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Worm in sand substrate

julielynn47

julielynn47

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Hello everyone,

It has been awhile since I last posted. Just very busy working. I was doing some work on my tank today, clearing out wayyyy to much hornwort and securing a massive amazon sword back in the sand substrate, snipping off "baby" amazon swords and planting them. Just tank stuff that was a little overdue. I couldn't even feed anymore as there was no space, due to the off-shoots of amazon sword, on the surface to sprinkle food!

Anyway, when I was finished and was watching my fish, I noticed, in the corner of my tank, what looked like a fish worm. Reddish brown, round, it was wiggling around above the surface of the sand substrate. At first I thought it was just a root blowing in the water flow...although water flow doesn't reach that far down really...which got my attention pretty quickly. On closer inspection I found it was a worm of some sort. Or maybe I should say worms.

I have no idea how they got in there. I have not added any new plants in years. No new fish in over a year except for on bristle nose pleco a few months ago. No new anything has been added to my tank. Yet, there the worms are. How did they get there? What exactly are they? I am going to post pictures and would appreciate any input anyone can give me. If they are not harmful, I will just leave them be. I hesitate to vac them out until I know. If they are harmful I guess I need to get them out asap.

Thanks for any help and suggestions any of you have to give.
 

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at first I thought "oh this may be about a detritus worm" but after reading and seeing the pic I think that you sir have something no one in this forums has ever seen before, it kinda looks like an earthworm
 
I don't know what it is. It does look like a skinny earth worm. That was my first impression...well, my second impression. My first is impression was pretty much the same as Sqoossh's lol

I know the picture is not that clear. I have a video but I can't seem to post that
 
julielynn47 said:
I don't know what it is. It does look like a skinny earth worm. That was my first impression...well, my second impression. My first is impression was pretty much the same as Sqoossh's lol
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i mean detritus worms are a variety of tubifex worms so it may be a large detritus worm
 
One of my guppies swam down there, looked at it, and tried to eat it. The worm withdrew quickly into the sand. Came back out though when the fish swam away.
 
I think there are a few of them. I don't know how long they are but they look pretty long from what I can tell

So detritus worms won't hurt anything, they just add a little flavor to your tank?
 
L
julielynn47 said:
I think there are a few of them. I don't know how long they are but they look pretty long from what I can tell

So detritus worms won't hurt anything, they just add a little flavor to your tank?
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Literal flavor. Since if a fish it's large enough they Will eat the worm
 
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Cool! :lol: I love uninvited inverts...makes a tank feel pleasingly natural and mysterious. Detritus worms don't hurt anything; they're actually good for your substrate. But I wondered if that isn't a big planaria. Did it maintain its wormy shape when it withdrew, or turn into more of a big blob?
 
It retains its wormy shape constantly. There are actually 3 or 4 sticking up out the sand. So I guess there are more than 1 in there. But they do remain round and look like earthworms whether sticking out of the sand or under it. I can see their shape because they are by the glass
 
WhistlingBadger said:
Cool! :lol: I love uninvited inverts...makes a tank feel pleasingly natural and mysterious. Detritus worms don't hurt anything; they're actually good for your substrate. But I wondered if that isn't a big planaria. Did it maintain its wormy shape when it withdrew, or turn into more of a big blob?
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yes! they are rather good, thanks to the detritus worms in my tank the methane bubbles were removed before they could fizzle away and get dissolved methane in my aquarium (I have methane bubbles since there are spots I cant gravel vac without removing plants or decor) and they also feed my guppy fry
 
The either ate them, or the ones I saw, or they are now buried in the sand again. As long as they cause no problems I guess they can stay. LOL I have no earthly idea how they came to be in the tank. Maybe eggs hitchhike in on the fish food?
 
julielynn47 said:
The either ate them, or the ones I saw, or they are now buried in the sand again. As long as they cause no problems I guess they can stay. LOL I have no earthly idea how they came to be in the tank. Maybe eggs hitchhike in on the fish food?
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the eggs for those and other uninvited creatures come in plants, live foods, decor, and sometimes even on your tap water
 
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