Please help identify worms in new aquarium

[ygdiscus]

My 55g BB tank is just about finished cycling and ready for discus. My question is that a few days ago I started noticing some worms in the tank. They are very skinny, I would guess not more than a millimeter in diameter. Some were an inch long, and today I pulled out one about 2 inches long. The bigger ones were kind of crawling along the bottom, and I've only seen one or two at a time. But I've also seen some really tiny ones swimming around the tank. They are as thin as threads. Today there were probably at least ten tiny ones that I saw swimming. When I pulled out the big one today, I was able to see that it's a reddish brown (somewhat similar to earthworm color). I'm doing a fishless cycle that took about 2 weeks. The only source I can think of for the worms is the driftwood that I added over a week ago. I bought the driftwood from a discus store. It had been in a healthy discus/angel tank and was sitting in the store for about 6 weeks before I bought it. I assumed that whatever was in it would be dead by now.
Does anyone have any idea what these worms might be, and if they are a problem?

I tried attaching pictures but so far I have not been successful. I tried describing in as great detail as possible, but hopefully I'll be able to post pictures soon.

Thanks for reading!

Edit: let's see if these links work
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yVPNyhgcC1aqB2LH6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/u6vEsFMrHTVLsU4b7

[ygdiscus]

I was wondering if they're just baby blackworms. They're kind of reddish brownish, but it seems like the tiny ones are more pink and the bigger ones are darker, so maybe that's how baby blackworms look? Does anyone have an idea?

[bluelagoon]

They look like midge fly larva. Did you ever feed them bloodworms? I had them a in a tank for years. No harm done .My Geophagus cleaned them out.

[bluelagoon]

A lot of well established tanks with substrate have debritis worms.

[ygdiscus]

Thanks for the replies!
As I mentioned, this is a new BB aquarium and the only thing I can think of as a source is the driftwood which was in another aquarium before sitting out for 6 weeks. There are no fish in my tank yet.

[Mando]

Thanks for the replies!
As I mentioned, this is a new BB aquarium and the only thing I can think of as a source is the driftwood which was in another aquarium before sitting out for 6 weeks. There are no fish in my tank yet.

Did you clean the driftwood before adding it to the tank?

[ygdiscus]

Did you clean the driftwood before adding it to the tank?

I rinsed it well. I didn't think I had anything to worry about, and I didn't want to put it in a bathtub that regularly has soap in it.

[jeep]

Bristle worm? Had to have come in with the driftwood...

[ygdiscus]

Bristle worm? Had to have come in with the driftwood...

I mean they don't seem to have any "bristle-like" things

[jeep]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFdsFsq4vXg

[ygdiscus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFdsFsq4vXg

Interesting. The pictures I found on Google didn't seem as similar, but this seems more like it. Although I wasn't 100% sure because it's hard to see such small details in this video.
If they are bristle worms is that bad?

[jeep]

There are so many varieties of bristle worms that it's hard to determine the exact one. Most are saltwater but nearly 200 are freshwater, some large and some very small. I don't think they're harmful, but could be an indication of other possible hitchhikers if they came from the driftwood, if they are in fact bristle worms...

[ygdiscus]

There are so many varieties of bristle worms that it's hard to determine the exact one. Most are saltwater but nearly 200 are freshwater, some large and some very small. I don't think they're harmful, but could be an indication of other possible hitchhikers if they came from the driftwood, if they are in fact bristle worms...

I see... I'm afraid to even ask what you would recommend

[jeep]

I really don't know. I've seen similar worms in my bb tanks but they are always at the water line. I assume some flying insect lays eggs or something. There are very few and I don't see them very often so I just squish them.

Technically speaking, even driftwood is a violation of QT procedures...

[ygdiscus]

I just had a thought. The fish that were in the tank with the driftwood 6 weeks before I bought it are in the store where I plan to get my fish, and everything is on the same system. So hopefully that means it's relatively safe to put other fish from the same store with the driftwood.

[bluelagoon]

They look like they belong to the family Tubificidae. Limbodrilus Hottimridae is one that sticks out. I know they're harmless in a tank and just become part of the cleaning crew, so to speak. Sludgeworms

[Chicago Discus]

I agree with Blue Lagoon. Sludgeworms, aka Tubifex. BTW, discus love to eat em.

[LizStreithorst]

Do you guys really feed Tubifex, Miranda. I've been considering switching due to the cost of freeze dried black worms, but I've been reluctant due to the possible health issues.