# Tiny Brown Worms in Tank-Help!!



## RoxMad

Hi guys, I am panicking because I have recently discovered a couple tiny brown worm-looking creatures over the past two weeks. I only notice them during water changes-they show up in the bottom of my bucket. I have only seen one each time. I noticed the first one a week ago during a water change, and then another one today when I was changing the water. I am assuming they live in the gravel, since I concentrate there when vacuuming and don't see the worms floating, even after the water change. I have no idea where they came from, but here is a little about my tank, if it helps any:

-I have 1 Parrot Cichlid as the only resident of the tank, who I have had for nearly 7 years, so no new animals in a LONG time. (He's always been an "only child."  )

-I have a Fluval C4 filter service it as follows:
-Once a month I change the carbon insert.
-I change the foam pad every other month, and rinse it during the month I don't change it.
-I change roughly 75% of the C-nodes (bio-filtration) every 3 months. I am coming up on a change here in a day or two.

-I do a roughly 25% partial water change every week. During each change, I treat with aquarium salt, Stress-Coat, and Stress-Zyme. I also condition new water with SeaChem Neutral Regulator and Prime.

-I change the aquarium décor each week. The "old" décor is rinsed with tap water, dried inside of the house, then put in the garage after it has dried. I also rinse the décor with tap water before putting it in the tank.

-After cleaning the tank, I rinse the brush and vacuum with tap water before storing them in the garage.


I have NO idea how this happened and don't know what to do next! Obviously, I want the best for my buddy since we've been together for so long! Any and all help is appreciated!!


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## Raptor

Most likely planaria. usually found in tanks that are overfed or has an abundance of waste in the tank.


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## Summer

I agree, very likely planaria.


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## Gizmo

Planaria. Should have two little black eyes and a diamond-shaped head. They're detritus eaters, but their defense mechanism is a neurotoxin that they have in the mucus layer on their skin. If you have any shrimp, the planaria might paralyze the shrimp, and then they will eat the shrimp. It's a rare occurrence, but some people have captured videos and posted to YouTube.

Buy some Panacur-C dog de-wormer (yellow package), available OTC at most pet stores and pharmacies. Dose 0.1g of active ingredient per 10G of tank water, NOTE: 0.1g of ACTIVE INGREDIENT (fenbendazole), not 0.1g of the powder. If the powder says 5% active ingredient, you'll have to dose a lot more than 0.1g of the powder.

I learned this method from plantedtank.net, and dosed it in my planaria-infested tank with shrimp, fish, and plants still in there. They all survived, and some of the fish even ate some of the dog de-wormer and they were just fine. You can change water whenever you want, but the longer the fenbendazole is in the tank, the less likely the planaria will survive. I left mine in for a week.


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