# White worms in the tad water



## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

I checked on my tads yesterday, and there were clusters of worms around the waters edge near the surface of the water. They wiggle and look nasty. I'm guessing my water is foul and needs a changing, but has anyone else ever experienced this? Are they parasitic worms you think that might make it into the bodies of my tads? I don't want them to start life with a gutload of worms. Any thoughts other than a water change?


----------



## batrachiophyle (May 7, 2009)

this depends on the phyla of "worm" we're talking about here... could be parasitic, could be free-living... picture would help... a lot.

it is typically NOT the actual "worm" stage of life which infects chordates in the first place... that's a common misconception.. it's usually something like a hexicanth embryo, etc.. and there's typically an intermediate host [gastropoda many times] involved in the organism's life cycle... but, again.. this depends greatly on the phylum. pictures! pictures!!

could be a simple free-living olligocheate... the large majority of nematoda are also free living. you may have reason to worry, and you may not, lol... pictures will tell the whole story here. 

could be regular "white worms" as well...

*edit*
one more point as well... symbiotic relationships.. be they commensalistic, mutualistic, or outright parasitic are a HUGE component of life on this really cool rock... just take the beneficial monera in your own gut for example... the object of parasitism IS NOT to kill, or injure the host, as that would not be beneficial to the parasite in question... their main job it to keep the host alive and well until it's life cycle is complete... it's typically an unhealthy animal which mortally succumbs to parasitism...


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 6, 2009)

Are they anything like these - Aquarium FD - Planaria Small Hair like White Worms - Disease Identification, Diagnosis & Treatment

If so they are relatively harmless and often appear in fishtanks that are overfed...


----------



## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

They do look a bit like that i guess, they sit in clusters at the surface. Tried to get pics, but my camera is not going to cut it. Like i said partial water change, suck out all the garbage with my turkey baster, and hope they go away. Thats my plan. Maybe the tads wil eat them when they die.


----------



## batrachiophyle (May 7, 2009)

if they are in fact, planarian platyhelminthes, you've absolutely nothing to worry about... all planarians are free-living [non-parasitic.] 

the other classes of that phylum... not so much, lol...


----------



## troy255 (May 31, 2009)

That description sounds nothing like planaria. This is what planaria looks like. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/planaria.jpg


----------



## pigface (Apr 28, 2006)

I've seen them in a couple of my tad cups too . If they are the same , pale white very fine like hair and 1/2" long or so and good swimmers , the only time I've seen them it was in a cup that the tad had died . I don't know if it was coincidence or not . But if I see them again I'm going to remove them .


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

troy255 said:


> That description sounds nothing like planaria. This is what planaria looks like. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/planaria.jpg


There are many different types of planaria.... 

In enclosures where the water section has a moderate to high level of dissolved organics, at least two different "types" of freeliving worm have been reported, small white flat worms (possibily more than one species) that tends to not be highly mobile as well as smalll white "thread like" worms which fit the description of nematodes. Both of these are often nothing more than an indication of excess nutrient levels in the water. 

The post describes them as active and moving which makes me lean away from the flatworms and more towards the nematodes. 

There are reports in the fish and caudate tanks where excess numbers of the flatworms irritating the animal by living on the caudate or fish but I usually consider them an indicator of water quality. 

Ed


----------



## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

Thank you All for your input. They seem to be pretty much gone at this point. I did not do a full water change, just partial, so a few escaped.


----------

