Detritus Worms

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M

metadraxis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2012
19
0
16
Mexico
Hi! I need some help, please...
My tank has a lot of detritus worms (not planaria), I know they are harmless and even a little helpful, but they look very gross, give a bad aspect to the tank and I don't want them. The water is pristine but when the gar moves fast to catch a feeder or something, debris comes out and a lot of these things as well. Since I noticed them I reduced the feedings, increased the water changes (with siphon) , 50% every two days, but they don't go away, I've been doing this for almost a month with no luck, I even got rid of a plant I had in the tank to reduce their food resources. Also, I can't just buy some fish to eat them because the gar eats the fish seconds after I put them in, I only have a tropical gar in the tank. Is there some medicine I can use to get rid of them? I read about one called vermex but I can't get it where I live. I read about some others like abendazole and levamisole but since they're not exactly parasites (They are more like earthworms) I don't know if they work and if they do, if they have some bad effect on the gars. Does anyone have experience dealing with them?
 
I wouldnt medicate them, what I would do is make sure the filter you are using is big enough to handle your tank size, and then do water 20-30% water change, wipe down the walls with a bounty (not where water is present), feed less, and honestly put in a few fishes that might even eat those worms... gouramis, sometimes even some plecos, etc...google it, wont hurt... but the meds will..
 
icantquit said:
I wouldnt medicate them, what I would do is make sure the filter you are using is big enough to handle your tank size, and then do water 20-30% water change, wipe down the walls with a bounty (not where water is present), feed less, and honestly put in a few fishes that might even eat those worms... gouramis, sometimes even some plecos, etc...google it, wont hurt... but the meds will..
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Your post gives some good advice except for the last sentence... the OP cannot add small fish to his tank, it is housing a tropical gar.
 
-the additional water changes may help with the excess food removal, but just like with algal blooms and nutrient loading, you are just freeing up more "biospace" for more worms. these things ebb and flow over time, how old is your tank? in other words how long has it been set up in its current state? i have had blooms of these worms and just did nothing and let the population balance on its own and it has always worked out fine.
as stated above, if your filtration is sufficient for your tank and the water quality is good, the best you can do it wait it out. tinkering with other levels often just makes more room for the worms. good luck--
--solomon
 
The tank is 2 months old, the worms appeared almost exactly after the first month, the filter I have is good for the size of the tank according to the box. I have not tried to increase the salinity, might try that.
 
If there's no muck anywhere, the worms have trouble existing. You could try to reorient your filtration to make waste removal easier.

There has to be something gars won't kill. Hydra? I don't know...
 
Could you "borrow" a fish that is too large to be messed with, that will root around for food? Maybe a large geo or giant fire eel? Of course, your gar may still recognize just the head as food or something.
 
rodger said:
Could you "borrow" a fish that is too large to be messed with, that will root around for food? Maybe a large geo or giant fire eel? Of course, your gar may still recognize just the head as food or something.
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I already tried with a polypterus senegalus, the gar didn't eat it because it was too big but left it very injured from the body. Fortunately I saved it on time.
 
im not sure what kinda substrate you have but could you possible use a water vacuum to clean the subtrate of all its organic material?
 
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