Little Worms...

[Mac.]

Hey guys, I have recently noticed these tiny little white worms swimming around in the tank. They seem to like to swim around where there is less current in the tank and are just about too small to get a picture of.

The tank is a 120 gallon with a veil-finned Oscar and a Flowerhorn (don't worry they enjoy each others company )

The water is as follows:
0.0 ppm Nitrites
0.0 ppm Ammonia
~7.2 pH
don't know the nitrates
temp hovers around 78 degrees F

I do weekly 10% water changes and a monthly 30% water change

Anyone have any ideas, suggestions, or worries? I don't like the way they look in the tank but there aren't any signs of parasites in the fish, the poo looks normal

Thanks

 

[Anubisscott]

No worries, they appear in all established tanks. They get to be more abundent with tanks that have more left over food, If you have tanks with fry, the fish fry tend to eradicate them as they eat them when very small. I would maybe do more water changes if you want to cut them down with good gravel vacing. More like 40-50% weekly. That should lower their numbers.

 

[Mac.]

Cool, appreciate the info

 

[TrikkyMakk]

Yea cut the feeding down.

 

[billyismybigfish]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=360538

&

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330001

that is the best info i have found on them.

all in all, they say harmless. i have not see any of my fish in any distress myself.

 

[Modest_Man]

Planaria are harmless but they indicate that your tank is not very clean. Go test for your nitrates, I'm sure it's going to be higher than ideal.

Cut down on the feedings and step up the water changes and they'll disappear.

 

[gianolrac]

kill them by adding salt.. 1tablespoon per 5gallons.. just compute it..

 

[Laticauda]

I don't think they are planaria, but instead a harmless type of nematode. Since they are swimming around, and not crawling on the glass/fish.
I'm sure your nitrates are through the roof. How often do you clean your filter media in tank/dechlorinated water? Excess sludge buildup can accumulate and cause rise in your nitrate levels as well as give a nesting ground for these "bugs." Also, if you don't gravel vac well enough, they can establish in the sludge in your gravel.