# white worms in the tank



## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

It's been 2 months that I noticed there are white colored worms live in my tank and as much as i know they are not harmful for the fish and I saw my clownfish eating one and they like to swim when I turn the light off and during the day they are mostly in the sand or in the live rock. It's something new in my tank. Is it something serious to worry about and also I want to know what should I do to kills them. Is it because of the snail dirt??
I have one snail left and i have a blue tang, clownfish and a wrasse in 30 gall tank.

or is it because of the bacteria I put weekely for the tank? but i used this bacteria before when I was cycling my tank and I've seen other kinds of things but never worms. Is it normal???
please let me know 

tnx


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## Dave66 (Mar 26, 2008)

arpinehb,
Those are nematode worms, which proliferate when overfeeding is present. They are harmless, though unsightly. Route cause, however, is overfeeding the fish.

Dave


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

My bigger concern is the long term health of your aquarium. Your choice in livestock raises questions. Are you planning to upgrade to a bigger tank in the near future?


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## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

No, I do not want to upgrade it.

Well, first I thought if these white worms are planarians( phylum Platyhelminthes but I remembered that planarians are not white but are brown based on what I studies in Biology. 

these worms have legs and alot of them and come out at night and they swim like cilia and swirl.

so what can I do to get rid of them?? and I am sure It's bc of overfeeding since my mom got thise other kinda frozen food which is not brine shrimp that I always feed them this one is is multi nutrition and breaks in little parts and what happens is that my fish can't eat them all so they stay in gravel.

Would water changes everyday help? what kind of medication can I use to get rid of nematodes?

tnx


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Without an upgrade in tank size, you need to give serious consideration to removing the Blue Tang. These fish do not fare well all in aquariums less than 6 feet in length. What species of wrasse do you have?

Yes, water changes should help control your infestation. However, success in a marine system is dependent upon controlling what is input into the environment. Proper feeding and proper livestock selection are not something you can ignore.


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## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

I've had my blue tang for more than a year in this 30 gal tank and it seems that he is happy!


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## Dave66 (Mar 26, 2008)

arpinehb said:


> I've had my blue tang for more than a year in this 30 gal tank and it seems that he is happy!


Paracanthurus hepatus reaches a foot long. Surely you can see a 30 gallon is insufficient for a fish this size? You are to be commended that it has survived this long in your little tank, despite the overfeeding that has led to your nematode infestation, but really, keeping one in a 30 is a disservice to the fish in the extreme. Tangs can live many, many years in captivity; seven or eight or more years isn't uncommon. Your tang will grow, and continue to do so in your cramped conditions to its detriment. 
P. hepatus like most tangs in the hobby are pelagic species, that is they roam the reef en masse looking for algae to eat all day. Thus, they need maximum swimming room in aquariums to have any semblance of natural behavior. 
I wouldn't keep a blue tang in anything under 200 gallons. You could get away with a yellow tang in a 90, but something as big as a blue tag needs considerable more space.
I know you want to keep your blue tang happy and healthy for years to come, so you owe it to him to give him the space he requires for full growth and health. A foot-long blue tang is a beautiful sight, one few viewers can forget.

Dave


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## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

so if i get rid of my blue tang, what other kind of fish I can get for 30 gal?
something colorful that will be ok with my clownfish and yellow wrasse!


im so scared of the nematodes. how long do they get and what else I can do to get rid of them?


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## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

my worms r finally gone
i just did a 30 percent water change and Im glad they are gone and i stopped feeding my fish that new kinda food.
it's so funny everytime something happens to my tank and i ask a local fish store about it, they don't know the answer and I find out that I know more than them its bc I dont sell fish but i read about them and learn more.


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## Dave66 (Mar 26, 2008)

_Paracheilinus filamentosus_; the filament wrasse. You can see one here: http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-5025-10

Dave


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## arpinehb (Jan 23, 2007)

mine is alittle different
the dorsal and the pelvic fins are shorter and it's not extended


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