# white thread looking worms



## nyfrogs (May 1, 2005)

these are in the water on the glass very thin like a white sowing thread not that long maybe as long as a 1/4 inch being the medium sized ones could these be bad?? what could they be?? all i have in the water is allitle java moss and some algae on the side of the glass any help would be appriciated thanks
stan


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## JoshKaptur (Feb 17, 2004)

Not parasitic. Lots of us get these in vivs... they feed off of organics like frog waste and decaying plants. They are also pretty common in springtail cultures ime.

Josh


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2005)

I have these in my cichlid tank. Ive read somewhere that if water is full of nutrients, they utilize them and the more worms you have, the better quality your water is (aparently they are sensitive to water conditions).


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

they are an ogliochaeta, close relatives of the earthworm. As mentioned, they are harmless to the frogs, but they do pose a potential problem to eggs. I have heard of people having them eat eggs before. There isn't really a cure for them either, they pop up anywhere, almost mysteriously. JUst keep them under control by removing the ones you can find, and they shouldn't be too bad. Some frogs will even eat them, although none of mine have a taste for them. Take care,

ed parker


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## Afemoralis (Mar 17, 2005)

*"worms" on glass...*

Hey, 

Hard to say without a picture, but my guess is the larvae of fungus gnats- which are very common insects in most greenhouses/terrariums. Check 'em out online. If that is what you have, they are harmless, and might even provide another food source for your froggies.

Cheers!


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## JOHNNY (Nov 30, 2004)

I agree with Ed. Watch out too many of them don't get into your egg clutches , I've lost a few that way.

Johnny


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

I find that they tend to disappear as the tank ages. They are more obvious in newly set up tanks. I just wipe them off the glass when I clean, but don't worry about them otherwise.


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## ~Fluff~ (Feb 10, 2006)

Sorry to dredge up an old post but is this the same worm? If so, I've been seeing them in my azureus viv. Mostly in the morning when the lights come on. The largest is about a cm long. The one in the pic is half a cm. I did watch one of the frogs eat one, but only one time. If this is the same, I'm relieved they aren't dangerous to the frogs. I'm a ways away from having to worry about eggs.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

It looks generally the same as the wormy thingies we all encounter, especially in new tanks. While it may represent a fungus gnat larvae, somre sort of beetle larvae, or any of the other suggestions given, or there are different wormy things in different tanks that look more or less the same, whatever it is, if it is crawling around on your glass, it is nothing to worry about. Just wipe them off, and they will eventually go away, or even stay in small numbers. I worried at first that they might be some sort of potentially parasitic strongyle, but without an entymologist on hand, one can't truly identify them. Whatever they are, they simply seem to show up universally in almost all new, humid vivariums. Attempting to get rid of them, would disturb the biological process of establishing a recycling, balanced tank for dart frogs.


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

looks a bit like the grindal worms i have in a culture.


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