Help... Worm Found In Tank

[Chaznia]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me. I was just doing routine maintenance in my tank and I came across 3 worms like centipedes amongst the gravel.

I looked it up on-line and spoke to the local fish store who both say its a bristle worm but these live in marine tanks only.

I just recently bought a filter that previously ran on a marine tank but I thoroughly cleaned it before running my tank from it, washed out all the pipes etc to remove any salt traces.

Could these worms come from the filter and they will die off or are they something completely different and are they bad for my tank? Any advice anyone could give me would be much appreciated as I am worried about them harming my fish, Thanks.

These are the pictures... they are long like a worm but with legs like a centipede.

 

[marcandnic]

I found one of these in my tank only 2 days ago. Took it straight up the back garden!

My tank has never been near to marine equipment though.

 

[RustedKnight]

Definately bristleworms.

Could they have sneaked in gravel?

And quite the opposite, bristleworm doesn't do very well in marine water, or so I found. But could be wrong, maybe I just had crap worms.

They aren't dangerous to fish unless they get really big, but even so, they aren't very nice.

Got any meat eating fish?? Grab a knife, cut these things up and your fish will love them. But as a warning, each little section will wriggle for hours.

 

[Chaznia]

The gravel has been in the tank for 6 months and we have never seen them before, and it was brand new and bagged up from a store and washed before putting in the tank, just wish i knew how i got them, any ideas?

Thanks for your replies, much appricated, i also emailed the picture to the local fish store who have also identified them as bristleworms but these are apparantly very rare in Tropical tanks.

 

[the biffster]

ooh bristle worms

 

[RustedKnight]

The gravel has been in the tank for 6 months and we have never seen them before, and it was brand new and bagged up from a store and washed before putting in the tank, just wish i knew how i got them, any ideas?

Thanks for your replies, much appricated, i also emailed the picture to the local fish store who have also identified them as bristleworms but these are apparantly very rare in Tropical tanks.

Absolutely no idea how you got them to be honest.

One of those confusing things.
Maybe eggs were brought in somehow, but, again, no idea how.

Just dispose of them, either to your fish in pieces, or just chuck them in the garden. And be thankful that they are only bristleworms and not fireworms

 

[the biffster]

what type of filter was it you got
i was just thinking they might
of been some sneaky hide hole
some were that you couldn't
get in to and they could
sneaky little beggers

 

[Carlovel1]

Welcome

 

[Chaznia]

We have a ehiem 2227, wet/ dry

 

[the biffster]

We have a ehiem 2227, wet/ dry

i was just wondering if there
was any places in that filter
were they could hide or eggs
could of been left

 

[Carlovel1]

We have a ehiem 2227, wet/ dry

i was just wondering if there
was any places in that filter
were they could hide or eggs
could of been left

That was my thought, a centipede probably laid its eggs there and now they've hatched