Pests/Complete Tank Breakdown

[aquariumnoob]

About a month ago I had these worm things in the gravel (thread OMG what are these), and I had also noticed maybe a kinda of larvae in the water (my betta ate a few). When I checked my filter friday for a snail I couldn't find, I found something like fruit flies crawling on my filter. Considering I live in a dorm (a fairly new one), this was unusual because I never even see flies in the dorm, no bugs at all. Well I'm seeing this small white worms about 3mm in length and smaller, several of them in my tank. The things in the gravel are back also. Friday I had cleaned out my filter, and when I put it back in the tank, it wouldn't even attempt to start. So I just bought a new filter, and I had done about a 90% water change trying to get all the excess food out to get rid of the worms in the gravel, but they're back. I'll test the water and post the results, but I may have started a mini cycle when I cleaned and and threw away the old filer cartridge, and then bought a whole new filters. Is there a better alternative than completely emptying the tank and washing the gravel? (10 gal, 3 otos, 3 cories, 1 betta, 1 bamboo shrimp)

 

[STARFYRE]

Is there mosquitos in your area? Could be mosquito larva. I believe they are AKA bloodworms, but I think they are darker in color. I had a mosquito lay eggs in my goldfish tank years ago and experienced a similar thing. Although, I don't remember them being in the gravel? That's one possibility.
If it is mosquito larva, there's nothing to worry about. They are great food for the fish.

 

[aquariumnoob]

the worms in the gravel are separate from the larvae. the larvae grow up to be fruit fly like bugs, but last time they ended up all over my filter cartridge(like crawling on it alive). But the dorm is well air-conditioned and heated and the rules state that windows shouldn't be open. I haven't seen bugs inside my dorm the whole year. I also just realize that if I did breakdown the tank, the shrimp wouldn't have anything to eat (filter feeder). I guess I 'll just try another deep gravel vac.

 

[Pleco]

The shrimp would be ok, use some flake food and crush it in to the finest grain you can. Then dump it in to the tank, they should be able to filter some of it

-Pleco

 

[aquariumnoob]

so you're saying if i crush up some flake food, it'll be ok to completely change the water/wash the gravel? also, if I wash the sponge from the filter in old tank water will the bacteria still be ok? there are a couple of worms in the sponge, but i also have i think they are ceramic rings? and carbon which will have some bacteria.