Internal Filter With White Worms Coming Out...

[Rhiannon]

I just got home from staying at my mums for the past few days because I am unwell, and my husband has been looking after my fish tank and by the looks of it he is doing a really good job, all my fish are happy etc, but he didnt turn the internal filter back on this morning (I have a UGF that is on at all times) and when I turned it on it had this massive burst of air as it always does but it was a burst of hundreds of little tiny extremly thin white squiggly worms.

What on earth are these worms and are they bad or harmless? It gave me a big of a fright seeing them all shoot out, I was like "thats so ewww".

They seem to have gone now, probably back into the filter, but the fish caught some of them and ate them.

Someone please let me know, I am worried.

Ta

Rhiannon

 

[Amunet]

Sounds like it's just some planaria in your filter. They're harmless, and as you saw, your fish will snack on them if they spot them.
I had an outbreak of them a little while ago.
For a few days, vacuum your gravel VERY well. Do some water changes, reduce the amount of food you're feeding your fish. I went from twice a day just to once... and that should reduce their numbers a great deal.
Think my little infestation lasted about a week give or take a day.... and now, they're no where to be seen

 

[Tolak]

Harmless planeria, no need to worry. I get them once in a while from conditioning breeders with heavy feeding. They happen in bare tanks too if you feed heavy enough.

 

[Rhiannon]

Thanks heaps.

I think my husband may have been feeding them more than what I feed them, so that could be why.

Rhiannon