Worms Living In My Filter Pads???!!!!

[Triston Wasmund]

I have these red worm things that live in my filter pads. These filter pads are outside with my tank, so it must be from some larvae of some sort of bug. Anyone have any clue? They are small and red like and are everywhere!

and I guess live in the waste and **** on the filter pad, inside and out. Dangerous? Beneficial? Help!

 

[FriarThomasIII]

@Goldiemom are these midge fly larva? I think so. Fish usually eat them and they can be found in the substrate, too, I think. I think they are supposed to be a pain in the rear.

 

[Goldiemom]

Yes, they are!!! Also known as blood worms.

Midge flies are laying eggs in your water and then the larva hatching are the bloodworms. They won’t hurt and your fish will love them. I don’t worry about them in my outside pond. I just don’t want them in my inside tanks because the ammonia can go up and that aren’t pretty to look at in the subtrate. If you buy Mosquito Dunks at Home Depot they will help control them but won’t totally kill them. They can get in your house and go for your tanks. I got them under control by picking them out of the filter, vacuuming subtrate every other day for about 2 weeks, and putting a tiny bit of mosquito dunk in the tank. The Dunk won’t hurt your fish, it’s a bacteria that is only toxic to mosquito’s and midge flies.