# nemerteans in isopod culture



## papafrogger (Oct 21, 2012)

I was just looking through my purple isopod culture and found what i believe to be nemerteans. They are very small, white, and sway their head around. Is there anyway to save this culture? It is my only purple iso culture and i would really like to salvage it. Any tips or is it a lost cause? Luckily i havent seeded any tanks with this culture!


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Can you post a picture? I had something similar to the description that ended up being fruit fly larvae in my springtail culture. I had a cucumber that I had transferred springtails from, and without thinking put it in my culture again a day later. I thought they were nemerteans, but after a while realized the fruit flies had just laid their eggs in the cucumber. They hatched a week later and my suspicions were confirmed.


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## papafrogger (Oct 21, 2012)

I cant get a picture but they seem too skinny to be ff larvae. I could be wrong though. These things are really small and thread like but nematodes dont wave their head around so it couldnt be them could it?


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## Lance (Sep 8, 2008)

Sounds to be a gnat fly larva.


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## papafrogger (Oct 21, 2012)

Could be. My house is surrounded by a small plot of woods so we get a massive amount of bugs. Horseflies, houseflies, little black gnats, and stray ff.


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

it is possible they are just nematodes or annelids... I get them in spring cultures all the time. Have you compared them with a picture of a nemertean?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/94348-3-micron-filters-why-how-where.html


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

I`m just guessing here, they are probably Nematodes. I have them in the soil in 2 of my tanks.
Seems they`ve taken quite a liking to Repashy Bug Burger.

John


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## papafrogger (Oct 21, 2012)

I thought the head swaying was a defining feature of nemerteans. Comparing them to pictures they look too small and are white instead of orange/pink. They are about as wide as a mechanical pencil lead, and about 1/8-1/4" long.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

I don`t know, I always get the damn things mixed up.

John


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

If you're worried about the culture,hand pick a bunch of isos with no soil on them and start another culture until you can find a definite ID on the worms.At worst case scenerio you have a second culture if they are harmless or a second culture if they are.It is really hard to ID them without a pic though.Good luck.


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

It sounds like yo have nemertodes I get them in cultures sometimes and there fine. The nemerteans look more like worms and are pretty big pink and alot fatter than pencil lead. They both move but the teans heads come to a point and wiggle around like crazy.


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## papafrogger (Oct 21, 2012)

Interesting update. The little "worms" appear to be congregating on/around the fish food i feed the isopods. Also the invading springtail population appears to be doing well. So im leaning towards nematodes. Ive noticed that when they arent Actively trying to get away they dont wave their head around. They are on a very coarse substrate so they could have just been looking for a means to escape. I will keep observing them to see what happens. The isopods dont seem to be effected at all and are producing quite well


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

If they were nemerteans, either they would feed on your isopods and kill off the colony, or they would starve out due to lack of suitable prey.
If they are nematodes, I have found that they only seem to infest cultures that are being kept a little too wet. Just a little bit dryer and your isopods may produce better.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

It happened to me using soil from a pot of ficus pumila. I tossed the springtails culture. I think it's the best thing!
I hate nemerteans.


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## BALDITO (Sep 17, 2012)

I have a huge master culture of springs that have hundreds of nemerteans/nematodes in it. I'm gonna harvest a few springs and toss the culture. ill try to get some pics


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Free living nematodes while not attractive in a culture are generally harmless... Keeping the soil drier just keeps them frog aggregating on the surface around food materials. 

Some comments 

Ed


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