Worms in my plants??

Have you seen little inch like worms crawling around your substrate? Or slightly fatter worms creeping up the glass with a suction like mouth? Are they leeches, bugs, monsters that will eat your fish? No, most likely they are an aquatic flatworm.

Members of the phylum Platyhelminthes (Greek platy = flat, and helmins = worms) are dorsoventrally flattened, which accounts for their common name, the flatworms. A planarian (genus Dugesia) is often found in streams and ponds.

Planarians are hermaphroditic organisms that have both male and female sex organs in the same individual. In some species, the female reproductive system includes youl and shell glands, as well as a uterus where eggs are fertilized. The male system includes testes, numerous passageways for sperm and a copulatory apparatus. Copulation in flatworms is usually mutual, each partner inseminating the other.

Planaria anatomy Hydra anatomy

Hydra is a polyp form of the Cnideria. No it's not something Xeena the warrior princess fought to the death! Hydra reproduce asexually by simple budding and sexually by the production of sperm and ova. Budding consists of a simple outgrowth from the body wall. The gastrovascular cavity of the bud is initially continuous with that of the parent . The bud will separate from the parent at maturity.

Both these creatures feed on tiny live invertebrates such as Daphnia, and on decaying organics. They do not like sudden changes in pH or bright light. Many, many fish relish these worms as gourmet dinning, and a simple gravel vacuum and water change should take care of the rest. Typically when they show up in an aquarium, it is when conditions have gotten quite dirty or foul, but will disappear within a few days.