# Parasites?



## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

I recently found two types of worm-like creatures in my ten-gallon freshwater tank. 

The first were small black worms that looked like the larva stage of some kind of insect. They were about 1/4 of an inch in size, moved like a slug or caterpillar, and looked as if they had hairs all down their bodies. I didn't see any legs, in fact they moved by pulling themselves around with a hook-like appendage on their faces, and their tail-ends were usually pointed upwards and had two(?) very short extensions coming off of it. 

The second I imagine are planaria, almost microscopic white ovals that crawl around on the inside of the glass and sometimes swim through the water, but are almost impossible to see if you don't stare closely with the light on.

I made a dumb move and added a rock from outside, near a pond at that, and I didn't notice either of these worms beforehand. I did soak it and clean it in scalding hot water first, but I still regret it. Can anyone tell me:

A)What these things are...
B)What I can do to get rid of them and...
C)ARE THEY HARMFUL TO PEOPLE??


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## fishn00b (Jun 10, 2005)

You might be able to try some Parasite medicine from Jungle. Its in that little box and comes in discs. Since they are living they sound like they could be parasites, but since they come from the outside I'm not sure if the medicine would help get rid of them. I have no idea if they are harmful to people, but I assume they wouldn't be, but I would still keep my distance if you are scared. If you want to try and find more information go to the disease forum here in the freshwater section. Baby_Baby has a sticky up there with two good disease sites that practically list every disease to fish. You could search for your worms there and see if they come up. You can then find out what exactly they are and any types of medication that is available.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

The second sounds like planaria which usually are accompanied by other coepods. A sign you need to clean the gravel better and or more often. They are harmless and many fish will eat them.

The first could be a lot of bugs in larval form from mosquitoes to hydra. I would suggest a parasite medicine also.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The fizzy tablet "Parasite Clear" by Jungle should eliminate the flatworms, and "Clout" will certainly do it, but the first thing has me intrigued. The two sticky-up things on the back seem to suggest insect larva, but the pull-themselves-forward-with-a-facial-hook thing has me a bit confused. It could possibly be a type of leech, also treated by the same medicine. 
Harmful to humans?
Take pains to keep them off of you and to keep them away from your face and you'll be okay.


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## fishn00b (Jun 10, 2005)

I think maybe she means that they move like a worm?


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## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

The hook scared me the most... Maybe I described it wrong though. It's head was shaped with a point at the end, almost like a beak. Instead of feet for walking or suction for slinking, it pulled itsself around with the little point on it's mouth. This is what made me afraid that it was a blood-sucking parasite.

I should take "pains"??


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

If they don't move quickly I would remove the ones I could see with a net or maybe even tweezers. I think meds would be good too...especially if they're as creepy looking as you describe.


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## fishn00b (Jun 10, 2005)

I think OldSalt means do what you can to keep them away from you because you don't know what harm they can do to you. But just add the Parasite Clear and you should be fine in a week or so and you can also pick out what you can see.


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## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

Here's an interesting bit...

We had two jars outside with plant bulbs in them, we figured the sunlight would make them sprout. Anyways, the point is, these jars did NOT have my tank water in them, and the same wierd black worms were in them, but in abundance. I figured they grew so well in there, because they were outside for bugs to get to. There were tons of them, twitching around, in all different sizes. It makes me think that they are just something like mosquito larvae... That would explain the face hook...

Here's a crude drawing of them...









Anyways, my violet goby (inhabitant of the wormy tank) has been moved to a larger, more brackish tank, and the loaches will be moved too, because I sadly decided to drain the tank and start new later on. I just can't stand the thought of whatever those things are, growing in my house. Hopefully they can't thrive in brackish water!!


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## fishn00b (Jun 10, 2005)

Good Idea I would have moved the fish too had they been mine. But it would be interesting to treat it with parasite medicine, or even something else that would kill the larva, like maybe a poison to them to kill all them off to see if they will die so atleast you won't have to drain it all out.


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## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

Yeah, I decided to try and treat it first, maybe I can avoid the entire drain-and-clean then cycling again... :shock:


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Mosquito Larvae are pretty distinct..here's a pic. I hope you can get them out of the tank.


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## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

Hrmm, yeah, their heads didn't look like that...

Oh well, hopefully the fizz tabs work.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Actually, the more I think about it, it sounds like they're hookworms. They're very dangerous to humans and animals. If they look ANYTHING like these 2 pics...get away from them and honestly, sterilize anything near them...


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## Rusaalka (Oct 4, 2005)

They kind of looked like that but hairy and the head was shinier than the rest of the body. Plus they had segmented bodies like a caterpillar. 

If they are hookworms of some kind, how could they have gotten in my tank?? I can't imagine they'd be on a pond rock...


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

I honestly don't know. The drawing you made made me initially think mosquito larvae (like you did), but that wasn't right, which made me think of hookworms. I don't know that terribly much about them, unfortunately...IF that's what they are.


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