# What are these tiny thread-like worms? (Pic)



## Cuchulainn (Nov 2, 2010)

Looks like Planaria to me. Usually a symptom of over feeding, and/or Ammonia spike


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## mossback (Aug 12, 2010)

Even a good picture, like the one posted, is only two dimensional, so there's some room for interpretation, and here is mine: it appears to me that the worms are round bodied, and that the suggestion of a distinct head on one of them is caused by some algae between the worm and the camera. 

So I think they are some species of Nais worm. Totally harmless. Don't worry, be happy.


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

+1 on Planaria


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## hubble13 (Sep 1, 2010)

+1 on planaria. Harmless,but I got rid of mine by cutting down on feeding.


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## Arctangent (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks guys. It looks like planaria to me too. They are very small, but I do believe that they have the triagular shaped head. Non-parasitic so no need to worry about them getting on me or my fish? Hard to imagine I'm overfeeding, possibly from a dirty canister?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

They will not harm you nor your fish.

There may be some excess detritus that the Planaria are feeding off of.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Just saw a few of these in my RCS tank. I feed them every 3rd day, is that still too much? Also saw these little speck like critters that zip around.
Do I need to do a massive WC?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

It might not be the frequency, but the amount of food you feed as well.

As for the little specks, they could be copepods. You can find a list of probably things they could be in a sticky in the invertebrates section of the forums.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

In a tank of 50+ Rcs i feed 1/2 wafer of the hikari sinking (the new version are bigger wafers so I do 1/4 of those). Also about 10 pellets of the hikari shrimp cuisine, a stick(1/2" long) of Ken's food different one's each time.
I don't give it all at once. a 1/2 wafer 1st day, 3rd day some cuisine, 7th day a type of ken's, 9th day a different type of ken's...etc and in between I'll let them "fast" from processed food and let them graze on the plants.


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## Bubble Boy (Dec 31, 2009)

If you're breeding any fish in that tank the baby fish will take care of those little worms. It's normal to have them in the aquariums. Also with your algae problem, you can get some nerite snail. They'll clean your whole tank up from all the green algae problems. They'll have your aquarium glass sparkly clean Best thing is that they don't breed in freshwater so you wont have tones of snails to worry about.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Thats not planaria, this is planaria 

http://arcticboy.arcticboy.com/view...wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Planaria-SEX-1.jpg


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

dr.tran said:


> Thats not planaria, this is planaria
> 
> http://arcticboy.arcticboy.com/view...wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Planaria-SEX-1.jpg


I was wondering too...


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Its hard to say. Fish leeches look kinda like that when that small. Could be planaria, though they are usually fatter. Possible freshwater oligochaete?


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

detrius or white worms I'd say.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

+1 dr.tran - Does not look like any planaria I have ever seen

+1 james0816 - It does look like detrius worms....at least that was what I was told they were when I have had them once or twice. When I disturbed the substrate I would see them "swimming" (wiggling) through the water. I don't think I have ever seen a planaria swim. Most fish will eat them.


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## Jim M (Aug 27, 2010)

Nice pictures. Another vote against Planaria which are flat and have a flared head. With a hand lens you can see two black dots on their heads which are their eyes.

I suspect you have Nematodes, especially if you occasionally see them swimming - they have a jerky, wriggling motion in the water. If they never swim and have a more rounded head they might be Gastrotriches. I've had all three in my tanks and none were ever associated with causing any harm to the fish. In fact, I think Corys find good eating by digging them out of the substrate, and I suspect they're more common in new tanks with soil substrates.

Jim


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