Tiny worm things...

[Pet]

Hi.
Having moved house and adopted the established fish pond which had about
12 good sized fish + 2 small Tench. I have come across the following.

The previous owner buit his own filter using 3 water containers. The
first has lots of bits of offcut pipe, second stage is a simple
seperatoin type chamer, 3rd stage rises through a bed of gravel to the pond.

Anyway, in order to slow down the flow into the first stage rather than
water pumping straight out the overflow, I put half a dozen filter
brushes into the chamber. This worked fine, but now there are tiny
wiggly worms about 2" long and perhaps the thickness of a couple of
hairs. (red in colour)

Are they a sign of something going wrong, will they endanger the fish,
should I remove the brushes as they seem to thrive in the bristles.

Look forward to your comments.

Ta.
Pete

[Simon Avery]

Pet > wrote:

Hello Pet

P> Anyway, in order to slow down the flow into the first stage
P> rather than water pumping straight out the overflow, I put
P> half a dozen filter brushes into the chamber. This worked
P> fine, but now there are tiny wiggly worms about 2" long and
P> perhaps the thickness of a couple of hairs. (red in colour)
P> Are they a sign of something going wrong, will they endanger
P> the fish, should I remove the brushes as they seem to thrive
P> in the bristles.

Sound like midge larvae. Won't harm your fish, but if they get washed
into the pond they might make 'em fatter. :)

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/

[Pet]

Simon Avery wrote:

> Sound like midge larvae. Won't harm your fish, but if they get washed
> into the pond they might make 'em fatter. :)


Just found this
http://www.koi.com.my/forum/KOI_Talk_C1/Pond_Water_Quality_F3/red_worms_in_filter_P26758/
which looks like something simmilar.

[IAN GARDNER]

"Pet" > wrote in message
...
> Hi.
> Having moved house and adopted the established fish pond which had about
> 12 good sized fish + 2 small Tench. I have come across the following.

Lucky person. You look after it.

> The previous owner buit his own filter using 3 water containers. The
> first has lots of bits of offcut pipe, second stage is a simple
> seperatoin type chamer, 3rd stage rises through a bed of gravel to the
pond.

Good design. If it worked for him then keep it. Filters can cost alot.

> Anyway, in order to slow down the flow into the first stage rather than
> water pumping straight out the overflow, I put half a dozen filter
> brushes into the chamber. This worked fine, but now there are tiny
> wiggly worms about 2" long and perhaps the thickness of a couple of
> hairs. (red in colour)

Tubeflex worms or Bbood worms.
> Are they a sign of something going wrong, will they endanger the fish,
> should I remove the brushes as they seem to thrive in the bristles.

No, not really. They just appear in filters and streams. I get them. They
are proberly the lauve of something.

I hope through that it`s not the lauve of the `ekojatsuj`. I`ve seen it grow
to 6 feet long and have a moustach!
> Look forward to your comments.

Enjoy!

> Ta.
> Pete
>

--
IAN. P. GARDNER
ISLE OF WIGHT
www.gardner44.freeserve.co.uk

[steve]

Pet > wrote in message >...
> Simon Avery wrote:
>
> > Sound like midge larvae. Won't harm your fish, but if they get washed
> > into the pond they might make 'em fatter. :)
>
>
> Just found this
> http://www.koi.com.my/forum/KOI_Talk_C1/Pond_Water_Quality_F3/red_worms_in_filter_P26758/
> which looks like something simmilar.

Read the article and I agree with only part of it. Yeah those worms
are a midge larvae who will most likely form a cocoon and then hatch
and fly away. He said in the article that it is bad news and that
your pond is muckey and needs a thourogh cleaning, not so I had a
fairly clean pond (bottom and all) freaked out when I saw the worms
and nuked it with P.P. --- anyway the worms came back in my filter box
in no time. Now they are gone but my gold fish are MUCH bigger and
hungrier. Certain flies lay their eggs on the water and they get
sucked into your filter where they hatch and prosper as worms untill
metamorphises time. I would worry if you see white worms hanging off
your fish which are anchor worms and nasty. Your worms will most
likely fly away or become tasty treats but you might have to
occasionly wipe away their tough cocoons they live behind. Crysilis or
somthing like that--- chow.

[steve]

"IAN GARDNER" > wrote in message >...
> "Pet" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi.
> > Having moved house and adopted the established fish pond which had about
> > 12 good sized fish + 2 small Tench. I have come across the following.
>
> Lucky person. You look after it.
>
> > The previous owner buit his own filter using 3 water containers. The
> > first has lots of bits of offcut pipe, second stage is a simple
> > seperatoin type chamer, 3rd stage rises through a bed of gravel to the
> pond.
>
> Good design. If it worked for him then keep it. Filters can cost alot.
>
> > Anyway, in order to slow down the flow into the first stage rather than
> > water pumping straight out the overflow, I put half a dozen filter
> > brushes into the chamber. This worked fine, but now there are tiny
> > wiggly worms about 2" long and perhaps the thickness of a couple of
> > hairs. (red in colour)
>
> Tubeflex worms or Bbood worms.
> > Are they a sign of something going wrong, will they endanger the fish,
> > should I remove the brushes as they seem to thrive in the bristles.
>
> No, not really. They just appear in filters and streams. I get them. They
> are proberly the lauve of something.
>
> I hope through that it`s not the lauve of the `ekojatsuj`. I`ve seen it grow
> to 6 feet long and have a moustach!
> > Look forward to your comments.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> > Ta.
> > Pete
> >

"Ditto" I have not seen your filter but it sounds like the previous
owner new his stuff and you have a good design there.