What might these ne!

[Linda4fish]

Saw these squirming around my snail tank this morning I’m not sure what they are or if I should be worried?

Edited July 27, 2022 by Linda4fish

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Could be detritus worms? (Harmless)

@Colu @Odd Duck @nabokovfan87

[Odd Duck]

Yep, looks like detritus worms.  Harmless fish food depending on the species of fish you’re keeping.

[FLFishChik]

But.. where do they come from?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:09 PM, FLFishChik said:

But.. where do they come from?

Usually they hitchhike on plants.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Katherine]

On 7/27/2022 at 11:17 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Usually they hitchhike on plants.

Or in bags with your fish when you get them. I was given a 10g with fish that had never seen a live plant and it was overrun with detritus worms.

[MattyM]

These just showed up in my tank the other day after adding a lilly bulb and a new plant. They may have been in the soil the bulb came with, as I split the plant into 2 tanks and the one that got the bulb has the detritus worms, even though I rinsed it well 🤷‍♂️

From what I've researched, they are harmless, and like to eat, well, detritus (dead plant matter, algae, etc). I don't have any fish yet, but others say fish enjoy snacking on them and will keep them in check. Once food in the water column is gone, they might retreat to the substrate. I plan to cull a bit with a glass wipe and small water change. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by MattyM
grammar

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:35 PM, Katherine said:

Or in bags with your fish when you get them. I was given a 10g with fish that had never seen a live plant and it was overrun with detritus worms.

Makes sense because they are free-swimming whenever substrate is disturbed (and sometimes when it's not).

 

On 7/27/2022 at 12:37 PM, MattyM said:

I plan to cull a bit with a glass wipe and small water change. 

Gravel vacuuming helps to cull them.

[BeeD]

I've had some show up years after the last new plant/animal entered the tank. It coincided with an overfeeding of dried tubifex worms, and then I think the gourami and the serpaes obliterated them. I think I can support what everyone is saying with some anecdotal evidence, they seemed harmless to me. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/27/2022 at 7:56 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Could be detritus worms? (Harmless)

@Colu @Odd Duck @nabokovfan87

Odd Duck is probably right.  They look like they have a flat body shape to me though. 

Reminds me of that terrifying photo you sent me in my thread from some store or something with those giant worms in that tube.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

[nabokovfan87]

That other thread I had mentioned to verify it wasn't planaria.  It looks like those (rhabdocoela)

I can't tell if it's just because I'm not awake, haven't slept, and no coffee yet! 😂 ....or if it's detritus worms.

SO..... to answer the question with "how" they show up.

1.  Introduced on accident somehow.
2.  They were always there and conditions let them show up.

I would be sure to verify your equipment, make sure the impellers on all your pumps are clean and working at full bore.  Also, add an airstone if you don't already have one running in the tank.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Embrace the tiny creatures --->  clip

🙂 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:49 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Embrace the tiny creatures --->  clip

Only if you have something to eat them.... If you know what they are..... AND if they are not something that can harm me when caring for the tank!

Very cool video though 🙂

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/27/2022 at 2:51 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Only if you have something to eat them.... If you know what they are..... AND if they are not something that can harm me when caring for the tank!

Very cool video though 🙂

Yeah definitely open to opinion. Hehe

I was culling a bunch of limpets the other day. There were just too many. It was ridiculous.

[nabokovfan87]

I just want the fish healthy and happy.  I am fine with "an ecosystem" but just want to make sure I'm paying attention to things that can affect me. 

Snails, algae, worms.... I just don't want things to take over and try to keep things in balance a bit.

[Brandon p]

I do think you do need to watch balance. A balanced aquarium is goo but if I see an explosion of one thing be it snails, detritus worms,limpmets(I have never seen explosion to worry about other than looks with this), algae or whatever it’s then I start to think what is causing this. With detritus worms the first thing would be to much food or lack of vacuuming(not always possible in all tanks due to reasons. Plants, moss, or something else. 

[Biotope Biologist]

Looks like leeches. Note the suction cup foot. And flat body shape. That’s a tell tale sign. 
 

Could be snail leeches, but I don’t have experience with these to identify correctly. I’m still fairly certain they are a leech.

 

Unfortunately I think these are hard to get rid of as most medications that target them also target snails. Perhaps @Guppysnail has experience?

[Guppysnail]

I agree with @Biotope Biologist they do look more like leeches. The only thing I know that works without leaving harmful to snails residue is to salt the tank. Remove inhabitants and do a coop level 3 max salt. This will harm your plants. However soaking your plants weighted in plain seltzer soda in the dark 9-12 hours then returning to a container of aerated water while the salt is in the main tank will kill off the leeches without harming the plants. 
Leave your snails in a bare easy to see tote or tank for a week or two and observe as tiny leeches can hitch hike under the shell. 
 

I would stir the gravel so no pockets escape the salt. Do huge water changes to remove the salt also stirring the gravel. 
 

Two weeks of no leech sightings in with your snails and you should be good to return to tank as normal life saving all plants and not risking snails with harm chemical medication. 
 

Anything that kills leeches and worms harms snails. They have the same body makeup. I hope that helps. 

Here is the seltzer article as to why it works. 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Guppysnail