Big long bright red worm????!!!!

[tpl*co]

I was doing my gravel vacuuming while doing my water change and came up to what looked like a bright red long poop, but it moved! (it was not all the same thickness, and sort of bunched up, but was long and very bright red). What type of worm could it be? Is it something I need to treat my fish for? If I need to treat for it, what should I use, how much and would it affect other things in the tank (tetras, loaches and bristlenoses are in this tank too along with anubias, java fern and java moss).

[ShinShin]

If you have a college in your area, why not take it to the biology dept. for an ID. It would be interesting to know what you found.

[tpl*co]

I threw them out with the water change! They were pretty disgusting :(.

[Cosmo]

If you're feeding CBW's it may have come in with them. On occassion I find very long very red worms in the shipments of CBW's... not sure if they're just big CBW's in a different stage of development or something else. I usually try and weed them out just in case, but they are fast little suckers... if you don't feed CBW's, could be some form of larva from an insect in the house ??

Sending to a college for lab work sounds like a great idea though, keep the next one you find and let us know
Jim

[tpl*co]

Yes, I have been feeding CBW! I was really worried that these things were coming out of my fish (and that I use my mouth to start the siphon on the hose for my water changes!) :puke: I guess I better invest in a python! They do look like a cross between really long ugly bumpy bright red black worm and a fish poop.

[Carol_Roberts]

Maybe a bristle worm?

[Northwestcoastdisc]

i dont think so a bristle worm. it comes from salt water. Probaby its live bloodworms or young CBW.

Duncan

[calogyroscari]

Do you have live plants in the tank. If so they maybe plant leaches . They are called that because the will attach their mouth to something and pull their body along. they came with plant for southeast asia . they like live in the gravel and will eat anything they can fit in their mouth . NOW , before you freakout. they look like earthworm when they get large ( ft. or longer and dark red ) . but are harmless when the small. But nothing will kill they , not even bleach. trust me I have tried . You have breck the tank down and start over. But are most likely a live worm ( cbw bloodworms ect .)that have survied your fish. IF you want more on plant leaches . contact someone from the aga . a link to the aga can be found on the www.thekrib.com .Or post this Q. in the plant tank section someone there maybe able to help you . hope this helps more then it scares you.

[ShinShin]

There are freshwater bristleworms. Magnification is required to see them.

[shaunn]

I have them to, and I have a theory. If you feed your fish Tetra bits, or other colored fish flakes/food, then it is probable that the blackworms that survive in the gravel simply thrive and feed on this food and take in the color from the food. I did not see this start until I started feeding tetrabits.

Hope this helps.

P.S. When I see one while siphoning, I pinch the tube and try to get it out so I can give the fish a snack who first sees them. They catch my fish's eye pretty quickly as they try to swim through the python tube to get to the fat, juicy red worm.

[sidra]

I had one too! When I first set up my tank a couple months ago a day or two after I put the gravel and live plants in I found this bright red, thin red worm about 2 inches long fully stretched out slithering up the glass in my tank. I tried to grab it but it rolled up into a tiny ball and disappeared in the gravel.

Yesterday morning my tank lights came on at 7 am, I went over to the tank to do my morning check on everybody and there was the red worm, now about 4 inches long fully stretched out. I got it this time and put it in a zip lock bag. I'm hoping it's the only one but... :juggle:

I tend bar on Wednesday nights and one of my local regulars is a marine biologist. I'll be bringing my zip lock bag to work Wednesday night for Glen's inspection. I'll let you all know what I find out.

[tpl*co]

That sounds like it! I definitely like to know what it is! I pulled out most of my gravel and haven't seen another one, but would definitely like to know if it is friend or foe (besides the fact that it looked disgusting)

[sidra]

Seeing as I've never fed live bloodworms (and the fact that it's too smooth and creepy-crawly up the glass, I've ruled bloodworms out.

It looks NOTHING like a blackworm. I do feed live blackworms and that's not it. Plus, my fish don't eat any kind of pellet (nuisances!) so I haven't fed tetra bits.

Can't be a freshwater bristleworm because at four inches long I definitely did not need a microscope to see it. :jester:

Could be the plant leach. I did find it shortly after my un-boyfriend bought me a huge amazon sword for my birthday.

Again, I'll let you know what my marine biologist friend says.

[Moon]

Seeing as I've never fed live bloodworms (and the fact that it's too smooth and creepy-crawly up the glass, I've ruled bloodworms out.

It looks NOTHING like a blackworm. I do feed live blackworms and that's not it. Plus, my fish don't eat any kind of pellet (nuisances!) so I haven't fed tetra bits.

Can't be a freshwater bristleworm because at four inches long I definitely did not need a microscope to see it. :jester:

Could be the plant leach. I did find it shortly after my un-boyfriend bought me a huge amazon sword for my birthday.

Again, I'll let you know what my marine biologist friend says.
Sidra
Who or what is an un boyfriend???

[sidra]

OHHHHH! Definition of Un-boyfriend: A guy you've been dating for 2 1/2 years and as long as you pretend he's not your boyfriend, he's fine. However, any signs of relationship or committment make him turn dark and hide in a corner. Oops, sorry, was getting un-boyfriend confused with sick discus. Very similar reactions though.

[sidra]

tpl.....My marine biologist friend was stopped in while I was working today. He was very interested in the red worm and he took it with him. Tomorrow he's supposed to be at Brookhaven National Lab and he's going to try to identify it.

I may not see him again until a week from today but I will let you know what he comes up with.

[sidra]

Hey tpl and the rest of you who added to this post......remember the big bright red worm? Well, it seems to be quite the mystery. My marine biologist friend took it to Brookhaven laboratory. They put it under the scope (not that you needed one to see it) to look at it more closely and they came up empty. So they sent it over to the university lab and they're taking a look at it over there.

tpl and I must have some pretty rare stuff in our tanks if a big scientific lab like this couldn't identify it. At least scientists in full protective suits have not shown up at my house yet. lol

I'll keep you posted when we hear back from the university. At this point it's interesting because it's so hard to identify.

[tpl*co]

LOL, just as long as they don't name it after us!!!! ;) Haven't seen another after the couple I saw.

[sidra]

Me neither and I've been vacuuming every inch of that gravel. I haven't found so much as a stray blackworm. I even had a big piece of red shale I removed and cleaned the gravel under it in case anything was lurking in there. Paranoia?

[shaunn]

Sidra-

Any updates from your marine biologist friend? I still have a bunch of red worms.

[kelseygirl]

Thanks for the morning chuckle. (un-boyfriend) :) (Sounds like you need to find a new guy. They don't change with time.)

[sidra]

Shaunn, no my marine biologist friend never heard anything back. It's funny you bring this up because I found two of those big red worms in my tank over the weekend. One of the tetra ate one. Based on how the worm can stretch out, flatten itself out and shrink up I'm thinking it's a leech of some sort.

Kelseygirl, glad you got a chuckle. No he never changed so he got the boot.