# Big Worm in my Tank, Help. Have picture...



## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

I took this picture today. It was atleast 4 inches. All wasn't visible. I am really freaking out. Is it an earthworm. I fed my catfish earthworms when i was fishing this spring. A few days ago I thought I saw small thread like worms about an inch long. I hope they are earthworms, but now I am scared to put my hand in there. lo
l* 
Will they hurt me? What are they?*


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

i would have thought an earth worm would have drowned by now ?
i hope someone can help out here,have you tried to catch and remove ?


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

Well, at first I just thought wow an earthworm lived and that would be good for my plants. Then the thought occured what if it isn't. I would have a lot of digging now to find him. My husband says he has seen worms in springs and they can survive, but are they earthworms and harmless? I will say that I got all of my rocks from a creek bed here. It would be a spring fed creed that comes down a ridge here in Tennessee. Could something have grown from that? I collected the rocks 3 years ago. Previously I had it set up as a marine tank and had loads of bristle worms. and other worms. Could one have survived and stuck to the glass or something? Under the rim? IDK

I have some strange red aglae that crusts on the glass once in a while and it looks alot like what i had in my marine tank. The structure and color. I scrape it and it comes back but not many. 

I'm bewildered...


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

gosh,i hope you find out what it is..


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## Barry gibb (Oct 23, 2013)

Weird!!! Looks like a red worm, the type you would use in a worm farm, how its alive is beyound me.....


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

i'm just wondering if you could email the picture to a zoo ?
and ask if someone there could identify it for you ?


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## Barry gibb (Oct 23, 2013)

willow said:


> i'm just wondering if you could email the picture to a zoo ?
> and ask if someone there could identify it for you ?


I see your british willow, we would call them bramlings or red worms mate, we collectect them from farm court yards in about that steamy pile of cow manure, these worms turn waste products into a reuseable plant fertz, i used to have a wormery and the juciey liquid what collects in a res for feeding plants you allway got worm liven in this gunky liquid, so they can adapt to life with out oxgen and being under water, willow our earthworms are diferant from the states, ours being bigger lob/blueheads/due worms to there earthworm/ night crawlers/ redworm am sure we bought night crawlers when bass fishing in florida. What would explain how they got there. From your spring fishing, again we need a expert to explain its morf from land to water how its orgins manage life with no air.

Pritty harmless and cool the more you think about it. And a wee education on worms there for you willow


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

*I asked a professer here at tn tech. This is his answer:*

After looking at the picture, my earlier response to you appears to be correct. The eggs of these Oligochaetes (proper name for these worms) are put in cocoons that are highly resistant. They would be able to survive what you have done. If you want to get rid of them, you will need to completely change out everything and sanitize your tank, and filter. When you sanitize your filter, your tank will not be able to support many fish initially until a bacterial fauna is well established. If it were me, I would not worry about it.

He thinks they came in with the rocks when i set my aquarium up.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Hullo Catzmuze (cute SN!!!), and welcome to TFK!!!

Ug! Critters in the tank (that we didn't put there!) are always cause for concern. . . creepy stuff, neh!?
I'm no pro, and I've never seen anything *exactly* like this, but I'm fairly sure that its a freshwater Oligochaete of some kind. I'm sorry that this isn't saying terribly much. . . . this class encompasses everything from the humble earthworm to the tubifex worms we feed our fish!!! There are thousands of them, ranging in size from microscopic to massive - and I'm honestly not sure_ exactly_ what it is you have in there. . . 

The GOOD news is that - to the best of _my_ understanding (and I'm _not_ a pro!), these guys are harmless. You don't have to worry about sticking your hand in the tank -* it's very unlikely that it'll cause you harm in any way*. 

I can't imagine how it got in there to begin with - perhaps introduced as a baby with some other live worms as wormy by-catch, and somehow managed to survive hidden for all this time! 

If it were me I'd scoop the little brat out with a net, cup, or siphon. Just get it out of there, so you don't have to worry - heck, even keep it in a jar on the windowsill - looks like a pretty cool critter to watch and learn about - if you like that kind of thing! 

Regarding the "small thread like worms about an inch long" you mentioned. . . assuming that they _aren't_ babies to big daddy Oligochaete . . . a bit more information on these guys may better help me get you a proper ID. If they swim in a way that reminds you of the letter "S," and are more or less hidden until you disturb them, it's very likely that they're nematodes - a type of roundworm. Many call these 'filter worms' or 'detritus' worms.' Again, *NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT *as far as your personal safety (and the safety of your fish) is concerned! These guys are _completely_ harmless, and the fish will take care of them sooner or later! It may help to do a video search on YouTube for 'nematodes in the aquarium,' if this is what you have, you'll recognize their distinctive swimming style with no trouble. 

