I've got worms

[George Farmer]

I've noticed some pinkish/red small worm like creatures in my substrate. They're about 2" long and very thin (<1mm). They appear to have tiny filaments along their body, almost like legs on a millapede.

My tank is planted and my substrate is a fine gravel laterite mix with a heater cable. I'm guessing they arrived with a plant, I'm assuming they'll do no harm, in fact they'll probably be good for turning the gravel over and being a live food source.

Anyone have any ideas or experienced anything similar?

 

[Doggfather]

have you ever fed your fish any lives worms?

i'v heard worms which don't get eaten often burrow into the substrate and reproduce

 

[LynX]

thats cooL!
off to the lfs with me

 

[George Farmer]

I've only fed frozen bloodworm, they're a lot thinner and longer than bloodworm though (as if they could still be alive after freezing..... cryogenic scientists would be interested in my tank!!)

 

[Tropjunky]

well i'd get a parasite treatment in there ASAP they could be some eirly form of parasites so get rid of what u can and treat the rest.

 

[nightlife20]

iv read about this somwhere before on this forum, could it be due to overfeeding?

i think i read that water changes and good gravel cleaning will remove some, and also the fish will have a midnight snack, do u have any bottom feeders? like cories of catfish?

 

[George Farmer]

I have bottom dwellers; a pair of Corydorus Julii and a pair of Botia Striata. I haven't seen any of the worms for a while, perhaps they've been eaten. I won't use a parasite treatment as I think it's a bit excessive at the moment. I'll just keep monitoring for now. Cheers for the feedback.

 

[snoobab]

Well if they are'nt bothering your fish and no fish show Sx of a parasite infection, then I guess it's just a free lunch!!!

 

[Lateral Line]

Sound more like a tubifex type worm, which I would have thought the Botia's would have eaten by now.