Tiny Worms

[Amy]

I hope you all don't get sick of me on here, I am new and have many questions about different things!  ......more than the kid in the question stage LOL....Ok a couple days ago I noticed inside my skimmer box down on/in the basket there are THOUSANDS of creepy little tiny worms! They are only about a 16th of an inch if that, so I'm not sure what color they are. The only way you know they are there is cause they constantly move. The way our pond is set up, we have some large rocks in front of the skimmer since a couple fish got sucked in and died (they were smaller goldfish). The water can still filter debris through but the smaller fish can not get too close if that makes sense. Anyway, these worms do not seem to be in the pond where the fish are, only in the skimmer box and right in front of it where the fish can not get to. I know there are worm parasites and we are a bit concerned about the fish getting them. Can these be harmful, just normal pond creatures or some kind of insect larvae? Just worried about the koi and goldfish.....

[tranquility]

sound like red worms to me and yes they are fine they won't harm the fish infact thats probably why they are in the skimmer and not the pond...so they don't get eaten...they are a fly larvae....
Lawanna

[miguynmkoi]

they are a fly larvae

What kind of flies?  I wonder if these are the same tiny red worms sold in fish stores.  I know my aquarium fish use to love them.

[Pa Nancy]

They are most likely Blood Worms, a larva of the Midge Fly. Totally harmless, and fish LOVE"EM . 

[LeeAnne151]

Feed the fish with them. They are nutritious and they love them.

[knight7453]

  I have had a pond for 12 years and have a small population of non biting Midge. I never encountered a problem until this year. They usually come out at dusk like clock work and hover in one area over the pond.
  The fish love to feast on the larva known as blood worms, they don’t bite, so I left them alone because they are fun to watch.
   One day in early May this year I came home from work and as usual the first thing I did was  visit my pond.
   I was shocked to find there were hundreds of Midge flying around my pond. It looked like a mini tornado.
   After researching and inquiring on Am Ponder I came to the conclusion it’s a yearly event that I just happen to miss in years past. The population went back to normal in about 3 days without me doing a thing.
   If they are non biting Midge enjoy watching the flies and the fish will enjoy the free food.

[Pa Nancy]

The fish are so fun to watch. My goldfish, and Wakin actually jump up out of the water and land on the bottom of the waterfall going after those flies. They congregate just above  the base of the waterfall. The fish go nuts for them.

[Amy]

The fish are so fun to watch. My goldfish, and Wakin actually jump up out of the water and land on the bottom of the waterfall going after those flies. They congregate just above  the base of the waterfall. The fish go nuts for them.

I wonder if my fish are after something, they are always at the bottom of the waterfall! I just thought they liked the way the water felt...I have never seen them jump up out of the water but I will have to watch and see if there are flies there.

[PondmaninAL]

Amy, if you have koi, there is a good chance that they need more oxygen. If they are goldfish, then they just love the current.

[Julles]

Fish love to play, and the current or splashing at the bottom of a falls is a lot of fun to them.

Could your "worms" be newly hatched tadpoles?  Those are teensy, and very wiggly.  But after a day or two, they're not skinny anymore, but more tear-drop shaped.

[greenthumbnails]

While we are on the topic of the tiny red worms...a while back I noticed that they can get quite long too.  I noticed a few that were about 2cm long (about an inch) wrapped around my newly planted lotus tuber.  Eventually that tuber died (although I did break off a  couple of tips by accident, but it still had one tip left) and I was wondering if it could be because the red worms were feeding off of the tuber.  Anyone know what they eat?

[Pa Nancy]

Greenthumbnails your worm sounds like a Red worm (fishing worm) They too are harmless to plants and fish. The fish love them too. Basically just about any bug or worm that gets in the pond they will eat.

Far as tadpoles I believe fish  do not eat a certain kind. Seems to me it's the toad tadpole they won't eat. (not positive). Supposedly they don't taste good.

[knight7453]

Pa Nancy by fishing worms do you mean night crawlers? The worms that you find coming out of the ground after a rain storm. If so would you know how to get started growing them? It would be great for the fish and for ummm fishing! 
Thanks
 

[Pa Nancy]

Around here there are two kinds of worms. Red worms(used for fishing) they are small and well red. Nightcrawlers also used for fishing,but they are MUCH longer and fatter. Red worms to me are probably baby nightcrawlers.

There are ways to grow them. I tried a few years ago and failed, but do a search on Google. LOTS of ways to grow your own worms.

Meal worms are another source of good eating, and IMHO  MUCH easier and cleaner to raise than the red worms / nightcrawlers. Again do a search on them. Lots of info there. I remember my dad raising Meal worms. He just kept them in a Charles Chips tin can. *(I'm dating myself here) LOL  Every so often when mom made mashed potatoes I would take the skins to feed the worms.

[Amy]

Amy, if you have koi, there is a good chance that they need more oxygen. If they are goldfish, then they just love the current.

I only have 4 koi and they are real small. The pond is about 1000 gallons and has a waterfall, I really only see the goldfish playing in it...should I add more aeration?

[PondmaninAL]

Amy, if you have koi, there is a good chance that they need more oxygen. If they are goldfish, then they just love the current.

I only have 4 koi and they are real small. The pond is about 1000 gallons and has a waterfall, I really only see the goldfish playing in it...should I add more aeration?

If it is just the goldfish, then I wouldn't worry about it.

[knight7453]

Thanks for the info Nancy. I just got some info online abot rasing worms and I am looking into the right place and size container to grow them in my garden.
I understand that I can not only use night crawlers for fishing and feeding fish; they are also good for the garden.