The only thing about nematodes that you might have to worry about is that if there are too many of them, it *typically* is indicative of a tank that is being over fed, or could use a bit more cleaning. They'll often live in the substrate or the filter until disturbed, so you may want to limit your feeding, and be extra sure to keep conditions as clean and pristine as you are able. Could also be that they were introduced with other live foods or plants - just thought I should throw that information out there in case there is something you can do to improve your maintenance on this tank.

Sorry that I can't get you a more definite ID on this fascinating worm! I'll ask around and see if any of our other members have a better idea - or hopefully someone else will stumble onto this thread who can be more of a help. In the meantime I really don't think this big guy is anything to be overly concerned about.

I hope that helps you out somewhat? Please keep us up-to-date on how this develops, and WELCOME to TFK!!! Always good to see a new face! ^__^ 

Best of luck with the wormy round-up!!!


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

catzmuze said:


> After looking at the picture, my earlier response to you appears to be correct. The eggs of these Oligochaetes (proper name for these worms) are put in cocoons that are highly resistant. They would be able to survive what you have done. If you want to get rid of them, you will need to completely change out everything and sanitize your tank, and filter. When you sanitize your filter, your tank will not be able to support many fish initially until a bacterial fauna is well established. If it were me, I would not worry about it.
> 
> He thinks they came in with the rocks when i set my aquarium up.



HAHAHA! Yeah, that!!! 

Once again I MUST remember to hit the refresh button before replying to a thread that has been opened on my browser for a bit!!! Glad to hear (belatedly) that a true professional is in agreement with my thoughts on this - personally, I wouldn't worry about breaking down the entire system for these guys. A few weeks of careful maintenance should take care of the problem, I'd think - and you wouldn't put your fishy friends at risk! Just my thoughts! At the very least I'd TRY the soft and careful approach before doing anything so dramatic as a full tank tear-down. . . But I know many people are terribly skeezed out by worms, so if you feel like you _MUST_ to get rid of every one _ASAP_ - go for it, but be very careful to keep those fishies safe as your tank goes through the cycle all over again!

Again, good luck - and keep us informed!


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

The small worms do not swim. I couldn't decide if it was a root or worm. It was very smooth and free floating. 

My tank how ever, I recently took out the UGF. So it has been disturbed at the least! I have a bio wheel and planted quite a few plants hoping to get it cycled again quickly. So far it seems fine. I had some ammonia spikes and did water changes and added Amquel. I somethimes get going on a project with too much enthusiasm. So maybe i rushed it. I already had established plants, but now have added more rooted plants. I had a few rooted before, they did good with the UGF. But I kept reading and decided to go with out it. So now I have to be much more careful about disturbing the gravel and over feeding. 

And thanks so much for your time.



Chesh said:


> Hullo Catzmuze (cute SN!!!), and welcome to TFK!!!
> 
> Ug! Critters in the tank (that we didn't put there!) are always cause for concern. . . creepy stuff, neh!?
> I'm no pro, and I've never seen anything *exactly* like this, but I'm fairly sure that its a freshwater Oligochaete of some kind. I'm sorry that this isn't saying terribly much. . . . this class encompasses everything from the humble earthworm to the tubifex worms we feed our fish!!! There are thousands of them, ranging in size from microscopic to massive - and I'm honestly not sure_ exactly_ what it is you have in there. . .
> ...


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

The small ones didn't swim. I couldn't tell if they were alive or not. They were unusually smooth, that is why i thought worm. Then i just forgot about it until I saw this big one. 

As for my tank, I recently took out my UGF. I added more plants and got rid of my fish because i decided the catfish was getting too big. Maybe that was because he has been eating lots of worms. lol. My botias were preventing me from adding the plants I wanted. They were constantly digging. now I know why.

Now I have 6 neons, 2 platys, 5 rcs, 1 amano, 1 octo ?, and a dwarf or bristle nose pleco. I had trouble with ammonia for a couple of days, but i think it is fine now. I have had the shrimp for a week and they are very active. and my plants are growing fast. So keeping my fingers crossed. I know I cant rely on the ugf to keep it clean, so no over feeding and lots of water changes. 

And thanks so much for the useful information. 



Chesh said:


> Hullo Catzmuze (cute SN!!!), and welcome to TFK!!!
> 
> 
> Regarding the "small thread like worms about an inch long" you mentioned. . . assuming that they _aren't_ babies to big daddy Oligochaete . . . a bit more information on these guys may better help me get you a proper ID. If they swim in a way that reminds you of the letter "S," and are more or less hidden until you disturb them, it's very likely that they're nematodes - a type of roundworm. Many call these 'filter worms' or 'detritus' worms.' Again, *NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT *as far as your personal safety (and the safety of your fish) is concerned! These guys are _completely_ harmless, and the fish will take care of them sooner or later! It may help to do a video search on YouTube for 'nematodes in the aquarium,' if this is what you have, you'll recognize their distinctive swimming style with no trouble.
> ...


