How Long Can Parasites Live?

[Ilya]

I've got little white worms in my tank. I have no fish. How long can these little white stringy worms survive without a host?

 

[Musho3210]

do you have pictures? Sounds like planaria.

 

[Ilya]

I can't focus, it's too small. Also, there are two white clumps on one piece of bogwood. I can't tell what they are. Maybe snail eggs. But I can't find any worms. As soon as they touch something, they seem to burrow into what ever it is.

 

[Musho3210]

the white clumps may be fungus. The worms are probably an indication of pretty bad water quality and the fungus may be an indication of bad wood.

 

[Ilya]

Hmmm. Bad wood?

 

[loachman]

hydra perhaps?

 

[Ilya]

What's Hydra. Also, it looks almost shiny!

 

[loachman]

What's Hydra. Also, it looks almost shiny!

An invertibrate resembling to a freshwater anemone. They're relatively small and stick to surfaces. They can curl up so that is what made me think of them.

http/members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Hydra.htm

 

[Ilya]

First thing that came to mind. Oh, and I'll take the bogwood back to the store!