Something Free Swimming In My Tank?

[Snake42490]

So my tank has been going great for the past two months up until tonight. everything was going great until i looked in the tank to notice something swimming. Ill try to describe it. I dont know if its a parasite or something some insect could have put in the tank or what. biggest maybe 1/4inch and smaller. i saw about 4 of them and netted them out. Its a clear white and long and skinny. it has like a snake like swim motion swimming with a swirl tail. the very tip of it is almost like a head still very small and appears clear. My tank has been going for 8 months now. the fish are still all smaller.. almost 2 inches. all mbuna african cichlids. Thanks Seth

If this is something that needs treatment what should i be adding that wont mess up tank etc...

 

[Snake42490]

so i have been looking and reading up... i have no clue.. i also have two snails that magically showed up in my plants. i dont know if that would mean anything.


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http/images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...m%3D1%26hl%3Den

 

[dthoffsett]

You might look up some images of planeria which generally show up if you overfeed. If it is planeria, just cut back on feeding, the fish will probably eat any that are around.

Snails often hitch a ride on plants, nothing really to worry about.

 

[Snake42490]

well i just now turned the tank on to look and i see none... i take it its not harmful for the cichlids to eat the worms? Thanks!

 

[Imagesz]

i had lots of those proablly from over feeding since i do feed mines hikari brines and omega one color enhancers

 

[jgray152]

planeria are no problem. The reason you see them is most likly excessive fish waste and/or food in the gravel/sand. I find its almost impossible not to get them. They usually settle on the bottom but get kicked up very easily by fish. They don't harm the fish at all. I actually had a red tail baby shark in my hospital tank which died, after a few days I went to look at it and these planeria have eaten about half the shark. Poor thing but I found it interesting unfortunatly.

Basically try to keep the water clean, keep up on water changes and clean the bottom of your tank now and then to remove excessive fish waste and food.

 

[chishnfips]

what they all said, also though I found them in my tank when it was cycling, probably with the higher levels of amonia and uneaten food for the cycle of the tank, soon as fish were added though the disappeared.