Tiny swimming worms

Question
Chris,
I have numerous very small 1/16" free swimming worms in my aquarium with two breeder angelfish. Under a microscope the worms have hairs sticking out along their bodies at distinct intervals, and their heads have a small snout. They do not look like flatworms. The Angel fish tried unsuccessfully to breed several times several months ago, but have not tried lately.  One of the angels has white spots that appear to have cleared up with 2 doses of QuICK Cure, but the worms seem unaffected. Both fish appear healthy. The 20 gallon tank has been set up for nearly a year with two aquatic plants added about 6 months ago. The filter is a Whisper 40.  Water changes have been done at least once per month.  

What are the worms? Are they harmful, if so what can I do to get rid of them?

I took have a photo of the worms that I could send if that would help.

Regards,
Constantine


Answer
Hi Constantine;

They are probably just a harmless nematode feeding on excess waste. Usually, trying to kill these kinds of critters with medicines or chemicals ends up being stressful to the fish and not eliminating the intended target. Even though they probably aren't harmful themselves, they do indicate dirty gravel. It's best to starve them out by doing a series of gravel vacuumings and partial water changes of 25%. You can even do these vacuumings every day for 3 or 4 days as long as no more than 25% of the water is removed in one day. Cut back on food too. They are thriving on excess waste from overfeeding. We all overfeed from time to time. It just needs to be cleaned up when we do. Feed them no more than they can consume in 5 minutes or less, once a day. If you like to feed twice a day, feed no more than they can consume from all areas of the tank in 2 or 3 minutes. You don't want it to fall on the bottom or amongst decorations where they can't get it.

All tanks really need a weekly water change of 25% and a gravel vacuuming every 2 weeks or so. It helps avoid dirty gravel problems and keeps the water quality consistent.

You could send me a photo of them if you want to. It would interesting to see them. Here is my address;

AllExperts_Fish_Guru(a)yahoo.com

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins