worms in tank

rcfreak7

please help my cichlids have a bunch of wierd little worm like things swiming in the water. they are about 1 cm long the I only feed them pellets and bloodworms. I also boiled everything before it went into the tank. How do i get rid of it?

Lupin

Welcome to Fishforum.com.

These are planaria. Doing more partial water changes and limiting feeding rations should reduce their population. No need to boil everything as these will not help eliminate planaria. What did you boil?

rcfreak7

i boiled the rocks and plastic plants (the rocks came from my yard) this is what we were told to do

JouteiMike

Boiling rocks can be risky - so be careful.

I agree with Lupin; they are most likely palanaria.

You can try and net some out if you have a fine net, but water changes, gravel vacuuming, and reduced feedings should help reduce and rid your tank of them.

rcfreak7

what can be risky with bioling rocks?

bettababy

There are 2 risks here... 1, when you boil rock, depending on what is in it, some metals and minerals can react bad to the boiling temperatures and cause chemical reactions that can endanger your tank.
The other risk is that using rocks from your yard, you could easily be adding parasites, pollution, and who knows what other kinds of contaminant to the tank. Boiling will not remove everything. You would be much safer taking those rocks out and buying some specifically ready for aquarium use. The companies that sell rock for aquariums treat the rock to make it safe first, and their treatments are not something practical to do in the home.
I agree with the others about the worms... tends to come from too much uneaten food allowed to remain in the tank over a long period of time. More water changes and less food as Lupin suggested are the best cure. No worries, they worms won't hurt your fish. The water quality would be the thing to hurt the fish.