might have parasites - should I get new gravel?

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hbeth82

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A while back I was doing a PW on my 55gal and found a 4" long red worm in my tank, and posted a question about it. Some said it was harmless though others suggested it could be a parasite. I have no idea how it might have gotten in my tank, but since then, I've found several others during water changes. I'm going to be moving this coming weekend and it seems like this would be the best possible time to get new gravel and hopefully get rid of the worms. I know that by doing this I'm loosing a lot of my bacteria but between the two filters and several chunks of driftwood, I think it'll be okay (though I expect a mini-cycle).

My main question is whether getting new gravel will actually get rid of the worms, or are they likely in the plants, driftwood, and other places I haven't found yet? Is there anything else I can do to get rid of them?

Thanks!
 
hbeth82 said:
A while back I was doing a PW on my 55gal and found a 4" long red worm in my tank, and posted a question about it. Some said it was harmless though others suggested it could be a parasite. I have no idea how it might have gotten in my tank, but since then, I've found several others during water changes. I'm going to be moving this coming weekend and it seems like this would be the best possible time to get new gravel and hopefully get rid of the worms. I know that by doing this I'm loosing a lot of my bacteria but between the two filters and several chunks of driftwood, I think it'll be okay (though I expect a mini-cycle).

My main question is whether getting new gravel will actually get rid of the worms, or are they likely in the plants, driftwood, and other places I haven't found yet? Is there anything else I can do to get rid of them?

Thanks!

Red worms might have been introduced by adding the driftwood. Although I don't have driftwood nor a red worm issue, I'm fairly certain they came from the wood. Sorry I can't be of more help with this issue.
 
You don't feed frozen bloodworms do you? I've had them after being thawed come to life and would suck them up when vaccuming the gravel.
 
I have never heard of bloodworms come back to life after being thawed
 
You don't feed frozen bloodworms do you? I've had them after being thawed come to life and would suck them up when vaccuming the gravel.

Before I'd also thought that it could be the bloodworms, that if they survived they were bound to get bigger, possibly even 4" in length. However, it looks like they're actually red mosquito larvae and judging by their life cycle they should never get to be 4" long. So I don't think it's the frozen bloodworms.

Do you think just changing the gravel would get rid of them or are they likely in the plants and driftwood?
 
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Red worms might have been introduced by adding the driftwood. Although I don't have driftwood nor a red worm issue, I'm fairly certain they came from the wood. Sorry I can't be of more help with this issue.

It's possible but it seems odd that I hadn't noticed them earlier. I've had both pieces of driftwood in there for well over a year.
 
If you change your gravel you could end up going through a cycle again. It might be a short one but your bio load will have a lot to do with how long it will be.
 
If it truly is a parasite then fish->gravel->snail/critters->fish may be its life cycle. Have you noticed any of your fish having camallanus? Little strings of red worms sticking out of the fishes' anal opening? Replacing the gravel will not get rid of the parasite if it is in the fish or the driftwood or any other part of the tank. These lay cysts that may re-infect your tank. I recently found worms in my 55 gal too, but I believe these are some blackworms that I had fed my fish that somehow are surviving in the gravel.

I wouldn't worry about them unless you've noticed them in the fish. If you do want to kill them, you'd have to figure out which type they are and treat appropriately.

Another option is that if you're breaking down your tank anyway, you could spread the gravel out on a tarp and let it all air dry for a couple of days. Make sure its a layer thin enough for it to dry thoroughly and that should kill all adults. It won't kill any cysts though, those are resilient.

If it is camallanus, then the way to kill them is to treat the fish with fenbendazole or other nematode medication. I posted in a thread titled "Camallanus again". Like I said, the only way to get rid of them though is to identify the worms and treat appropriately and it may not be easy unless you know your worms and may need a microscope...
 
I have never heard of bloodworms come back to life after being thawed

Yes frozen bloodworms can come back to life, I've seen it many times.

But back to the worms as long as the fish are not being effected by them I wouldn't worry to much and continue to remove them manually. If you start seeing fish symptoms or the worms multiplying quickly then revisit this. But before meds are used I would recommend a commercially made worm trap or a DIY version to remove them prior to substrate removal.
 
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But back to the worms as long as the fish are not being effected by them I wouldn't worry to much and continue to remove them manually. If you start seeing fish symptoms or the worms multiplying quickly then revisit this. But before meds are used I would recommend a commercially made worm trap or a DIY version to remove them prior to substrate removal.

Okay thanks. I'll hold off on doing anything unless I notice something new. Now just seemed like a good time to change the gravel if doing so would help but I'm thinking it would just make the whole process of moving more difficult.
 
Have you noticed any of your fish having camallanus? Little strings of red worms sticking out of the fishes' anal opening?

Thankfully no, haven't seen any signs of illness. I'm hoping that this is just a harmless intruder but I'll watch for anything new after the move.
 
UPDATE - There seems to have been a population explosion. Did a fairly large PW tonight and found about 15-20 of the red worm things. I'm going to try email pictures of it to some of the faculty in the marine biology program at the local university, hopefully one of them can shed some light.
 
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