Worm identification needed

jweis · Post by **jweis** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:43 pm

I just saw a worm in my aquarium. It is about an inch and a half long and the color of an earthworm. It moves along the glass like an inch worm. Can anyone tell me what it is and if I should be concerned. In the attached picture it is stretched out. Sorry for the bad quality of the photo, I only had my Blackberry with me to take a quick picture before it moved away.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:30 am

If it is moving like an inch worm it is a leach. I'd remove it. There are leaches that are detritivors (they eat detritus) and hence harmless, but you can't count on this one being as such.

marydotson · Post by **marydotson** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:03 pm

Only thing to be concerned about are your fish. Make sure there aren't worms (or bits of red) hanging out of the gills or guts. If there are, then you have camalanus worms, which need immediate treatment (they will kill your fish). Unfortunately, the worming medication (Levamisole) is hard to get (folks were cutting cocaine with it, so it's only available irrc from a vet)--but folks here have stashes they probably will share. There is a fish food with Levamisole in it that will tide things over, but you will really need to get your hands on the full force product.

The other thing I watch out for are planaria (it kind of looks like that). They aren't problematic to fish, but they will kill shrimp. The medicine "Fluke" will take care of that.

jweis · Post by **jweis** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:12 pm

OK, if I see it again, I will remove it. I probably shoud have done that when I saw it before.

I don't see anything hanging out of the fish gills so I think they are OK.

fjf888 · Post by **fjf888** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:01 am

Have you ever fed your fish blackworms? It could be that, although the movement you describe doesn't necessarily match what I would expect. If it was a blackworm it would be completely harmless.

By the way that's a nice looking guppy in the background.

jweis · Post by **jweis** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:18 pm

Nope, never intentionally added worms.

My kids have named the guppy Santa Claus. I have 3 guppies that are doing very well. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time getting other guppies to do well. I don't think it is my water quality. I've read that pet store guppies these days aren't very hardy. If anyone knows of some pretty and hardy guppies, let me know.

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:21 pm

OT: is your icon from charlotte's web?

jim

jweis · Post by **jweis** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:25 pm

I was an Army brat that moved to a small town in Arizona for my last two years of high school. I joined the local 4-H program and raised a pig, which won the Grand Champion ribbon at the County Fair. It was a big deal since I had no clue what I was doing and basically just treated "Piggy" like a pet. The local farmer kids were mad as heck. Anyway, the pig in the icon/avatar reminded me of "Piggy" from 20+ years ago.

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:34 pm

Pigs are cool. When we go to the state fair we always go see the piggies!

We still have "Babe" on VHS. No functional VHS player however...

jim

jweis · Post by **jweis** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:27 pm

My 4-H pig was as tame as my basset hound. He was always clean as could be too. I gave him baths with "old lady gray hair" shampoo which keep this little white hairs sparkly and his pen was filled 2 feet deep with sand and fresh straw daily, so he was never dirty. Good memories.

Worm identification needed

Worm identification needed

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