# Help found worms in water tank



## moodymare_1993 (31 August 2012)

Hi everyone, last year I found lots of little red worms in my water tank. My water tank is hooked up to guttering that goes around my stable and catches water off the roof.

I stopped using the water from the tank and was using water from a hose from a friend. (have no running water Down yard) and recently have a new tank, (handle broke off other one) anyway power cleaned the new one and hooked to to guttering again.

I have recently noticed not red, but little white worm things, almost look like minuscule maggots in my water tank. I have no idea what they are and so don't want to give the water to my horse. I am now filling up a trough with my friends water hose so i know she's getting completely free of worms water. I dont want to keep doin this as she is on a water meter and she doesn't want me paying her for it. Also that's kinda the idea of my water tank. Anyone had these before? Or know what they are? How to get rid of them? 

Also forgot to mention that I've been at my little DIY yard for 3 1/2 years now and never had this problem in the first 2 years.

Please help


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## Enfys (31 August 2012)

Don't panic. Simply empty your tank and scrub it out.

Get up a ladder and clean out your guttering too if you haven't done so, do you have a filter type thing to stop leaves blocking the pipe or going into the tank and sinking, little worms love the sediment at the bottom of tanks.  

Do the horses drink straight from the tank?

If not, and you don't already have one, put a lid on the tank, either a solid one, or a mosquito type screen, you can get the netting at most hardware stores, that should help prevent insects getting in there to lay eggs.


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## Cuffey (31 August 2012)

Red ones would be chironomid larvae good food for fish

Not sure about the white ones


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## Enfys (31 August 2012)

Cuffey said:



			Red ones would be chironomid larvae good food for fish

Not sure about the white ones
		
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There you are then, get some cheap feeders from the pet store and put them in your tank, a lot of people do that apparently 

http://www.waterwereld.nu/rodemugeng.php

Frogfish!  Read the article...is that another name for tadpoles? Frogfish, love it!


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## Pale Rider (31 August 2012)

I have some goldfish in the water buts and troughs, they eat the mosquito lava, worms and out else that gets in there.

You have to watch the fish don't get frozen in the winter though.


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## hayinamanger (31 August 2012)

Pale Rider said:



			I have some goldfish in the water buts and troughs, they eat the mosquito lava, worms and out else that gets in there.

You have to watch the fish don't get frozen in the winter though.
		
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Brilliant idea.


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## Enfys (31 August 2012)

Pale Rider said:



			I have some goldfish in the water buts and troughs, they eat the mosquito lava, worms and out else that gets in there.

You have to watch the fish don't get frozen in the winter though.
		
Click to expand...

Stable them 24/7 

I have to bring my fish in for winter as we haven't got around to making the pond deep enough yet, they live in a dustbin in our basement for the duration!


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## maisie06 (31 August 2012)

Insect larvae!! I scoop some out and take them home to feed to my fish!, saves a fortune on buying frozen foods and far better than the live foods you can buy in the fish shops, We have no pesticides or herbicides used on the land so I know this is a safe food source.


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## Abacus (31 August 2012)

Could be nematodes or mosquito larvae - they are harmless anyway. They do indicate that you have algae growing in the water (they must be eating something) but again this isn't usually harmful as long as the water is still clear. You could stop the worms reaching the troughs with a bit of very fine netting over the hose from tank to trough. If you can put a lid on the tank you will cut out the light, which will prevent algae growing, and so the worms have nothing to eat.


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## Posie (31 August 2012)

I was going to say get a fish or 2!


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