Micro organisms?

[She11kat]

My tank looks like it full of marine snow. I am not sure if it's a good or bad thing. I also have 5 or 6 tiny white worms flailing about in the water, they are maybe 1cm at most. My tank is plants only right now and it's been setup for 6-8 weeks. Should I be concerned? 

[jayc]

6 hours ago, She11kat said:

I also have 5 or 6 tiny white worms flailing about in the water, they are maybe 1cm at most.

That would most probably be Nematodes.

 

The ones in the picture are crawling on the glass ?

If that is the case, then those are Planaria.

 

Planaria and Nematodes are nothing to freak out about. They are harmless, only drawback is that they are unsightly when there are too many of them. 

They are commonly introduced into the tank by plants, or water from the shrimp/fish you bought. One reason you don't dump the whole contents of the bag from the store into your tank.

Or maybe this is an old tank that you used to house fish in and is now converted for something else. Old filter media could also be home to planaria and nematodes.

Planaria and Nematodes are present even in fish tanks, but the fish eat them, so you never see any. Use a fish if you have no shrimps in the tank. 

Planaria and Nematodes thrive when you overfeed. So cut back on feeding.

Water changes, including gravel/substrate vac can help reduce their numbers a little.

But if you are desperate, you can turn to chemical warfare -

• Genchem No Planaria,  
• Benibachi Planaria Zero,
• Borneo Wild Exterminate, etc

will all work to get rid of them as fast as 1-2 days.

Use half the recommended dose, and do a followup dose a week later.

Perform water changes 2 days after each dose.

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by jayc

[She11kat]

 

23 minutes ago, jayc said:

That would most probably be Nematodes.

The ones in the picture are crawling on the glass ?

They are commonly introduced into the tank by plants

Or maybe this is an old tank 

 

They never hang on the glass, they just wiggle around in the water. Someone suggested they were detritus. 

It's a brand new tank. Only thing it's ever had in it is plants.

What about all the tiny white stuff, I think they are organisms, floating around. Any idea what they might be? 

[jayc]

31 minutes ago, She11kat said:

They never hang on the glass, they just wiggle around in the water.

Then they are nematodes. If the tank is new, then they would have hitched a ride in on plants. Or on the rocks. Where did you get the rocks from?

What substrate are you using by the way?

 

31 minutes ago, She11kat said:

What about all the tiny white stuff, I think they are organisms, floating around. Any idea what they might be?

Not sure, unless I can see a very close up photo of it. It's either small nematodes or cyclops. 

In either case, it means the water conditions are good for them to thrive in, and with no predators, they multiply. 

My previous suggestions will still help. And with no inhabitants in the tank, it's easier to treat without worrying about harming anything. 

What you see floating in the water is probably only a quarter of them. The rest will be hiding in the substrate.

Get some of those products I mentioned above, or anything with Fenbendazole in it.

Treat the tank as per instructions and stir the gravel as much as possible. Yes it will mean your scape will be disturbed, but it also means you will get all of them, and minimise re-occurrence. 

Edited January 11, 2018 by jayc

[She11kat]

16 minutes ago, jayc said:

Then they are nematodes. If the tank is new, then they would have hitched a ride in on plants. Or on the rocks. Where did you get the rocks from?

What substrate are you using by the way?

I am using Flourite Black Sand. The rocks are local, they have been sterilized by baking in the oven at 450 for 30 mins. 

Do I have to kill them? Are they going to hurt shrimp once I get them?

Also what are detritus? 

[jayc]

11 minutes ago, She11kat said:

detritus

Detritus just means rubbish, litter or waste. Sand, silt, organic matter from decomposition. But it doesn't look like detritus as it's all white in colour and have a similar shape (long, and thin).

 

16 minutes ago, She11kat said:

Do I have to kill them? Are they going to hurt shrimp once I get them?

They won't hurt shrimp. But now is the time to get rid of them if you don't like them. 

If you leave them in the tank, they will help break down detritus in the substrate. But they will also multiply more and be even more unsightly. 

It's really up to you and your choice.

[She11kat]

58 minutes ago, jayc said:

They won't hurt shrimp. But now is the time to get rid of them if you don't like them. 

If you leave them in the tank, they will help break down detritus in the substrate. But they will also multiply more and be even more unsightly. 

It's really up to you and your choice.

Thanks. I am not sure what I am going to do but I will figure it out before I get shrimp. 

[jayc]

Don't stress too much over it.

If you want a cheap solution,

• Remove your plants
• Drain 99% of the water, including the water in the filter/s.
• Wash filter in the old tank water.
• Pour hot boiling water on the substrate till it is all under hot water.
• Drain and refill the tank.

I only suggest this since you have no inhabitants in the tank.

Edited January 11, 2018 by jayc