


In fact, you may see one or two lone white worms in the aquarium and dismiss them. Planaria can be found in almost every aquarium, which is usually no problem since they are generally harmless. They are detritus worms that, like planaria, appear when there is too much excess food. Note: if you find white worms in your aquarium that are tiny, stringy and wriggly and mostly stay near the substrate, they are likely not planaria. They may even be pink depending on what kind of food they’re feeding off! They are also typically whitish in appearance, although can be found in shades of brown as well. Since there are so many types of aquarium worms, how do you know if you’re dealing with planaria specifically? If the aquarium worms in your tank are about 10 millimeters long, flat, have a distinctly triangular head, and glide across the glass with ease, you’re probably dealing with a planaria infestation. They’re rather common, so most fishkeepers will deal with these pesky aquarium worms at some point during their fishkeeping career. Unfortunately, they can also sometimes be found in our own aquariums since they’re expert hitchhikers! They can hide away in plants, substrate, rock crevices, and even attach themselves to fish for a free ride. Planaria (singular: planarian) are flatworms that appear in many shapes and forms throughout the world in both fresh- and salt water. Keep reading for more information about planaria, how to identify these creepy worms and what to do about them. Ew! Luckily, they’re not harmful to most aquarium inhabitants. If you’ve been an aquarist for a while, chances are you’ve spotted these white worm-like creatures crawling on the glass.
