# red worms in plant roots



## DarkMousy (Nov 3, 2010)

Has anyone ever seen these in their plant roots? I've got an oddity invert planted tank and would like to add some of these to the tank, haven't had much luck finding any though. If anyone has seen any before, any info on where they got the plants/what type of plants they come on would be appreciated! 

(these are not my pics)


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

These show up in tanks from time to time. They are probably a tubifex species. A cory catfish will take care of them.


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## DarkMousy (Nov 3, 2010)

Bwhiskered said:


> These show up in tanks from time to time. They are probably a tubifex species. A cory catfish will take care of them.


From the research I've done, they're actually a species of freshwater ribbon worm, either Apatronemertes albimaculatus or Planolineus exsul. They aren't segmented like tubifex and they move with a gliding motion like a planarian.

I don't want to get rid of them, I actually want to find some as strange as that sounds. From what I've heard they don't bother shrimp so I figured it'd be a neat thing to add to my shrimp tank that already has some weird stuff in it.

Have you seen any in your tank recently? 

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## supershrimp (Dec 29, 2011)

If I had those in my tank, I would tank it down immediately and set it on fire


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## DarkMousy (Nov 3, 2010)

Haha that's the response I'm assuming most people would have! I think they're pretty neat though, and to me the more biodiversity in the tank the more interesting it becomes on a whole!

Anyone else seen these in their tanks?


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

Yikes.. I don't think i would put my hands in that tank. Bad enough when I seen leeches and panaria but this one are scary looking worms.


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## streeker02 (Apr 11, 2014)

those things would last a few seconds at most with my loaches


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## DarkMousy (Nov 3, 2010)

Most fish won't eat ribbon worms, but loaches probably would. I don't know of any inverts that loaches don't eat  

Again, if anyone has seen them let me know!

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