red worms

Sadie

Hello
I have these interesting worms I just syphoned out of my 20gal tank. They are red and seem to be flattish. They are 3-4 times wider than black worms when you by them in the store. I have been getting black worms out of the gravel when I gravel vac but haven't fed them for about a month now. These red things seems to almost flatten out when the stretch and move. When they sit still it seems that one end of them is kinda flat (straight across) until it stretches out all of the way then they seem to be tapered at both ends. The other end is always tapered. The tapered end is slightly lighter than the rest of its body. They are also slimy. I picked all of them out of my bucket with my finger and had a really hard time with 2 of them trying to get them off my finger. One I kind of flicked my finger really hard a few times and couldn't get it off and them tried to swish my finger really hard in the water and still couldn't get it off. I finally just risked killing it and had to pry it off with my other hand. Tough slime! Anyone know what they might be?

Sadie

Been watching my new friends. I could only get 2 to stretch out and move around, they were about 3 inches long (one probably longer) the shortest about 2 inches. The rest when just hanging out sit in spirals (corkscrew looking) pile usually alone. They seem happy alone or in a mass. Definitely a flat shaped worm. Any ideas?

fish_4_all

Could be an aquatic earthworm of some kind although I have not heard of them in the colors you mention. The movement osunds right and the basic description fits. The curling up also suggests a worm of some kind. The only way to give a better idea of what it is would be to see a picture if you can get one.

daisycutter

plalairians or leaches

Sadie

I came home from work this evening and checked on my little friends and they were all dead. I had placed the worms in a Gladware bowl (rinsed and brand new) with lots of holes punched in the top and filled it about half way with water . I then placed them in the fridge (this is the same way I store the black worms and they live very happily), hoping they would live until I got pictures taken or maybe even to town to see if the local mom & pop could ID them.

So new info, they don't survive cold temps so they obviously didn't come in with the live black worms I had feed 3-4 weeks ago. I had the black worms in the fridge for 2 weeks. When I looked at the deceased worms they were an oatmeal color and didn't even have a hint of red left to them (they were very red while living) and they were already significantly decayed. Weird!

It boggles my mind even more as to where they came from and what they are? I haven't bought new plants in at least 2 months if not 3 and none came with any dirt, the Java ferns had had some fluorescent colored gravel because they had been supplied to the mom & pop from a local private individual but I had separated them enough, I would think that any worms should have fallen out(or at 1 or 2). I haven't purchased any fish in 4 months. Interesting!

Sadie

How about this? Maybe Larval Eustrongyildes ? I have found it decribed as very long 25mm-150mm (0984-5.91 inches) and 2mm wide (.078inches), coiled and bright red OR another description that seems to fit is camallanus except that my worms seemed to be flat when moving. If you look at this site at the camallanus the worms looked very much like this except they were bright red and I thought they were flatter http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA091.
I haven't seen any worms hanging out of anybody.
? I don't know.

Sadie

Never thought I be so excited but I found more worms and I got pics. Anyone know what they are?? These guys aren't as big as the first ones I had found but are definately good representatives. Please excuse the vanity lights that are reflecting.








The longest one is about 4 inches when stretched out. They are flat and the tapered end appears to be the head. The smallest is about an inch. The ones I found last time sat in coils these, however, are dead set on escaping. :D

Thanks Sadie