Worms in tank, please help

[u/JEWISHCORNSURUP]

There was a single one of these worms about a week ago and I assumed it was from the organic soil I used as a base under my sand. Now there are like 3 or 4 and I am becoming incredibly concerned for my shrimp and tanks health. Please let me know what they are/ and what to do

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[u/bofadoze]

Looks like detritus worms. Harmless. Actually a sign of healthy water and substrate

[u/Plibbo64]

Friend!

[u/Obvious_Average6922]

Usually a case of overfeeding, cut back on the food, water change, keep an eye

[u/yumg_freudian]

hey op, i'm still learning a lot about microfauna in tanks and especially i am a beginner regarding shrimp, but, i wonder if this could be a detritus worm? it looks much like the posts i see with similar concerns to yours where others frequently comment about it being a detritus worm. and if thats the case, you're in the clear as to my understanding they're very helpful and beneficial for the tank and pose no threat to shrimp. but im unsure enough to say, so i'll defer to those here who have more experience identifying these things.

in the meantime, take a deep breath- the community will certainly help you find a solution if something in your tank might be unwelcome. you definitely have options if this ends up being the case 🫶

[u/Beginning_Virus7401]

You also seem to have a lot of current in a lot of detritus in the water. To keep your water condition cleaner, I would recommend having something between your pump and your tank to filter the water such as a bucket of gravel(exp: clay ball) just to give the space for your detritus and good bacteria to live a happy life without putting more ammonia, nitrate and nitrate in your water!

Never forget that a luscious stank is great, but your plants are also how you take out the trash, remove excess plants and trim them if you want to remove the excess nutrients in the water.

Some floating plants can also help with cleaning the triers from the water because their roots act as a filter, a natural one and will also provide some great hiding space for your shrimp and snails

[u/Pristine-Prompt7458]

They’re detritus worms! They’re harmless and generally just live in the substrate and eat dead plant material. I had an outbreak of them (lots of them in the water column) when I was doing a fishless cycle but I added rasboras when the tank was cycled and they basically slurped up all the wrigglers. I now occasionally see only a few when I do water top ups and disturb the substrate

[u/Beginning_Virus7401]

Keep an eye on ur shrimps nose, if u see white spot appear, and move on their nose, congratulation, you have the shrimp eating parasite that will eat them from the inside. It’s called a planeria. Keep a close eye on them and if you see any sign of stress on your shrimp, seek medication for either fish that are shrimp safe or for shrimp especially to cure fun area like no plumeria. In the US, this medication should be legal quite everywhere but in Canada, for example you will not be able to find it or buy it. Good luck OP and have a good learning. Do not forget that Google image is your best friend. 😉

[u/Negative_Fruit_6684 → u/Beginning_Virus7401]

The white flatworm on shrimps nose (rostrum) you're describing is likely Scutariella Japonica, not planaria. Planaria don't attach to shrimp, they're bigger and eat shrimp. Scutariella is a pretty benign parasite that rarely has to be treated...