Not Planaria, something else...

[Sicklid]

These are small tiny hairlike worms, white, in my 2.5g... Definitely NOT Planaria, I know what those look like. While Planaria are flat and oval, these are hardly visible to the eye unless you get real close, I first thought they were scratches in the glass. They seem to move along the glass like a slug, but only from the tip of themselves, trailing their thin bodies along behind them... They move with the water currents and waves except where they are attached at the head to the wall of the tank.

Any ideas? I change the water a few times a week in this tank, and I doubt it is from overfeeding cause I hardly feed my Betta and remove uneaten food quickly... I think he's been living off of them!

 

[Esra]

Ready made food source??

Does he seem troubled or have the numbers of these critters jumped?
If you can't see them and he likes to eat them then is there a problem?

Or do you just want to know what they are?

 

[Sicklid]

Just curious as to what the heck they are :? I am not sure he's eating them, and I just noticed them today... I am not too concerned about them, but these suckers are small! I would have to buy a microscope to positively ID them.

 

[hc8719]

i have slug/tapeworm things in my 20 gal tank, i know what your talking about, mine are always on the glass. it turns out they just feed on excess food, and are not parasitic, like you normally think of tapeworm things. mine dont swim though...

 

[Devilishturtles]

They are nematodes, which are a species of roundworm. Generally, if you see it in the tank and it's not planaria (which belong to the tapeworm family) they they are probably nematodes. Usually result from overfeeding or undercleaning your tank. Perhaps if a lot of food settles to the bottom.

HTH

 

[Sicklid]

this tank is so small... I have resorted to using a piece of 3/8" tubing as a vacuum... Did a good vacuuming and saw the worm population shrink fast.

 

[Mosaic]

I have them too. I think the hydra might have thinned out their population a little. I'd much rather have the wormy things though.