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View Full Version : OT: freshwater worm id?

Jakaru
09/16/2006, 02:54 AM
I have a red ear slider turtle and I had bought some guppies for it. Well by the time I got home it had a bunch of babies so tonight I checked the hob filter to see if I could spot any (none so far they stay away from filter) But I looked at the white filter w/carbon in it just to make sure and wth? there is this little red worm looking thing less than a quarter of an inch. Any ideas?
rljlll
09/16/2006, 03:24 AM
http://www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au/html/popups/bpedia_22_vtol_fr-wo.html
maybe
crrichey
09/16/2006, 03:28 AM
I know exactly the worms u are talking about but I am not sure on the name. They seem to be detritus feeders as i would find them in my pond filter and the slugde on the bottom. IME they are harmless, especially to red ear sliders. Now the sliders, they can be quite harmful as they love fingers :D
Jakaru
09/16/2006, 11:59 AM
lol I was afraid it would be a parasite or something going after my turtle. When I bought the guy I didn't know it was illegal to sell a turtle under four inches. (he's about the size of a half dollar) and I called him mike under one of the ninja turtles. He's slow to learn and is a big pig.

p.s. The worm is like a red shiney inchworm. It doesn't seem as though it can swim very well. It doesn't have any frills or legs that I can see to help it swim or move.
rljlll
09/16/2006, 09:23 PM
just to let you know i have 2 that are under 4 inches and they shed salmonella(spelling) and you can get very sick if you dont wash after handling anything that they touch. Me and my wife both got poisoned by it
crrichey
09/16/2006, 10:03 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8161216#post8161216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rljlll
just to let you know i have 2 that are under 4 inches and they shed salmonella(spelling) and you can get very sick if you dont wash after handling anything that they touch. Me and my wife both got poisoned by it

Yes very important to wash your hands! The reason people arn't supposed to be able to buy ones under 4" is that anything that small is easy to fit into a childs mouth.
Jakaru
09/16/2006, 10:54 PM
Ah well luckily I don't have any children and don't have them visit much either besides my 3 year old sister and she can't get to it and because of the pool is always watched. :D But I love my little turtle and was planning on building a koy pond out back anyway so figured it would be nice.