Free-swimming white worm parasites?

Question
 I discovered some very small white worms swimming in my tank about a month ago.  The worms were between a 16th and 3/4 of an inch long.  I found that the worms seemed to be free-swimming and did not attatch themselves to the walls of my tank, or attack my fish.  I treated the tank with a buffered copper medicine "Cupramine" and it did not seem to help.  I assumed that the worms came from overfeeding and a lack of cleaning inside the tank.  (I actually took over maintenance of a friend's tank that had been left sitting with two Jack Dempseys and a pleco in it for a very long time without being cleaned).  Since the Cupramine did not seem to work, I purchased two other parasite killers and administered them over a week's time.  The worms died after a cleaning of 40% and the new medicine.  Well, now a month later I have begun to see a few more worms even after maintaining weekly water changes and a good ph.  I have administered new treatment (anti-fluke medicine) but am curious and frustrated as to what these worms are.  I am asking for their name, danger to my tank, life cycle, recommended treatment medication and treatment procedures?  or any other help you may have.  Thank you very much!  

Answer
Hi Justin;

They are harmless planaria. They won't bother your fish at all. They are thriving on excess waste in the tank. Don't waste your time or money on chemicals to kill them. The little devils even survive bleach treatments. (yikes!) All you are going to do is stress the fish.

So, just cut back on food and vacuum the gravel twice a week for a couple of weeks. You may have to change foods too. Some have more undigestible junk in them than others. I like Hikari and OSI brands. They are more expensive, but it is because they are more nutritious. I had a massive planaria problem in a tank of oscars that I fed some very cheap food to many years ago. I tried cleaning and chemicals and everything. I finally changed foods to some free samples of premium pellets I was given and the planaria disappeared in a couple of weeks. It was a lesson well learned. I only feed high quality foods now, and sparingly. Feed them once a day or every other day and only what they can finish in 2 or 3 minutes.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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