I have a salt water tank,there are little white worms in it ,what might this be?

Question

what causes this?what am I doing wronge?

Answer 1

I would go to the local pet store, the library, or someplace that you can Identify the worm. If you take a sample into a pet store( one that specializes in fish) then they should be able to tell you for sure what kind of worm it is. this might be your best option to determine if it's a harmless worm or if it's a parasite that is now goign to multiply into a bigger issue and kill the fish.

See the source list and read this
"I am going to have to make a few assumptions with this problem, as the white worms you mention are usually found in an older aquarium that has a large amount of waste build-up accumulated. As such, I must assume that you added the same gravel back in, and it was not thoroughly washed out - which does make sense as the biological bed with its beneficial bacteria could be killed by chlorine in the rinse (from untreated municipal water supply).

I have seen white worms in long established aquaria where they get so dense in population that they are forced up onto the glass by sheer numbers. Usually the aquarium is not well kept - since they are getting food from slime on the glass. The good news is that they are harmless as far as I have ever known. In your case, if you did rinse the gravel somewhat, the same mechanism may be at work, although in a different manner, the worms may not be finding any food in the gravel bed where they are in almost tank, so they are migrating to find food above the gravel layer. I would guess they were there all along in the old tank, but by being moved, their habitat was disturbed and they are looking to find a better location.

The general "cure" for things like this is to deny food (something you seem to already have done) so that they will die back to a number that is sustained invisibly in the gravel.

As far as the molly, you might want to consider adding some aquarium salt. Mollies are really brackish water fish, and will do much better if an amount of aquarium salt is in the water. They show all sorts of symptoms that will be reduced and eliminated with proper salt in the water. White patches are one of them, clamped fins are another."

from this site http://www.pondenterprises.com/PAQ/pill%20responses.html#small%20white%20worms

Answer 2

White Worms In Saltwater Tank

Answer 3

Better take some to the pet shop to see what thet are. Some worms like that are parasites and can attack the fish. But they may be tubeflex worms that are sometimes found in fish food and are not dead. I had that happen in fresh water tank and they multiplied like crazy down in the under gravel filter.

Answer 4

it incredibly is the dazzling thing approximately reefs each and every time you look in there you detect something new. on a similar time as there are some risky worms for reef tanks maximum organisms that come on stay rock are positive they consume extra nutrition and fish poo. without photograph i will no longer be able to be beneficial yet opportunities are high its positive. and that i've got a pair of bristle worms and not in any respect had any problems with them. yet once you clean the tank positioned on gloves.

Answer 5

Could you describe the worms better? Are these really long and thin, or shorter, kind of stubby? Light pink with white bristles? A photo would help, too, unless these are really small.

I think I may know what they are, and they're not anything to worry about, but there are a few possibilities. It may not be anything you're doing wrong!

Answer 6

Look at them carefuly, are they in the sand and on the rocks???
Do they have a tube built around them??
Are they long and skinny like a piece of fishing line??
if so, don't worry about them, they will not harm anything in your tank.
I am not sure what the exact name for them are but I have seen them in EVERY saltwater tank, including mine and every store I've been to.
Part of a saltwater natural enviroment.