# Detritus worms?



## woogyt

I tried to get a good quality video of it, but then found out you can't upload videos from the mobile app, SO I hope this works:
View My Video

So this tank had a small 2" Pleco in it for about 3 weeks when I started noticing these little worms on the glass & occasionally getting blown around in the column..

Are they detritus?

I rehomed the pleco into my 20 long goldfish tank as soon as I noticed them because I wasn't sure what they were. Its been 2 weeks now, with several 100% water changes/intense gravel vacuum & the little suckers keep reappearing. It can't be over feeding, because there are no fish in the tank.. Both tanks are dirted & use the same gravel for the cap, but this tank is the only one with the worms.

Need help identifying & getting rid of these things. I'm getting really paranoid about contaminating my other tank with them & its making water change days (twice a week 50+% each tank) much more tedious. 

Heres some pics just in case the video is unwatchable for some people















After a little more looking around I can say with 100% certainty it is detritus looking at this sketch I found. They have the little protruding feeler thing at the end that moves forward & all that nasty business. 








SO now to get rid of them?


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## JJ09

That sketch is awesome. Do your fish eat them? Sorry I don't know how to get rid of.


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## Doogy262

The population explodes generally due to high amounts of decomposing organic mulm (often resulting in cloudy water, pH drops, etc.), which is often an indicator of a tank with one or usually more of these problems:
Poor filtration
Poor cleaning practices
Reference: Aquarium Cleaning, methods, reasons, more
Too high of a bio load (number of fish, etc.)
Poor bio filtration or simply poor bio filters (Sponge Filters, or Fluidized Sand Bed Filters are the most efficient bio filters)
Product reference links: PREMIUM Aquarium Sponge Filters & Fluidized Sand Bed Filter; Highest bio capacity aquarium filters
Poor Redox Balance
Reference: The Aquarium Redox Balance and its importance to good fish health
Poor feeding practices (not always over feeding, sometimes simply feeding foods that do not digest well) and other reasons as well.
Reference: Proper Fish Nutrition

Treatment/Removal of Detritus Worms

Generally just improving the above noted factors will lower your detritus worm numbers to where they will again go un-noticed and be at much safer numbers for your aquariums bio load capacity.
Complete removal is not necessary and generally not even recommended since these are excellent composters.

Generally when you see these worms emerging is when the oxygen levels are depleted in the substrate and these worms are seeking oxygen, so chemical treatment as generally for Planaria will further deplete oxygen and thus further deplete oxygen, often killing fish too.
I should note that often during power failures, these worms will then emerge seeking oxygen even when your tank has an otherwise well managed bio load.


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## woogyt

I popped my most voracious goldfish over there & she was not interested in eating them at all, so that wasn't an option.

The filter that came with the tank does NOT create very good water flow & I do have an air stone in there, but doubt it aerates the substrate at all. The plants I have in there are completely healthy(so no decaying organic material to feed on?), so the only thing I can think of thats causing them to stay in the column/on the glass is lack of oxygen in the substrate.

I'm all for tiny ~unseen~ tank mates, don't get be wrong. I wouldn't have a problem with them if they didn't keep exploding 2 days after water changes.. 

Would a better filter that creates more surface disturbance be good enough to keep the substrate aerated properly? Or what would you suggest?

I'll start with this & see if it's the issue, & move on if it's not. 

Thanks for the responses! 

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## Doogy262

Please understand that I am not speaking from experience as I have not had this problem in 40yrs. of fish keeping but have done some research out of curiosity and that was my earlier reply.I find it interesting that it happens when you do a water change.What size tank?Do you use a good dechlorinator?Is your water city or well?


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## Hooked on fish

IME....

The suspects are: To little flow, too much organic matter, deep substrate, low PH, high CO2 or Low Oxygen, and nothing that would eat them.

If they are detritus worms (I think they are) they are normal in dirted, sand bottom, and many planted tanks.
However, they are usually at lower numbers in comparison and rarely leave the substrate.

I would check ammonia levels, nitrate levels, and get the flow moving and better aeration.
Your water changes should have improved the situation and it didn't so check your water supply for ammonia, nitrates, sulfur and phosphates.

I had this happen to me many years ago when I tried to build an aquarium using river sand and plants from a local river.
I was able to reel mine in by increasing the oxygen levels, reducing phosphates, and adding invertebrates.


Good Luck!


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## woogyt

Thanks guys! I'll try some stuff out & let you know if I get them under control. I'm banking on it being a water flow/aeration issue at this point.

That was another thing I was going to ask. What are some natural predators of detritus worms? I was planning on making this a shrimp tank once I get it under control. 


Just some tank info:
It's a 10 gallon, & already a couple of the things you mentioned I can say I do have issues with. My substrate is a little deep imo & the water flow isn't the best. There are a good amount of plants in there too, some micro sword, 2 groups of ozelot swords(~10 leaves each & growing rapidly to my surprise), some windlov & narrow leaf java fern, & a large anubias. 

The ph is close to neutral. Nitrates/nitrite are both close to 0, WHICH leads me to believe that there is little to no ammonia in my tap water. I don't have a test for it , but I dosed the tank with ammonia remover out of habit,since I keep goldfish, & it would have broken any ammonia down into nitrates at least(right?).

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## Jcstank

Detritus worms to the best of my knowledge are not harmful to fish and are just a normal part of a healthy planted tank ecosystem. They actually help break down the fish waste and organic matter so that the bacteria in your tank can break it down even further. All of my tanks over the last 25 years have had them although never to the extent that you have. You might want to try 6 or more glass shrimp in there. They are cheap and very entertaining to watch and they pretty much eat anything they can get there tiny little claws on. You would however have to feed them lightly. You can also tell what they are eating because you can see through their body's and see whats in their stomach. They will also help consume any uneaten food left at the bottom and also help with breaking down organic matter so that the bacteria in your tank can do its job more efficiently.


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