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

*This is my tank now...*


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

wow a wormy lesson :-D
don't know about anyone else,but i found that interesting !:-D


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

GORGEOUS! _PLEASE _don't rip that tank apart!!!! 
*begs* 

Being as they're most likely to be harmless. . . my personal thoughts are to just leave them! 

To me, it is so not worth tearing apart an established ecosystem like that one to dig out some weirdo worms that, well. . . have become a_ part _of it - unintended though they may have been! I actually think it's kind of cool that you have a different kind of life form in there, actually! Provided they aren't causing any trouble, and won't harm you or the other inhabitants. . .I say let it ride! 

If it were my tank? I'd up water changes for a while to get rid of as much/many as I could that's in the water column, and though I know many don't vacuum the substrate in a planted tank, in this situation I would at least try to get the vac into as many 'clear' areas as I could in the hopes of getting some eggs. 

Big daddy's been in there for a while undetected, I'm sure. And he doesn't seem to have caused any trouble. You may not be able to get rid of them entirely (or maybe you can! Time will tell), but you should be able to limit their reproduction, and keep them to the occasional one or two every once in a while. The main concern I see is if you were to allow them to reproduce (assuming they are!) to the point that their bioload has a direct effect on the tank. As long as you're paying attention, this shouldn't become an issue. Call it a new and unusual member of your clean-up-crew (way cooler than your average MTS!!!)

Personally, I see no harm in letting things be, though I can easily see a lot of potential problems with tearing apart a set up such as this one and trying to start again from scratch - and anyway, you can rinse them all you'd like, there's still no guarantee that an egg or three will ride right back in on one of those gorgeous plants.

We still don't have a positive ID on this worm, and it's unfortunately unlikely that we ever truly will, so there is some concern that it *could* be harmful. But I really doubt that will prove to be the case, honestly. 

Again, not an expert in any way, shape, or form - these are totally just my thoughts, and they're very much influenced by the fact that I think it's kind of neat! 

Let us know what you do, and how everything comes out, though - I'd love to hear!!!


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## catzmuze (Nov 6, 2013)

I think if i see them below the gravel allot at the sides then i will purchase a dwarf botia that will be better for plants. You know my botias i got rid of because their lil butts were always in the air and digging. Now I know why. lol

I only seen them in the column when arranging some plants. So I think they live in the gravel only. I still think of earthworm tho.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

catzmuze said:


> I think if i see them below the gravel allot at the sides then i will purchase a dwarf botia that will be better for plants. You know my botias i got rid of because their lil butts were always in the air and digging. Now I know why. lol
> 
> I only seen them in the column when arranging some plants. So I think they live in the gravel only. I still think of earthworm tho.


THREE CHEERS FOR LOACHBUTTS!!!! 
I adore loaches - even when they're naughty and mess up aquascapes!

That picture reminds me of earthworms, too - which makes sense as they belong to the (huge) wormy class Oligochaete, too! I wish I knew enough to get you a solid ID. From what (little) I've read on the subject, IDing worms can be difficult even to those who have studied them extensively! Saying that you have some form of freshwater Oligochaete isn't really saying _*too*_ much more than: you have a worm, honestly! Betting that the others in the tank are 'oligo's, too! >.< Do you think those are the same critter (perhaps a younger version?), or do you think they're something else entirely?

What are your thoughts on how they got into your tank?

Please do continue your own investigation into the potential effects these guys could have on your system - I'm far from a pro, only a newbie tanker myself (albeit a very curious one! >.<), and would feel awful if my input steered you wrong. Still hoping someone else around here will be able to chime in with a little bit more info, but if you learn anything new, I'd love it if you shared! Worm lessons, indeed. Very neat (if icky!) topic!

Yeeeeesh! Tearing out an UGF in a tank like that must have been a nightmare!!! O.O 
Good work on the rebuild, though! From that shot, the tank looks well established - not to mention gorgeous! Well done! ^_^


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## rsskylight04 (Nov 9, 2013)

catzmuze said:


> I took this picture today. It was atleast 4 inches. All wasn't visible. I am really freaking out. Is it an earthworm. I fed my catfish earthworms when i was fishing this spring. A few days ago I thought I saw small thread like worms about an inch long. I hope they are earthworms, but now I am scared to put my hand in there. lo
> l*
> Will they hurt me? What are they?*


Do not sanitize your tank! It will take weeks to build up nitrifying bacteria that make water stable enough for fish to live. If you do restart your tank try to change water 30% every coupldays to avoid toxic conditions untill bacteria becomeestablished


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