Does anyone else see those little tiny red worms when cleaning out the biological filters? My husband made my filter out of a 30 gallon barrel. I used lava rocks and some discarded pads from our school's floor buffing machines the custodians use every summer during vacation. They are different density and free. When we clean the filters once a month, of course they are nasty, but full of small almost thread like little worms. What are they and where do they come from? My fish are parasite free, as well as I can see. Are healthy with good appetites.
tiny red worms in biological filter
- Thread starter didiok
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They are natural and fine, I have them on the insides of some of my pipes.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Perfectly normal and very common. Most pond filters will contain some type of worm in the media if it is in a flow through system. Suspended filter media that is always moving will rarely have them, such as bakki Towers and K-1 moving filter beds.
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
THEY ARE MIDGE FLY LARVAE... aka bloodworms....good eating for your fish.
Oh yah. Bloodworms are yummy fishy treats if they can get to them. That's exactly why they hide in your filters 
I was freaked out when I found them... but after a little googling, it seems my fish are having a great time just digging at the bottom and eating them up!