[AGA Member] Re: Red Leech or Worm?

["Robert H" <robertph3@comcast.net>]

>>During the process of uprooting I am running into a small red worm or
leech
that is about 1 inch long. They are being found entangled in the roots or
right at the base of the plants.<<

While not impossible, its very unlikely to find true leeches in your
aquarium.  If it is a leech, it would look more like a slug than a worm. If
you do a little Google search on water leeches, you can find a great article
with pictures of all the different types of leeches and how to recognize
them.

More than likely it is simply a type of aquatic worm, flatworm.  They are
thin, red, brown, or sometimes white. They move like an earth worm,
contracting and expanding.  They can get up to three or four inches long.  I
often see them in my tanks. They eat organic waste, and thrive in substrates
that are heavy in mulm or decaying leaves . They do not like bright light,
and usually only come out at night. They most likely are brought into your
tank by plants. Fish love to eat them. As I said before, my dwarf puffers go
nuts for them.

They are present in most every outdoor body of water, and have never been
shown to carry any fish disease like tubiflex worms have. They are a natural
part of the aquatic food chain.

Robert Hudson
www.aquabotanic.com

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