# little live red worms in filter pad? (looked like larvae)



## greenfish4 (Nov 7, 2005)

I got a little behind on my filter maintance (let it sit for an extra week) and when I was cleaning it (xp3) out I noticed little red worms in the finest filter pad. the only live food that I ever fed were black worms and that was a very small amount (maybe 10 worms fed 2 months ago) I discarded the fine filter pad and washed the first three sponges (I didn't wash the bio media of coarse) I have never seen this in any of my other tanks (which get fed blackworms regularly) does anyone have any ideas?


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

That's scary. I have no idea what the hell that could be.


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## greenfish4 (Nov 7, 2005)

I am worried that maybe some sort of fly could have gotten in and through the small exposed back of my tank (lid does not completly cover tank)


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

Perhaps. I'm thinking now that it might be mosquito larvae.


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## cwlodarczyk (Sep 18, 2005)

Do they look like the ones at this link?

http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/invert/midges.html

I inherited some of these with a batch of plants I bought recently. They're harmless, but I didn't want them in my tank. Luckily I had put the plants in QT when I brought them home.


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## soyadude (Dec 17, 2005)

They are midge larvae, commonly called bloodworms.

You have yourself a free source of live fish food .

I wish midges would spawn in my filter again, haven't had them in a while.


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## greenfish4 (Nov 7, 2005)

thanks so much, that is exactly what they are. I looked around the tanks were we put our plants in when they first arrive and there are a couple in the gravel there. Thanks for all your help guys, I went from thinking I had a problem to being happy about the condition


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## Tracey (Jun 8, 2011)

I found this discussion very helpful. I noticed "tiny red worms" in the filter pad in my tank as well. I also was about a week or so behind in filter maintenance. I did a search and read the threads, when I came upon the link listed above from an APC member. I clicked the link thus confirming what the tiny creatures were and what they were doing living in the filter pad.


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## valmak (Nov 10, 2011)

I have turtles and noticed those red worms in the filter last time I cleaned out the tank.. tossed the filter and hoped that would be the end of it.... NOT!! 
This time I was way late cleaning, and the whole tank (50 gal) was infested... filters, rocks... just thousands! And the turtles aren't eating them... 
HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THEM? I took all the rocks out and poured bleach on them and left the turtles in a bare tank with enough water to keep them happy until I can find a solution.. no filter.
Just grosses me out! (I thought about fish, but the turtles would eat the fish in a heartbeat)


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

These are very likely midge larvae (Chironomus). They came from an egg mass produced by the female midge. They make tube-shaped cases and spend a lot of their time inside and coming out to feed on algae and debris nearby. They have hemoglobin and wiggle rhythmically to move water through their case and get oxygen. They form pupae in their cases, which wriggle to the surface when the adult midge is due to emerge. The adults do not feed and live only a short time. All in all, quite harmless. Some of the larger midge larvae, bloodworms, are sold as fish food.


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