weird things in my water..help id please

[ampdaman]

um in my 15 gallon tank with my pair of apistos i have noticed little worm like things that sorta wiggle in the watter. they are white and the largest ive seen in the water is about a half inch. they are white and really are interesting to watch wiggle through the water but im wondering 1)what might they be 2)are the harmfull and 3) wat should i do about them? they seem to actually be out in the water when i disturb my wisteria or gravel when cleaning. and i usually net them out when i see them but they sometimes slip through the net (just to give an idea on how thin they are) ive seen my female apisto even eat one and was at first worried but her and my male are perfectly healthy. thanks in advance

-aaron

 

[KenL]

Probably planaria.

I think they are harmless. To get rid of them, reduce the amount you are feeding and step up water changes.

 

[tjudy]

If not planaria it is a worm os some type. Their populaiton can bloom if there is enough excess food for them to feed on. Do a few good water changes with gravel sweeps and cut back on feeding. You will not see as many after that.

 

[retro_gk]

Probably Aeolosoma or similar freshwater annelid.

 

[ampdaman]

thanks for the replies. i was told by my lfs that they might be nematodes if thats how u spell it. so i guess i will do another water change but i havent seen very many and i actually think my amono shrimp might be eating them