Infested tank

[paul]

my orientalis tank has become infested with lots of tiny ~5mm long worms that wriggle accross the glass. Also stuck to the glass are tiny 3-4mm ovoid structures which look like mini anemones.

the newts appear to be fine but i would like to remove these creatures just to beon the safe side.

they are too small for my camera

can anybody reccomend a course of action??

 

[john]

The anenome-like organism is an animal known as hydra. They're quite harmless to newts, though big ones might be able to damage newly hatched larvae. The worms could be anything but I'm pretty sure they are harmless oligochaetes.

As for getting rid of them, Hydra seem not to survive for too long in aquaria in my experience (probably because there are few or no tiny organisms for them to eat), so I wouldn't worry about them - they'll probably go within a few months. The worms are another matter - they may be a species of oligochaete (a group within annelid worms). I have had a species of these in my Tylototriton verrucosus tanks for years now with no problems. When I let a batch of eggs hatch in the parents' tank the larvae eat the worms and can actually grow to quite an advanced stage (2.5 cm / 1 inch) on this food alone. The advantage of having these guys in a tank is that they will break down solid waste in the tank and help the filtration system - they really aren't a bad thing. Of course, that's assuming you have that kind of organism. It's a pity you can't take a photo. You can read a little more about oligochaetes here - see if they look similar to your little guys:

http://www.nrm.se/ev/research/oligo.html.en

 

[jennifer]

I agree with John. The course of action I would suggest is to give the gravel a good cleaning with a siphon to remove all crud that may be lurking down there (and providing nutrients for all sorts of micro-flora and fauna). Be extra-careful about not leaving uneaten food in the tank. Otherwise, leave things alone.

 

[elisabeth]

The tiny worms are called sewer worms. They're harmless. I've had them in my tank, and the only way to really get rid of them is to completely clean and dry out the tank. This is too much of a pain in the butt for me to do, and as they don't hurt anything, I've just kept everything as is.

 

[john]

Elizabeth, I don't see how you can make such an identification without seeing the worms (even a photograph) or knowing where in the world they are from. There are many species of tiny worm like this and drawing such a conclusion is impossible and unhelpful.

Added to this, the name "sewer worm" doesn't mean anything.

(Message edited by john on January 19, 2004)

 

[paul]

well it's been a few weeks since i fist noticed them and the worms aren't any bigger (they are still only a few mm long).they don't look like the pictures of oligochaetes that i have seen. the hydra are still there too so i'm just going to let them be.

thanks everyone

 

[john]

Hi Paul,

Could you possibly draw the worms and put the drawing on the site here?

 

[paul]

ok john this is the best i could do. the worms aren't black though - they are white. this really is all there is to them - a short white body and round white head(?). they are very tiny (~3mm, max ~5mm) and probably wouldn't be noticeable if there wasn't hundreds of them on the walls of the tank. is it possible that they eat algae? i ask as they are only visible on the glass. i have also noticed my youngest newt sniff some of them out and eat them. thanks for your time.<center><table border=1><tr><td>

Pic
aquaworms.bmp (124.0 k)</td></tr></table></center>

 

[john]

Well you've got me at the moment. I might go and look up a pondlife book though.

 

[paul]

that would be great. they are becoming something of a mystery.

Cheers

 

[^imp^]

How new is the tank? New tanks tend to go through cycles of nematode (white worm) booms and hydra booms. The worms could also be harmless flat worms (look like tiny white slugs, come out at night). They'll always be in you tank, but their populations might be high if the tank is a little dirty. Try vacuuming more/perform partial water changes more often and they'll die down.

Still, make sure the worms are harmless. There are some databases on the net that might be helpful.

edit: Round heads, eh? Thats odd...I'll see what I can find online.

^iMp^

(Message edited by Imp on January 24, 2004)

 

[elisabeth]

Paul, that seems and sounds like exactally what I have. I've seen my newts suck them up from time to time. Also, I think my snails might be eating them, as sometimes I have thousands, and sometimes, I see less than 100. They are harmless though, unless they start to irritate your newts.