I've Had It!

[ECCO_]

Im literally ready to just give up keeping fish! Why you ask NEMATODES!!!!!!

Before the new year came around christmas my tank was empty and I reset the tank up with new gravel and everything. I let it cycle and I havent add fish to it yet! I just kept it up. Doing water changes every week and change the filters. Then out of the freakin blue Im back to where I started.

It seemed when I did have them before the holidays, water changes didnt do much justice. But I tore the tank down, emptied the water and got rid of the old gravel, set it back up, and they were not to be found.

I think the only way for me to get rid of them is tear my tank down. I've thought of countless things from just letting them stay and do what I normally do (water changes, which doesent help) or just giving it all up. I even thoguht about adding fish that could possibley eat them, or even adding medication tablets for parasites.

I mean theres very little waste, I have not fish!!!

I have friends that have aquariums and I never hear them say eanything about having them. Some of them dont even know what nematodes are.

Please help me from having this reoccurring nightmare!

And please forgive me for eany mistakes made in this topic, but Im REALLY frustrated with this.

 

[Just_Another_One]

I know exactly how you feel. Nematodes are so gross. I dont know how bad they are in your tank but I've had them really bad at points. SO bad that I couldn't even look in my tank without feeling discusted. I hate working in my tank because I think they may crawl into my skin and I'll get parasites or something.

I thought about quitting the hobby many times over this and I actually got rid of my 65G partially because of it, but think they are present in every tank, its just a matter of keeping them in control with gravel vacs and WC and knowing what makes them come out of the gravel where they usually live.

In my tank everything will be fine and there wont be many swimming around or on the glass and as soon as I throw some plant fertilizer in there is literally 100s of em swimming about. Im hoping now I can keep it under control since just today I switched from sand which you cant really vaccum to gravel. I will vacuum the hell out of if it ever gets out of control again.

 

[ECCO_]

I know exactly how you feel. Nematodes are so gross. I dont know how bad they are in your tank but I've had them really bad at points. SO bad that I couldn't even look in my tank without feeling discusted. I hate working in my tank because I think they may crawl into my skin and I'll get parasites or something.

I thought about quitting the hobby many times over this and I actually got rid of my 65G partially because of it, but think they are present in every tank, its just a matter of keeping them in control with gravel vacs and WC and knowing what makes them come out of the gravel where they usually live.

In my tank everything will be fine and there wont be many swimming around or on the glass and as soon as I throw some plant fertilizer in there is literally 100s of em swimming about. Im hoping now I can keep it under control since just today I switched from sand which you cant really vaccum to gravel. I will vacuum the hell out of if it ever gets out of control again.

I hope you, or eanyone else has to live with this. And you described what Im going through on the spot! I hate looking at my tank(light on or off), and when I see them...my skin just crawls!! Ewww...Yuck! I know they are "supposed" to be harmless to fish/aquarist, but its just the thought.
Gross!

 

[Just_Another_One]

They do have a way to totally put you off of fish keeping thats forsure. I hate to say it but you may be stuck with them unless you can tear down your tank and bleach everything...but then theres the chance they will just come back again like they usually do.

I had to tear down and bleach everything in my bettas 6 gallon tank not too long ago as the filter was spitting out what seemed like 100 per second. Its been about 1.5 months and so far I havent seen any big ones.

I've found Platies and Gourami's were the ones usually eating them in my tanks but I dont think they would work well for total control

Lots of people will say that they usually are only in dirty tanks that arent gravel vacced or cleaned but I dont believe that as no matter how clean I keep my tank, they always seem to be around.

After much thought I've just learnt that I have to accept it and you should try too... Dont let some little gross wormy thing make you give it all up.

 

[saz326]

i wonder if you might be wise to get some malaysian trumpet snails. They dig through the gravel and munch up debris that could be feeding your nematodes.

 

[Colin_T]

You could try a worming medication like Flubenol. It might knock them off.

Malaysian livebearing snails won't make much diff but could become a problem later on. Other types of snail would be a better choice.

 

[petertr]

Fill tank to brim

Add bottle of bleach

switch on filter


Daily stir up gravel



Surely that will kill everything?

 

[Amerce]

You could try a worming medication like Flubenol. It might knock them off.

Malaysian livebearing snails won't make much diff but could become a problem later on. Other types of snail would be a better choice.

From what I've read treating the tank with a worming agent like flubenol will work, bleach is a bit extreme as it will damage the filtration system and also your tank will be out of commission for some time.

I've bought liquid animal wormer off the web before now and it works faster than the powder version http/www.wormers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_C...Wormers_13.html

As you don't have any fish you can give your tank a big dose and leave for a week, then do a half water change and dose again. Before you add fish do a 100% water change and run for a week, check the water and if stats are OK you can add fish.

My thoughts only and please don't take it as bible, I've never suffered from nematodes on an empty tank before.

 

[ECCO_]

I think Im going to just tear it down agin, not like Im getting fish anytime soon. I may even look into getting a new filter.

 

[TheSims3Dude]

I don't mean to sound weird, but what are they? Nematodes I mean, I've never heard of them.... Just me being curious.. lol

 

[Just_Another_One]

Nematodes are little white wiggly worms that usually live in the graval but often appear to swim around the tank or crawl over the glass. They are a parasite but are apparently not harmful to fish unless in large numbers they can enter the fishes gills and cause problems.

The ones I get are about this size _ and even though they are small they are very very gross little creatures when they lurke around your tank.

 

[TheSims3Dude]

Ya, Ew, lol they sound pretty gross, but thanks for letting me know what they are! Are they only found in marine tanks? or freshwater ones too?

 

[Just_Another_One]

I think they live mostly in freshwater tanks but maybe marine as well. I only have freshwater and have had it bad at points but thankfully I seem to have it under control now after I took apart the tanks and bleached everything. I was pretty good before with feeding and cleaning but now i'm very SUPER careful to not let ANY food hit the bottom. I feed floating pellets very little at a time so nothing gets on the bottom and I do full gravel vacs once per week.

It has been said that they are present in all tanks but usually stay in the gravel and only come out if you stir up the graval or put medications or fertilizers in. Next time you do a water change stir up the gravel and have a real close look...if you dare.

 

[TheSims3Dude]

Ok, I just might do that, hopefully they don't look to gross! Lol

 

[Just_Another_One]

A few is probably fine and not too sickly but when you start to see literally hundreds them it really does put you off keeping fish. I had to think long and hard weather I wanted to keep my tanks going because of them but I couldnt bring myself to get rid of the tanks so I just clean really well and not let it bother me.

You can also check the glass for any tiny white moving lines.