Parasite! Horrified! Please Help!

[memder]

I think I have parasite in my tank!

Every time I change the water, some very small white string-like or fiber-like things get stirred up. At first, I thought it was some kind of fungus firmed on the rock and plants and not a big deal.

But today, I watched it care fully, it is moving, like bouncing in the water!!!!!!!! And one of my fish ate it!!!!!!!

I tried to search out what is that on the website, but still not clear.

Does any body know what is that? What I can do to get rid of it?

Sign, I just finished my cycling. If I have to use some med, is there any med that cures the worm and do not affect the beneficial bacteria in the filter?

Thanks.

 

[FeroX]

Look like this?

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/23...nk-Inhabitants/

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Do the worms look like planaria;

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaria

?

 

[memder]

No. It is very tiny, around 0.5inch long, white and almost invisible by naked eys. Just like a small cotton fiber floating in the water. But if I put on my glasses, I can see sometimes that it is actually moving.

Look like this?

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/23...nk-Inhabitants/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/23...nk-Inhabitants/[/URL]

 

[joecoral]

sounds like planaria to me, usually a result of over-feeding or insufficient gravel cleaning

 

[memder]

No,

Do the worms look like planaria;

[URL="http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaria"]http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaria[/URL]

?

 

[joecoral]

perhaps could be a nematode, which also look like small white wiggly bits of cotton
both result from over-feeding / insufficient gravel cleaning

 

[Gazoo]

I think I have parasite in my tank!

Every time I change the water, some very small white string-like or fiber-like things get stirred up. At first, I thought it was some kind of fungus firmed on the rock and plants and not a big deal.

But today, I watched it care fully, it is moving, like bouncing in the water!!!!!!!! And one of my fish ate it!!!!!!!

I tried to search out what is that on the website, but still not clear.

Does any body know what is that? What I can do to get rid of it?

Sign, I just finished my cycling. If I have to use some med, is there any med that cures the worm and do not affect the beneficial bacteria in the filter?

Thanks.

Hi memder. Sorry about your problem. You posted the exact same question in the New to the hobby section. If you post in only one section it make it easier to follow.

 

[three-fingers]

Nemetodes?

Harmless little white sometime thread-like worms that live in the gravel/sand, though there are thousand of different types, the nematodes that live in the substrate are harmless and can e found in most tanks if you look.

If you have lots of them you should be cleaning the substrate more often, there's obviously some sort of food for them there.

Descriptions a bit vague though, you say "bouncing" - nematodes don't tend to bounce, they kinda squirm lol.

Maybe your talking about cyclops?

 

[PRW1988]

I've heard that on occasion benificial bacterium get stirred up and out of the gravel during a water change, this usually only happens if the water quality is ,for lack of a better word, Ok. These shouldn't be anything to worry about however if you could take a picture that'd help alot of us to help you id these creatures.

Also, do these things stick to the glass?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Have you added an new fish recently? I remeber ages ago I got some new fish and then a bit later noticed I had loads of little white wormy type things in the tank. After freaking out about it I reliased that it was just the live food that my LFS was feeding my new fish that had got in the bag with them. After a couple of days they all died or or got eaten.

If the fish are health it most likely is nothing harmful.

 

[memder]

I saw one tried to stick to the glass. But the current flushed it away. I tried to take a picture, but it is too tiny, my DC can not catch it.

I think this looks like the creature I saw in the tank.
http/www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/planaria_white_worms/

Most suggested that it would be find. Thanks for all of your replies.

I've heard that on occasion benificial bacterium get stirred up and out of the gravel during a water change, this usually only happens if the water quality is ,for lack of a better word, Ok. These shouldn't be anything to worry about however if you could take a picture that'd help alot of us to help you id these creatures.

Also, do these things stick to the glass?