White Small worm about 1mm long

[Satanoperca]

Hi All,

If anyone can identify these creatures it would be of great help.

They are white, oval in shape and are about 1mm long stuck to the glass this morning.

Using a magnifying glass, they seem to have a head and tail, slide along the glass. They are white, transparent with what looks like two egg sacks inside their body.

I notice on of them expell a baby from it's body.

Last night I revised the UGF as I do every month to keep the plates clean after a gravel clean and must have disturbed them.

I have had a sick red hump and are wondering if this is the problem.

Cheers

Benjamin

[Sarah]

i have had these a long time ago, best way i found to get rid of them is a water change and gravel clean and cut back on feeding , try to not feed for a couple of days and then feed maybe every 2 days until you notice they have been significantly reduced or gone all together.

cheers

[crabros]

Hi Guys hope this helps,

Planaria Tiny Worms in your Aquarium. (flatworms)

Here is abit of information about planaria.

Planaria belong to the phylum, Platyhelminthes, (flatworms).

They are free-living, flat bodied, freshwater creatures that exhibit the remarkable ability to regenerate their lost body parts.

It lives in lakes,streams,ponds, and other freshwater bodies

The planarian is non-parasitic,and eats decaying food.

The body consists of :

- a simple nervous system that includes a brain

- muscle bundles

- an internal reproductive system

- a blind gut branching through the body

- an excretory system that includes specialized cells called 'flame cells'

Planaria have been described as tiny white worms which are found crawling on the surface of the glass in an aquarium.

Planaria are often found in aquariums with uneaten food. Planaria wont hurt the fish, however they are a symptom of too much gravel containing too much uneaten food, and that is not good for your fish.

Uneaten food causes all sorts of problems, and uneaten food in your aquarium may be one of the causes that your fish are dying.

Here are some recommendations.

1. Clean you gravel with a gravel syphon removing unwanted food.

2. You could add Aquarium salt to your aquarium.

3. Clean you gravel with a gravel syphon every day over a few days. Only do a 20% water change at a time per day. It could take several days to get your gravel really clean.

4. You could remove all the gravel and clean it. (BIG JOB)

5. Small fish may eat planaria also.

Hope this helps

Brett

[Satanoperca]

Hi Brett,

Thank-you for the response. Can you please clarify as I have noticed two different types of white worms,

1) The one above, oval in shape, seem flat about 1mm long and only seen them on the glass

2) A free swimming white worm, very thin, sometimes with a sought of tear drop head and is about 6-9mm long.

Are these the same thing?

I have only had the one problem fish in the last few years, all other have remained healthy with BN constantly breading in the tank with a eartheaters.

The RUGF keeps the gravel clean, however I will do as you have suggested.

The tank is also well planted out, with anubias and valencia.

I run two cannister filters that run combined at about 2800lt per hr, tank 450 lts

Thank-you for you earlier response.

Cheers

[crabros]

Hi Mate,

I believe that the worms you see swimming are the same as the ones on the glass.

If you do what has been suggested they will slowly disappear from your tank.

Im glad I could help out.

Thanks

Brett