Keeping Fish

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They are called planaria, they are after the uneaten food.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Nemotodes! Love those guys. Shouldn't bother your fish and are beneficial to the tank. First sign of a healthy ecosystem. I think that's the word Oldhen was looking for.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Don't feed as much, clean the gravel, and salt can help, it may take a bit to get them under control. Bettas often don't clean up their food. You could add some Cory cats to help with cleanup.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

They are called planaria, they are after the uneaten food.

Never mind, I was probably misremembering. I'm sure this is what they are actually called. Nematodes occur in the wild I believe.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Just looked it up, they are either planaria, flatworms, or nematodes, roundworms. There you go. Both harmless I believe.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[Shellybean02]

If I feed less and do the cleanup, the population would eventually be controlled, correct? And they might actually benefit the tank by cleaning up the extra food? I was worried that they'd be parasites that feed on the insides of fish...*phew*

 

[Shellybean02]

Could the betta fry feed on these? Since the newborn fry are so tiny they need to feed on microorganisms, so I'd think that baby worms would make the perfect starter diet(no need to culture extra worms when I already have these, or I can use these to start a separate culture for the fry)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cleaning up and making sure there's no uneaten flakes will basically starve them out and you will see less and less. I freaked out the first time I saw them in my ten gallon too. They occasionally could eat fish eggs but do nothing to the fish themselves. I found satisfaction in sucking them up in my water changes and pouring them down the drain. Now I don't see them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't know about feeding fry because I haven't bred or raised any fish except for live bearers and a few goldfish.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Could the betta fry feed on these? Since the newborn fry are so tiny they need to feed on microorganisms, so I'd think that baby worms would make the perfect starter diet(no need to culture extra worms when I already have these, or I can use these to start a separate culture for the fry)

Honestly I would not rely on these for fry food. If they are nematodes and visible than they are way to big for just hatched fry. Not sure about planaria or their size.

Regards,
Leaf