Help. Parasite?

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vanalisa

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Hi all,

I found a strange worm/slug thing on my tank glass last night. It balled up, went flat and oval, then stretched itself long.

I had one before in a different tank but it disappeared as soon as I turned my back to call one of rhe employees of my LFS. When I called and described it to them I think they said it was a flat worm, and to remove it. Like I mentioned the little thing was long gone so I just dropped it.

Last night, when I found one of the same things in a different tank, I got it out...but I think it was full of small versions of itself because when I was grabbing it it kind if shed several small worm things. I think I got them all. As soon as I could tonight I did a massive water change.

Siphoned gravel and removed 80%
of water. Filled back up with fresh treated tap water, agitated gravel and removed 80% again. Replaced with new treated water, including about 1/2 gallon of the original water. Im always afraid of huge water changes of 80%+, so I dumped a little bit of the original water back in there.

I didn't do any chemical testing at this point but I can say that my water was a little bit dirtier then I would have liked it to have been, although it looked decent in the tank. I don't know if this made a difference or not but it sure is nice and clean now. In my defense it was the next tank to be cleaned in my routine cycle. I fell a little bit behind because I did a new tank set up this weekend.

Tank info:
6 gallon.
One Betta
2 Scarlett Badis
Numerous, (quite more than I'm comfortable with once I got up in there), snails. I don't keep an Assassin in this tank because my Nerites live in this tank, so I'm not surprised to see extra bothersome snails as well.

I removed all the snails and am keeping them out until the morning. I also took some wood, larger rocks, and half of the floating plants out. This stuff is all together. I want to be able to see in there as much as I can when I look in the morning.

Needless to say I'm hoping I don't find anything that resembled what I pulled out of there. I'm worried about the snails and my fish. What was that thing?

I know this is a lot of information but hopefully it can help someone to figure out what my next move needs to be.

Please advise,

~Vana
 
Last edited:
Metroplex and similar products do well against parasites I think ketoplex or something like that deals with those? Check it out might be helpful but I'd remove your beta and pals into another tank and quarantine in the meantime
 
I don't know, I've seen a little gravel worm now and then, but this thing was creepy.
May have been an inch when it elongated...
I did 80% water change. Put as much treated water back in, removed the larger rocks, agitated water a bit, siphoned that out, and refilled.
I will be keenly checking in a while I return.

Thanks!
 
I don't know, I've seen a little gravel worm now and then, but this thing was creepy.
May have been an inch when it elongated...
I did 80% water change. Put as much treated water back in, removed the larger rocks, agitated water a bit, siphoned that out, and refilled.
I will be keenly checking in a while I return.

Thanks!
Do you have any photos? This would help identify it
 

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