# Please don't say Nemerteans



## Kastina83 (Apr 9, 2013)

Anyone know what this is? Just found them in a bromelia. 😳

















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## Umbra (Nov 29, 2013)

Looks like some sort of larva at a glance - a clearer pic would help a lot. Not a nem/flatworm from what I can see though.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

I'm no bug expert, but it looks like a fungus gnat larva.


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## jimmy rustles (Mar 10, 2013)

I think I found the same in one of my bromeliads, wondering what they are and if they can do harm, fungus gnats doesnt sound too bad tho.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

jimmy rustles said:


> I think I found the same in one of my bromeliads, wondering what they are and if they can do harm, fungus gnats doesnt sound too bad tho.


Those look like mosquito larvae to me.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Yeah that looks like some kind of insect.


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## Kastina83 (Apr 9, 2013)

Great! Everything is better than Nemerteans  Thanks all!


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## jimmy rustles (Mar 10, 2013)

epiphytes etc. said:


> Those look like mosquito larvae to me.


Ok, that doesnt sound too frightening, thanks for the responses


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I'm still waiting for a solution to nemerteans. Any tips? They have almost gone in one of my tank (I put in it a lot of woodlice), but I can not exterminate them in my Almirante tank. I'm thinking of redoing everything, throwing the plans in this viv.


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## stu&shaz (Nov 19, 2009)

rigel10 said:


> I'm still waiting for a solution to nemerteans. Any tips? They have almost gone in one of my tank (I put in it a lot of woodlice), but I can not exterminate them in my Almirante tank. I'm thinking of redoing everything, throwing the plans in this viv.


 I wonder if you moved the frogs, Rigel, to another home for a few months and upped the iso numbers in the almirante tank, you could simply starve out the nemerteans. The problem with small frogs is we are constantly feeding the other in viv predator. I'd also keep the viv on the dry side,so I could use "potential" nem predators like GO or Onacilus acillus iso. I say potential because I've heard reports of them eating nemerteans,but haven't ever seen it for myself or proved this method can work,but I'd rather go there than strip the viv. I started this not really wanting to bake,nuke bleach and boil everything obsessively,nemerteans are a result of that in some early vivs. We now are much more thorough,but even so it is so easy to get nemerteans in a viv,it is conceivable that you might strip it all out for nowt ,so I thought I'd chuck this at you. I guess if it did work we would have at least one potential method to pass forwards. This is based on a friend's musing ,he managed to clear a tinc viv,by feeding things such as beenweavils iso,that the nemerteans don't seem to prey upon. Nowt certain here kiddo,might be worth a shot though,it's simple enough to set a temp tub home up for the pums,ha i've even had some pums breed in one of these,while waiting for there viv to settle 

Good luck kiddo I find nemerteans to be a PITA ,but not the end of the world... we just culture alot of springtails and live with them

Stu


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

You are right, nemerteans are not the end of the world, especially if we consider that they are not harmful to the frogs.
However, they are disgusting! When I see one crawling on the glass, I shudder with horror! I'm used to, like all of you, to deal with many more insects - that a lot of people suck. I like spiders and scorpions...
But nemerteans, just NO! I suck!
After three years of struggle, I have noticed a significant reduction of them in my first epips tank, where rarely I see now nemerteans. I used common woodlice, but the extermination of the microfauna has certainly helped to reduce them - almost to exterminate them.
Now I'm trying the same against nems in my Almirante tank... But I do not want to wait two or three years before I see some good result. So I think to redo the tank, moving the frogs.
Thanks for tips and encouragement


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I wouldn't keep the viv on the dry side, as the nemerteans can enter a dormant cyst phase and the isos might not consume them.


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## stu&shaz (Nov 19, 2009)

epiphytes etc. said:


> I wouldn't keep the viv on the dry side, as the nemerteans can enter a dormant cyst phase and the isos might not consume them.


Very point valid Jason,I should have qualified that really,i was musing conditions tipped to favour the iso,like I'd do when drying down the frogs to slow feeding,but not extremely dry.

Jason I'm no nemertean expert,I am aware they can form a cyst though,learnt here like so much. I am utterly unsure what stage iso might predate in a nems. lifecycle, I've always wondered whether it is actually the eggs and whether this with a bouyent number of iso might lead to the demise of this much unwanted in viv predator. 

I'm pondering a method without full details that I've never been able to find kiddo. I and it seems the rest of our hobby,haven't also. We have a few anecdotal accounts of success ridding a viv of nemerteans but no hard core method. 

For the crack I'll play devils advocate with you what stage does a woodlouce predate a nemertean? Might the cyst be more vunerable than a beastie that can move away? 

Jason, I'm asking this as always with a smile,I think you are right to say what you have, is there anyway you can reinforce this. I'll be at pains to point out I'm not calling you personally out,it's web land things get twisted,but more knowledge is more bro. That is what I'm digging for. I would like our hobby to have a serious method to pass forwards,so the next guy can nail his problem. I've seen posts about using wormers(god I don't want to go there when nature must have an answer),obviously posts about iso, CO2 bombs, ya know,but none is sure ,none is certain. So back to simple logic,if we have a nemertean predator,an iso, and we knew what stages in the nemerteans lifecycle that predates,then we have ammo to defeat. 

Naturally our part in all this might be underestimated,diligence is an easy word to use not so easy to accomplish,simply nailing each and every one on sight ain't no bad thing,but few will go there.

Over to you

best


Stu


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## Umbra (Nov 29, 2013)

While nemerteans like Argonemertes dendyi can enter a cyst like phase of dormancy, the worms that everyone posts here are NOT A. dendyi, as a matter of fact they aren't nemerteans at all. Every picture I've seen here are of terrestrial flatworms from the genus Rhynchodemus or Microplana, none of which can do this. They reproduce at an alarming rate and the egg casings are tough and weather resistant which might explain why they reappear when conditions are ideal.



Terrestrial flatworms generally do not taste good to predators due to their excretion of nitrogenous waste products through their skin and the copious amounts of mucous they produce. Many salamanders and frogs will spit then out after an attempted ingestion and avoid them after. Most will not touch them at all. Woodlice will eat the eggs and potentially hatchlings, won't touch the adults though. Certain species of snails will do the same and while a carnivorous snail might be worth a try, identification is difficult with the smaller species and many snails are Viv pests in their own right. I've kept flatworms with some unidentified snails I've found in the woodlands near my house and after the initial round of adult worms died off, I never saw anymore. The snails continued to populate but ate plants in the viv and became a pest themselves. Snails seem to be rather indiscriminate of their protein sources and I wouldn't be surprised if many of the species that eat flatworm eggs also attempt to eat frog spawn.


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