Worms In My Filter System?

[mark4785]

Yesterday I noticed the temp of the aquarium water had risen to almost 31 degrees C despite the heater being set at 29 degrees C. As a result I took the lid of the internal filter box and partially lifted the heater out only to find very small worms riggling about near the temperature switch.

I grabbed the camera immediately and started to record them moving. The video can be found here: http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeZT1nErA_M

I'm now starting to wonder if these 'worms' could be responsible for causing the fish to itch/flick themselves and it may explain why my anti-parasite treatment isn't stopping the fish from itching/flicking despite relentless dosing.

Could someone please identify what is living in my filter and give any tips for chemically removing them? I feel removing them is important as I think they may have something to do with the recent illnesses that my fish have been developing, including fast gill movement, flicking, yawning etc.

Mark.

 

[Bettawhisperer]

Sorry with my old eyes I couldn't see them very clear but if they are red worms just swish them into the water and the fish will love there little snack. Red worms don't hurt the fish at all. Usually caused from an overly dirty filter. Maybe someone else will be able to see them better and help you more.

 

[mark4785]

Sorry with my old eyes I couldn't see them very clear but if they are red worms just swish them into the water and the fish will love there little snack. Red worms don't hurt the fish at all. Usually caused from an overly dirty filter. Maybe someone else will be able to see them better and help you more.

Hey, it's no problem lol.

They don't seem to be red, they are a dark brown I believe.

The biological filter sponges (there are two of them) are cleaned about every 2 weeks. There are other elements to the filter which are hard to clean. For instance, there are white circular pieces enclosed in 2 separate plastic box which slots into the filter system. The plastic boxes don't seem to have an opening so all I can do is dunk the box and it's contents into a bucket of tank water.

How do worms form from dirt? Is that another way of saying they are transferred to the filter from the fish stockist and they only stay alive if there is excess dirt?

 

[Bettawhisperer]

Mark I can't tell you how the worms form they just do. Someone else with more scinitific knowledge can answer that for you. As far as your filter goes as long as you have a good bio laod in your sponge you can take the box part off and dip it in hot water to help kill the worms but chances are they're in the sponge too.

 

[mark4785]

Mark I can't tell you how the worms form they just do. Someone else with more scinitific knowledge can answer that for you. As far as your filter goes as long as you have a good bio laod in your sponge you can take the box part off and dip it in hot water to help kill the worms but chances are they're in the sponge too.

I think the best option would be to chemically remove them but I still don't know what they are. I'd ideally like someone to positively identify them and explain what kills them.

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons or litres is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Make of test kit you are using.
How often do you maintain tank.
How often do you preform a gravel vac.
Do you feed any live foods.

Do the fish show any of these symtoms.
Darting or erratic swimming.
Laboured breathing, or gasping as the surface.
Pale gills with excess mucas.
Red inflamed gills, swollen gills, bleeding gills.
Excess mucas on the body of the fish.
Fish look pale with excess slime.
Red sores of red pin prick marks on the fish.
Fish swimming in a jerky movment.

Remove all ornaments and give the substrate a good hoover.
Clean filter and impellor.
If sponges are really mucked up just rinse slightly in old tank water. Don't over do it as we don't want to send the tank into a mini cycle.
Don't get the sponges near tap water as it wipes the benefical bacteria out in the filter.
Fresh filter floss.

Also post about your filter in tropical discussion so members can help you get the boxes out.

 

[mark4785]

How many gallons or litres is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Make of test kit you are using.
How often do you maintain tank.
How often do you preform a gravel vac.
Do you feed any live foods.

Do the fish show any of these symtoms.
Darting or erratic swimming.
Laboured breathing, or gasping as the surface.
Pale gills with excess mucas.
Red inflamed gills, swollen gills, bleeding gills.
Excess mucas on the body of the fish.
Fish look pale with excess slime.
Red sores of red pin prick marks on the fish.
Fish swimming in a jerky movment.

Remove all ornaments and give the substrate a good hoover.
Clean filter and impellor.
If sponges are really mucked up just rinse slightly in old tank water. Don't over do it as we don't want to send the tank into a mini cycle.
Don't get the sponges near tap water as it wipes the benefical bacteria out in the filter.
Fresh filter floss.

Also post about your filter in tropical discussion so members can help you get the boxes out.

- 120 litres.
-1 German Blue Ram, 5 Black Neon Tetra, 1 Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish.
- Ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 5 ppm, PH 7.4.
- API
- I do a weekly or biweekly water change, usually taking 30% of the water out.
- Sand vacs are done every 2-3 days as I like the sand to be clean.
- I feed several blood worms to the fish every 4-5 days.
- Some show excess mucus (as though a partially transparent white film has formed over their scales), there is definitely darting taking place. They will also itch themselves on leaves, glass and bog wood.

The sponges are not mucked up at all. They were taken out only several days ago. I never squeeze or excessively clean, I just dunk the biological filter sponges and let the detritus come off naturally.

I often remove ornaments as well as plants when doing a sand vac.

I hope this information can be used to point to why there are worms in my filter AND why my fish are NOT responding to anti-parasitic treatments which are SUPPOSED to stop excess mucus and flicking. I've been left in the dark as to what is wrong for a few months now; the fish just will not stop itching themselves!!

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

What the name of the med you are using?

 

[mark4785]

Another thing I've noticed is a very small red dot on the ram's tail fin. Whether one of those filter worms are burrowing in there or it has occurred from the itching on various aquarium objects, I don't know..

 

[WILDER]

Do any of the worms have a forked tail or y shaped tail.

 

[mark4785]

What the name of the med you are using?

I started using Waterlife Sterazin. Completed 2 whole courses. It had no effect.
I then treated with Interpet Anti-slime and Velvet (did two doses). It had no effect.
I then went onto, and am still dosing the tank with Waterlife Protozin (completed 3 whole courses so far). It seems to have had a minimal impact. It seemed to stop the fish from itching themselves as frequently but thats all!

 

[WILDER]

Take a look here to see if the description matches up.

http/www3.sympatico.ca/drosera1/fish/worms.htm

 

[mark4785]

Do any of the worms have a forked tail or y shaped tail.

Have you watched the video I made? (link is in first post). From what I could see after setting the video quality to 480p, they just looked like regular shaped ground worms only many times smaller.

 

[WILDER]

Try this med seen as there attacking the fish.
My eyes are getting old and can't make much out in the vid.

Don't buy the interpet anti crustaceon med as it wipes the benefical bacteria out in the filter.
I would only suggesting using that med if you can take mature filter sponges from other tanks.

http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/parazin.htm

 

[mark4785]

I've taken a look at that website which discusses the different types of worm.

The worms in my filter only vaguely resemble the 'Planaria (Turbellarians or "Flatworms")'. I say this because they don't seem to have a triangular head and although the description describes them as brown to grey, the picture on the page clearly shows a red worm.

Try this med seen as there attacking the fish.
My eyes are getting old and can't make much out in the vid.

Don't buy the interpet anti crustaceon med as it wipes the benefical bacteria out in the filter.
I would only suggesting using that med if you can take mature filter sponges from other tanks.

http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/parazin.htm

Is the Waterlife product safe to use with plants, biological filter sponges etc?