Ugly worms in my substrate...

[Eshrimp]

Hi gang, any ideas on how to get rid of these dang little bastards... Did a big reaquascape on my display tank and found these things all over my substrate, they don't seem to have an impact on the shrimp or shrimplets since the population has been growing in the tank big time but they look awful....

[hoang1912]

I got same problem b4, but I use the Vacuum pump to take it out and it's look better

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[ineke]

Hi Eshrimp are they planaria? The picture doesn't show them very well but look them up .there is a good write up by Dean about the safe removal of them and it costs about $26 for the product. Apparently not too hard to get rid of. Bummer though.

[2OFUS]

The i.d of them is in the library

they are nemotides or something

completely harmless

[torface]

I think they're nematodes. Harmless to shrimp, just ugly!

[hoang1912]

U can use Planaria Trap from one of our sponsor . But it's harmless anyway, just look ugly ^^

http://aquakitz.com/shrimp/shrimp-accessories/

[Eshrimp]

Deaf not planaria...never seen this type of nematode a before. What would be better and safer for shrimplets a couple of baby Bristle nose or baby pleco or some type of corydora? I reckon they would eat those worms no?

[OzShrimp]

i hate nematodes with a passion.

[ineke]

Ottos are safe apparently and plenty of people say they keep bristle nose with them but I'm not too sure how safe they are. Cory's are not safe I had to take mine out after I saw them hunting down new shrimplets -I watched them follow the mother and eat the babies as she released them. It wasn't because they were hungry I'm a chronic over feeder.

[OzShrimp]

i've read about people saying corys ate their shrimplets to.

[2OFUS]

ALL fish will eat shrimp

I have witnessed our old ottos eating baby Crs

[Eshrimp]

I due have an Otto in there but he only goes for algue doesn't seem to go for these worm thingies ....I was thinking maybe some pigmy Cory's

[2OFUS]

Do a quick little gravel vac

[OzShrimp]

when i had them i found the best course of action was to gravel vac as the others said and also stop feeding for a couple of days.

I also minimised them reoccuring by using a feeder dish :)

[Eshrimp]

I'm sort of worried about doing a gravel clean up, way too many shrimplets on substrate I can't see how I would be able to vacuum the substrate without loosing a bunch of babys

[2OFUS]

Move them with the gravel vac before adding suction

[Dean]

hi Eshrimp,

dont stress at all mate. they are only Tubifex (tubificid annelids) and completely harmless.

They are actually a sign of a well ,matured and well balanced tank. They are an asset to the tank for 2 reasons.

1. they eat all leftover food and waist

2. they keep the substrate from spoiling and keep it aerated.

i actually put them in all my grow-out tanks for baby shrimp as they keep it clean and substrate healthy so the baby shrimp have a better survival rate.

If you want to try an interesting experiment? Start feeding the shrimp at exactly the same time every day in exactly the same part of the tank for

a few weeks :)

you will see just how cool these little fellas are because they will all move to that area in the tank and at exactly the same time every day pop there heads up 10 minutes or so before feeding time to get a feed and the shrimp just climb all over them. Very cool to watch.

http://www.shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/showthread.php/1479-Aquarium-Tank-creatures-101

http://youtu.be/RbTANqLq_FQ

[CNgo2006]

That is a hell of a lot of worms DEAN!

[northboy]

AH Dean you beat me to it, only I would have said Black Worms and they are a BONUS, they keep the substrate aerated and if you get to many Corys will fix them, yes you will loose shrimplets for a while. The other thing you can do is back right off on the food and there numbers will fall, OH and you could feed in a glass dish and remove it after the shrimp have had it for about 1 hour, that will stop them getting food to

Bob

[Squiggle]

Yeah I've got the exact same worms & they are completely harmless, I've watched them retract back into the soil when a shrimplet landed on one. Thanks Dean for the ID, I thought they were blackworms leftover from previous inhabitants :encouragement:

[Eshrimp]

Ok now I sort of like them then lol.... I'll have to start using my feeding dishes more often then....Thanks guys

[OzShrimp]

try not feeding for a few days then :)

[OzShrimp]

hi Eshrimp' date='

dont stress at all mate. they are only Tubifex (tubificid annelids) and completely harmless.

They are actually a sign of a well ,matured and well balanced tank. They are an asset to the tank for 2 reasons.

1. they eat all leftover food and waist

2. they keep the substrate from spoiling and keep it aerated.

i actually put them in all my grow-out tanks for baby shrimp as they keep it clean and substrate healthy so the baby shrimp have a better survival rate.

If you want to try an interesting experiment? Start feeding the shrimp at exactly the same time every day in exactly the same part of the tank for

a few weeks :)

you will see just how cool these little fellas are because they will all move to that area in the tank and at exactly the same time every day pop there heads up 10 minutes or so before feeding time to get a feed and the shrimp just climb all over them. Very cool to watch.

[url']http://www.shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/showthread.php/1479-Aquarium-Tank-creatures-101

http://youtu.be/RbTANqLq_FQ

that nearly makes me want some lol. how do you get them anyway

[northboy]

Feed live Black worms and allow some to get into the substrate, they are good if you are not growing plants with roots (they eat them), you have to over feed a LITTLE bit to keep them going.

I nearly always have them in tanks that have gravel in them

Bob

[Squiggle]

It might be hard for you to get some live blackworms out your way, you might have to get someone to send them to you, I would offer but the quality of live blackworms up here leaves a lot to be desired, 90% of the live blackworms in Australia come from Australian Blackworms in Victoria & they have to be kept in very cold water, which is why they aren't very good quality by the time they get up here, but I'm sure someone will help you out with a small bag :victorious: