Centipede-like Creatures In My Filter?

[rich815]

In rinsing out the trays of my eheim filter I saw a live, reddish colored centipede-like creature swimming in the water amongst the filter media. About 1/2 inch long and squirmy as it swims. What is that? Is this bad, or good? Anything to worry about? Anyone know? Where did it come from? This is a 72 gal, fresh-water, live-planted, 4-week old tank just at it's end of cycling.

 

[-germ-]

Centipede or more like a wood louse?

 

[rich815]

Centipede or more like a wood louse?

No, this looked nothing like a wood louse, it truly looked exactly like a centipede and it looked perfectly happy in water, like it lives in water. I saw it about a week ago, when cleaning the top white foam sponge in the filter, and again tonight when rinsing all the media in a bucket of tank water.

 

[Danno]

Well if you had a marine tank I would say bristleworm. Can anyone say for sure that they can also live in freshwater? Do you have any marine tanks at your house? Possible tank transfer?

 

[Meds081603]

do you ever have midges in your home? i'd wager you have bloodworms. i get them in my outdoor pond filter all summer long.

 

[rich815]

I was at my LFS today and the girl there (seems pretty knowledgeable) knew exactly what I meant and said it was a polykeet (spelling?) and that they are actually good the the tank (gravel), she said like earthworms for soil---these are like worms for the gravel. She said I should try to catch it from the filter and drop it back into the tank so it can dig into the gravel (actually I have sand over flourite) and live.

 

[rich815]

Well if you had a marine tank I would say bristleworm. Can anyone say for sure that they can also live in freshwater? Do you have any marine tanks at your house? Possible tank transfer?

Ok, just did myself a bit more research with the hints you provided and the girl at the LFS giving me the name "polykeet".

It's actually Polychaeta and that's the same thing as bristleworm, so looks like you hit on it Danno. Seems most are salt water but there are a few species that are fresh water. Supposedly not a bad thing (based on some Google research I just did) to have around as they are good cleaners as long as you do not become overpopulated, and that should only happen if you overfeed and such.

So, seems the mysery is solved. Thanks!