pop or water. I'm going to try it. I think these little buggers are also in my CRS/PRL tank --- not liking THAT. I am Jonny on the Spot for water changes --- but maybe not as aggressive as I need to be? I seriously do water changes on my tanks ever single weekend 20%. But with all the tiny baby shrimp, I've been hesitant to get in there and dig around with the water change hose.....

 

[VickiK]

UPDATE - I saw a video online where you make a worm trap out of a short, plastic bottle -- like pop or water. I'm going to try it. I think these little buggers are also in my CRS/PRL tank --- not liking THAT. I am Jonny on the Spot for water changes --- but maybe not as aggressive as I need to be? I seriously do water changes on my tanks ever single weekend 20%. But with all the tiny baby shrimp, I've been hesitant to get in there and dig around with the water change hose.....

I think I'm wrong. Those critters are baby shrimps!

 

[VickiK]

@clownie - the worms in the 35 are absolutely detritus worms. I saw online where you can make a trap to get them with a soda bottle. I might try that --- but they don't seem to be hurting anything at the moment or "taking over". The tank they are in is heavily planted and about three years old? How long does a tank "last" before it has to be broken down and set up again? There's plants growing on the bottom and out the top -- but I'm certain the substrate is as nasty as it can be since I can't get the siphon in there --- due to the roots and all the wood/caves in there.

When do you call it "done" and just break it down and reset a tank like this?

I would take some plants out -- chunks - and put them elsewhere but I got no where to put them in seven tanks. hahahahahaha

 

[VickiK]

I think I'm wrong. Those critters are baby shrimps!

More convinced today that those little swimming dots (some look like exclamation points) are baby CRS or PRLs.

 

[clownie]

@clownie - the worms in the 35 are absolutely detritus worms. I saw online where you can make a trap to get them with a soda bottle. I might try that --- but they don't seem to be hurting anything at the moment or "taking over". The tank they are in is heavily planted and about three years old? How long does a tank "last" before it has to be broken down and set up again? There's plants growing on the bottom and out the top -- but I'm certain the substrate is as nasty as it can be since I can't get the siphon in there --- due to the roots and all the wood/caves in there.

When do you call it "done" and just break it down and reset a tank like this?

I would take some plants out -- chunks - and put them elsewhere but I got no where to put them in seven tanks. hahahahahaha

I have had tanks set up for 10 years without a major cleaning. I only broke them down when I had to move. 15years is the longest I have witnessed but I am sure there are some out there longer then that.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[VickiK]

I have had tanks set up for 10 years without a major cleaning. I only broke them down when I had to move. 15years is the longest I have witnessed but I am sure there are some out there longer then that.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

wowowowowow! No kidding? Was it planted?

This tank has plants so thick that the fish can barely move around. Maybe I should just get in there and remove some plants -- there's a giant gorgeus cryp in there and an amazon sword that used to be attached to a piece of wood but now I think it's roots go wayyy into the rocks. No soil in there either. Just use Cory's squirt plant vitamins.

 

[VickiK]

More convinced today that those little swimming dots (some look like exclamation points) are baby CRS or PRLs.

OK. Today I am convinced they are a sand flea ??? or something. What kind of organism could they be? They're not getting bigger and they are getting fewer....... I saw on YouTube or in some fish forum somewhere where the dude says that these little critters are a omen for great water parameters? WTH. I don't know who to believe.

 

[VickiK]

Let's first get this on the table: CLOWNIE IS A GENIUS!!! We're talking in the chat the other day and I'm yammering on about my worm thing and he says, "Throw a few of your endlers in there." And so I did. PROBLEM SOLVED. I put five of my prettiest boys in there and they've been having a PROTEIN PARTY. Everytime I go in there to have a look, they're all "kissing the glass" and enjoying the bounty.

According to the mass amounts of videos and stuff I've read online, these little worms aren't a bad thing --- like plenaria or hydra (which they say can kill shrimp) or something --- and most sources suggest that the water quality is so good that they're there.

I'm sad they aren't teeny tiny babies -- but baby shrimp, I've discovered (again, what would we do without YouTube?) look like shrimp. Tiny -- but look like shrimp.

 

[FishBeast]

@VickiK I’m glad the Endlers are feasting on them!

Sometimes I see little things that look like worms or even “jumping squiggles” in my invert tank and when I look closely it is a tiny shrimp. I guess I need my glasses prescription renewed. The only tiny shrimp that are unmistakable are my baby CRS!

 

[VickiK]

@VickiK I’m glad the Endlers are feasting on them!

Sometimes I see little things that look like worms or even “jumping squiggles” in my invert tank and when I look closely it is a tiny shrimp. I guess I need my glasses prescription renewed. The only tiny shrimp that are unmistakable are my baby CRS!

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Hey, I got grandma's old magnifying glass out the other day to try to figure out what's going on in there....! The first time I saw baby shrimp, I thought it was a bug skittering across a catapa leaf. What a fun surprise to know it was a baby!

 

[DMD123]

UPDATE - I saw a video online where you make a worm trap out of a short, plastic bottle -- like pop or water. I'm going to try it.

I would be interested to see that video, could you post it for us or a link to it?

I had never had an issue with these detritus worms until I brought in some new fish and bam the qt tank was infested. I ended up going the chemical route and killed them off but would like to see alternative methods.

 

[VickiK]

I would be interested to see that video, could you post it for us or a link to it?

I had never had an issue with these detritus worms until I brought in some new fish and bam the qt tank was infested. I ended up going the chemical route and killed them off but would like to see alternative methods.

The Endlers totally handled the issue ---- but I STILL want to make that trap thing!