Thousands Of Red Segmented Worms? -

[Ludwig Venter]

I have a 40G plastic drum which I pump water into from the cory pond...... Today, I tipped the drum and left about 1" water in it. I saw movement on the concrete where the tipped water was drained and saw thousands of red segmented worms about 7mm long...... Are these bloodworms, and where would they have come from..... I have fed them frozen bloodworms.... but (obviously) dead ones?..... Checking the inside of the drum.... there are stilla lot of them left wriggling in the 1" of water.

 

[kporteo]

Bloodworms are just larvae so if they look like bloodworms they probably are. I know my dad used to go and fish for bloodworms in local rivers when he had tropical fish so they mustnt be fussy where they lay their eggs!
K

 

[BigC]

Do they form a clump if so they are possibly
Microfex
if not the will be the larval stage of certain insect species.
Regards
C

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Do they form a clump if so they are possibly
Microfex
if not the will be the larval stage of certain insect species.
Regards
C

As I see it, they emerge from muddy like tunnels on the side of the drum..... looks like "veins" of muddy tunnels...... (like the corral tunnels built by mussleworms in salty).....

 

[loraxchick]

tubifex worms is my guess. they can grow quite long and live in absolutely disgusting water (not saying the drum water is but...)
bloodworms (midge larvae) generally are not 7mm long (although dont know about your african insects
cheers

 

[Ludwig Venter]

tubifex worms is my guess. they can grow quite long and live in absolutely disgusting water (not saying the drum water is but...)
bloodworms (midge larvae) generally are not 7mm long (although dont know about your african insects
cheers

Nah!!... Tubifex can be ruled out.... I've collected them before at the local sewerage dam.... These are the same colour, but shorter and segmented.....

 

[BigC]

Nah they are not tubifex or microfex worms then.
If they are building their own rafts floating or otherwise then they will be in all likelihood the larval stage of a flying insect species.
As we are not familiar with the endemic flora and fauna you have in South Africa Ludwig it might be advisable to either purchase or borrow a book from your library on the subject. I have a few on our endemic mosquito/midge species and populations. You'll be surprised at how good a read they are.
Regards
C