Steen16

I woke up this morning and found a tiny white worm on my bettas gill plate.
Is this something I should be worried about?

pbucch

probably a piece of feces homie

lilFishyfish

Have you found any other worms in the tank it might just be a little nematode type worm that is harmless to fish. These ones look white and about __ long and size or smaller. I have some of those in my puffer tank not exactly sure where they came from I think plants and snails I got, the puffers eat them (also I have seen them land on fishes fins before). I Hope this helps!!

(Oh yeah also I meant to add that some are really small like you can barely see them.) Also meant to ask if its wiggled off your betta and into the aquarium? If so than i wouldn't worry about it!! )

Steen16

Yea its realy little sounds like the ones you are talking about, It was on sids gill plate I tryed to get sid to shake it of by jumping for his blood worms but the little sucker stayed on!

Jess

That doesn't sound right. I wonder if this should be posted to the Betta section. Those guys are very up on stuff like that.

Shawnie

If its planaria, its ok..but coming from the gills makes me a bit worried...maybe pm allie about the worms her bettas had ..she might be of help...and a pic would help alot also...

lilFishyfish

I'm pretty sure the eat scummy stuff on the rocks and I've seen some of them swimming through the tank...EWWW. The puffers usually do as well though heh. I think if its not there tonight when you get home and you don't see the worm on him again or Sid acting strange it should be fine. My g lass shrimps also eat those worms if they can catch them(maybe you could get a few if you dont already have some).

Steen16

We cant get shrimp in nz Yea I have seen them eat scum stuff on the rocks before.

lilFishyfish

I know what planaria is, these worms I'm talking about are NOT planaria,lol. They are another type of n ematode, they are not harming my fish. I seen them only in my puffer tank ever since I got these plants and shrimp and snails from someone online. They eat the scummy stuff on my tank and rocks etc, I don't have tons but I have a few. I have a clean tank and do regular water changes so its not that, the puffers and shrimp eat them so that probably why theres not alot as well. The times I do see them swimming in the aquarium the puffers do soon after.

Steen16

It may be planaria. Its quite a new tank, but the water quality is great And sid is deffintly not over fed (I feed him 5 individual bloods by hand).
So im not quite sure because planaria occur when water quality is down right?

lilFishyfish

Awww that sux, I'm sorry! Is it because of people releasing them in the wild before?

lilFishyfish

Nah I don't think its planarian well at least not the ones I've got LOL, because if it looks like the worms I'm talking are about the size of 4-5 planarians together. LOL

Steen16

Im not sure but there are lots of wild fresh water shrimp in nz. but they are all freezing water. Im not sure what it is I just hope its not harmful

lilFishyfish

Yeah I understand, let me know what you see when you get home tonight... I'm hoping it was just a odd thing that it landed there and nothing more!!!

Steen16

Yea So do I!

Thank You

Shawnie

I wasnt commenting on your worms, it was meant for steen's thread

lilFishyfish

LOL Yeah I know, I'm sorry if it sounded like I was, I meant no harm!!! I was just saying in general that if they sound like the worms I had wrote about (he had said they sounded like it), they aren't planarian.

Steen16

Im prity sure there not planaria.

Thank you guys so far

lilFishyfish

I'm asuming its not a anchor worm? Have you seen those? They are small and sorta straight and attach themselves to fish. I'm not exactly of the color.....

Steen16

Im unsure but it just looks like the worms I get in the tank, but one just decided to have a ride on sids gill. Inever seen any worms on any of my fish before

lilFishyfish

Yep thats what I think aswell...anchor worms look different.....I was just checking though hehehe!!

Steen16

Better to be safe.
And ask questions

cpk

whats that about ??

Steen16

I know sheesh! Im keen to start a thread about it! haha

Steen16

Dude what the heck feces!?homie!? come on how old are you ?

Alessa

Here, I found this:

Gill Fluke. (Dactylogyrus).
"This parasite is worm shaped and normally makes it’s home in the gills of the fish, where it also feeds on the gill plate and causes serious gill tissue damage. Such damage prevents the adequate diffusion of oxygen and causes many secondary gill problems. Eggs laid by the fluke embryonate and hatch in a period which varies with temperature. In certain climates eggs laid in Autumn can overwinter and hatch out in the Spring when more favourable conditions arrive.

The larvae propel themselves through the water until they find a new host and can survive for about four days in normal water temperatures without a host fish. The feeding of this parasite destroys the epithelium, causing haemorrhagic ulcerative lesions but is not usually harmful to large fish.

The four eye spots are recognition features that help to differentiate between the body and gill fluke. The eggs of this fluke hatch out in about four days at a temperature of 20oC or longer if the weather is colder. It can be easily seen at 100x magnification."

Here is the website:
http://www.koicymru.co.uk/parasites.htm

hope it helps.

Steen16

Thanks Alessa, but I havnt seen any worms in the tank for a week now and sid is healthy with no tissue damage what so ever.. But that you ! :P