Hy, I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 oscars, 1 African cichlid and 2 gouramis. I've been looking some strange little white worms that some are on the glass and others are just floating all around my tank.
I would like to know what are they and what can I do to eliminate them.
thanks

sounds like planeria to me, maybe flat headed worms. Basically, they are free swimming parasites that get into your tank on live plants, live Rock etc. Even though they might look unsightly in large numbers, they won't cause any harm to your fish. Elimination it can often mean stripping the tank down completely including filtration. They thrive very well when you overfeed. Try harvesting them manually and cutting down on the food for a while and see what happens. Some people reckon that copper-based solutions will kill them, you got to be very careful using this type of substance, some fish don't like it

stepping up water change frequency, getting in the gravel extra well, and making sure to break down the filters and clean inside of them well (with tank water) will help a lot as well.

OFL, when you say it may be because of live plants or rocks, non of my plants have been bought! I got some bulbs at wallmart so i dont think it may be because of them as they grew on my tank! can it be because a driftwood?
Thanks! ill try! if not! ill try stripping the tank off!

hey guys! it seems I found solution for the planeria...
I googled "planeria" and found a forum where they had this same problem! and they recomended to add salt (instant salt water) and I did today! since i addit ive seen les of them on the tank.

I have never had these worms but they thrive on excess food. The fact you have loads of them means you are overfeeding. Only feed what your fish will eat in 2 to 3 mins and no more no matter how much they beg. Oscars are professional beggars

I have found if they have set up colonies in your filter, use of PimaFix and/or MelaFix really irritates them and brings them out into the tank.

I was cleaning the media, but hadn't taken the filter boxes down for a while at one point, and they apparently colonized on the bottom. Wasn't really any solid material at the bottom, but, a film was developing (algae/slime) that they were thriving on. Just so happened my O hurt himself, so after the water change and added that stuff, I kicked the filter on and they came tumbling out. Next day, the treatment again, and they came out.

Since I make sure to clean in the filters more, reduced the amount of gravel, I hardly ever see even one. On occasion with a very close eye maybe, or when it was dark and my O was sleeping, I turn the light on and I see a couple on him that go away as soon as he moves around a bit.

I can see salt working because it dehydrates them, but, it is not the cure for the problem, just a treatment. The cure is more frequent water changes and feeding a bit less. Your tank is heavily stocked, so it may be quite a task to keep nitrates down under 20 ppm, which is the healthy range for oscars. I believe most africans lower is even better.

I try to do at least one large change a week, if not two in my 55 gallon with just one oscar. That keeps my levels good, and my O healthy, happy. When I do two a week, he is more hungry than once a week ... so I do my best to try and get that second change in there.

Concentrated products like PondCare StressCoat+ help save a bit of money when doing lots of big changes.

I was really thinking on water change!

the only solution for me would be less food, less gravel and more water changes...
and i allso think that the undergravel filter isnt helping too much, what do you think on that? good? bad?

and with the gravel what do you recomend for a 55 gallon tank?

i just made the test
the nitrate is at 0 ppm
the ph is at 7.6 and hi range ph is at 7.4
the amonia is at 0 ppm also

this is my first time doing this tests to my tank
i never believed on it cuz i just had goldfih on it... this is mi first time with O and had have them since the 17th of december (my tank was re stablished for them on that date)

thanks for your help!

i forgot to add that here where i live we dont have this type of things you told me... or at least they dont have on the only places i know here they dont sell it! ill try to find ti if not! ill have to stick whith the less food, less gravel and more water changes!

thanks again

A nitrate results of zero sound wrong to me. Ph doesnt matter too much as oscar can tolerate a wide range. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero and nitrate below 40 but ideally below 20. Can you re test please

Gold fish are very hardy fish and as is well know can live in a bowl without a filter (i used to have 2 in a tank without a filter when i was a kid) but this isnt recommended. Howewer oscar are much more sensitive and need the water quality to be much better or you will get problems

i just changed the water! i gotta make the tests again!

ill check everything and will take a picture to the results!

delboybully
i just made the tests...
here are the results!

i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/j-saca/DSC_0186small.jpg

thanks for the help!