ID Help: White Worm-Like in Saltwater

[Lopez713]

Hi there,
Hope this is in the right forum-

I am beginning to see small white worm-like animals when I am cleaning the sand or wiping tank with magnet. They seem to come out of the sand and eventually find their way back down. I'm sure they may be beneficial to tank, but seeing them scramble on glass is not the nicest thing to see. Any help in identifying, controlling, or removing them will be greatly appreciated.

36 gallon, saltwater

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[Diana A]

Parasitic or harmful worms will not be visible on the gravel or the glass of the aquarium.

Noticing small white worms the size of a few millimeters crawling along the glass are either flat or roundworms. Flat appearances are planaria (flatworms) and the more thin and wiggly ones are nematodes (roundworms). Both of them do not exceed 4-5 millimeters. Both types are harmless to fish and thrive on excessive waste in the water column.

To free the tank of these worms simply do not feed your fish for 3-4 days as they will often feed on them.

The fluke is a parasite worm that is visible on the skin or gills of the fish. Measuring only 0.3 – 0.5 millimeters in length, this oval shaped worm can spread and often result in fish death.

Internal parasitic worms can not easily be diagnosed. Advanced stages can be visible by ulcers on the skin. On the other hand, not all internal worms do pose a threat to the fish.

First signs of internal worms are an increased appetite without weight gain or even weight loss while consuming increased amounts of food.

 

[Lopez713]

Thank you Diana for the info.

I will cut the feeding as you mentioned and keep up with water changes. I also noticed my saddle puffer poking at them a few times. Guessed he noticed them up and down the glass- not sure if its ok for him to do so.
Again, thanks for your insight.

 

[Lopez713]

Hi there,
I've did what you suggested both water changes and to stop feeding for a few days, however, the little worms are still quite visible at times throughout the day. I started noticing them at feeding times. I have a small livestock so feeding isn't big but guess they smell the food. They come up and go back down.

Anyone else?
Thanks!

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[mndfreeze]

I wouldn't worry about them. The ideal reef environment has a food web from the tiniest bacteria up to macro creatures like your fish. All of the worms and micro life in between helps boost the health of your reef by completing (as best as can be in a tiny closed environment) the food web.

Usually having sand that is full of living worms, gastropods, crustaceans, etc is what your goal should be. Think of it like a garden. Everyone knows the healthiest garden has worms in the soil.

If you want a better ID, use a turkey baster to suck up some of those worms into a tiny clear glass dish and put them against a contrasting background and get some macro photos of them. That will help a lot more on getting a definitive ID or best guess.

 

[OoooDRAGONoooo]

Small white wiggly worms

Small white wiggly worms

I have recently noticed these in my sump ,they wriggle up to the surface for a while and then sink back down. I have also noticed that all my pods and mysis have completely disappeared too.any connection?