Help!!!! Fresh water aquarium worms?????

Question

I turned on the light this morning and there were hundreds of tiny little white worms with forked tails on the glass. They dissappeared within a couple minutes back into the gravel I guess. What are they and how do I treat for them? I did a quick search on the web but only found info for salt water tanks. A couple of my fish have small white spots on them. I thought it was fungus now I'm not so sure.

Answer 1

I seriously doubt you are seeing anchor worms at that size and in those numbers retreating from light into the gravel. You are most likely seeing some type of Platyhelminthes or flatworm. The most commonly known of these is planarians, but many, many other exist as well. I don't have enough information to determine which it could possibly be, but odds are very strong you are not dealing with anything that could hurt your fish in any way.

A very through gravel cleaning would most likely remove the majority of these animals and continued cleanings would possible irradicate them from the tank. A bottom feeding fish that likes to eat at night or in near darkness and enjoys worms (like loaches or cory catfish) would be another way to control them.

I think the white spots on your fish are unrelated to the worms. More than likely you are dealing with ich in the tank. It's a very common parasite in freshwater aquariums and is quite easy to treat.

Change a large portion of the water, about 50-60% while cleaning the gravel very well.
Clean the filter and change the filter media.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt per 5 gallons of the tank.
Raise the temperature to 88-90 F. Raise it slowly, about 1 degree per hour. You may need to add an air stone or two depending on the type of fish and how heavily the tank is stocked. Threat for at least 7 days after you see the last white spots on any of the fish. After the treatment return the tank temperature to normal.

OR

Use a good ick medication as directed on the bottle. Try to find a medication that used Malachite Green as the active ingredient. (CAUTION: Malachite Green is a known carcinogen. Be careful not to get it on your skin!)
Change 25% or more of the water daily being sure to clean the gravel as you do so.
Continue the treatment for at least 7 days after you see the last white spots on any of the fish. After the treatment, return the carbon to your filter.

Either will work and will remove the ich from your tank.

It's also possible you have a fungus, malachite green or the salt / heat treatment will kill the majority of fungii in a tank as well.

Hope this helps

MM

Answer 2

I agree with MM above. Anchor worms would attach to your fish, not the glass. I believe you are seeing planaria, as these would glide along the glass, much like a snail, and they would hide under rocks (or in gravel) unless it was dark.

I think you're looking at them backwards, though - the "fork" is the head end - see photos for comparison:
http://www.bergen.cc.nj.us/Faculty/rdill/Environmental_Bio/Lab_Images/planaria.jpg
http://www.caudata.org/cc/images/articles/critters/planaria1JOHNSON.jpg

These will feed on organic matter in the gravel, so make sure you don't overfeed your fish and use a gravel vacuum to clean the gravel well each time you do a water change. If they have nothing to eat, their numbers will drop.

As far as the spots on the fish, possibly ich or velvet. The treatment is the same for both, just follow MM's recommendations.

Answer 3

Anchor Worms (lernaea)
This is a parasitic copepod that attacks mainly freshwater fishes, but have also
been found in marine habitats. These parasites can be seen with the naked eye.
Females are 10-12mm, males are 0.8mm.
Females are parasitic and embed themselves into the hosts flesh. They are held
in place using a 'holdfast', where they begin feeding on the fishes' flesh, organs
and fluids. Reproductive potential is seen by the development of two egg sacs on
the exterior/exposed part of the parasite, giving them that Y/T-shaped
appearance. Young copepods are free swimmers, but soon attach themselves to
the gills. Adults and eggs are introduced via live foods, infected water, or plants.
Symptoms: Fishes infected with these parasites can be seen 'flashing' on
surfaces. This is the underside of the fishes as they attempt to rid themselves of
these parasites. Other symptoms include localized redness, inflation of the body
of the fish, breathing difficulties, lethargy, ulcers, dropsy, weight loss, loss of
scales, gill and fin damage. Puncture wounds often introduce opportunistic,
secondary infections.
Treatments: Infected individuals should be removed into a quarantine tank, as to
prevent females from releasing their eggs into the main tank.
1) Salt has been recommended as the safest form of removal for effected fishes.
10-30 grams per litre.
2) Trichlorfon, Dipterex and Dylox (toxic to fishes and invertebrates - use with
care)
3) Current treatments involves Dimilin
Anchor worms are actually crustaceans. The young are free swimming and
borrow into the skin, go into the muscles and develop for several months before
showing. They release eggs and die. The holes left behind are ugly and may
become infected.
Treatment: The anchor worm is too deeply imbedded to safely remove.
Treatment can best be done with a 10 to 30 minute bath in 10 mg per liter of
potassium permanganate. Or treat the whole tank with 2 mg per liter, but this
method is messy and dyes the water.

Good luck
Lucke