Infested with tiny white worms

[H]-[H]

I noticed a lot of these tiny worms floating and sticking on the glass.. They are really really tiny but noticeable upclose..
I've seen these worms before in my previous tanks when I overfeed and lack of tank maintenance..
But in my new tank, I didn't feed as much, just a few worms a day and I clean the filter pads every week.. so where do these worms come from?
I've started changing 25% of water everyday, added salt and stopped feeding but they don't seem to go away..
If anyone could provide a name for these worms that would be great.. and also ways to eradicate them..
Thanks.

 

[Abruskin]

Looks like planaria. They are from over feeding, but are not harmful and your fish might even eat them


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[chefjimmy]

kick up the water changes, and you will take care of them.

 

[kavin2845]

yup planaria, keep up the water changes, reduce feeding and replace the filter pads, should go away.

 

[H]-[H]

How do they suddenly appear in masses.. One day it's fine and the next day full of them?
I did introduce a pleco into the tank so could it have brought in the planaria worms?
The pleco is a pooping machine and I've got rid of it..

Also, could the worms make the fish itch?
My cichlid seems to be scratching itself quite often and getting quite agitated ever since I saw the worms appear..

 

[BIG-G]

"Also, could the worms make the fish itch?
My cichlid seems to be scratching itself quite often and getting quite agitated ever since I saw the worms appear.."

Uhh. you may have two problems. Keep a check on the fish that is scratching. Something may show itself in a few days.
Could be ich, or just some minor irritation.
Just keep an eye on it so you can step in if need be.

 

[F1 VET]

Gravel sub?


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Cheap way to decrease nitrates and keep your fish healthy: http://monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504763 [/QUOTE]

 

[H]-[H]

Gravel sub?

No substrate.. It's a bare tank with only 1 cichlid in it..

 

[krichardson]

I've had them turn up from time to time and wondered how they got into a tank in the first place.They are living things and lax management doesn't just create them...

 

[Jtruong]

+1 on planaria. i get these from time to time in my arowana tank. To my experience i think the colony mass produces in the filter. One day my tank is filled with them, the next day it was all gone sucked into the filter. As i do my water change, the pressure of adding in water threw them from my filter back into the water. The LFS does have medication to kill them on the spot but watch out for the ingredients that some fish are sensitive to. What i did was shut off the water valve to my fluval 406, rinsed out my pads, sponges, media thorougly along with water changes. Did the job!