Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently built a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions of crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There are large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes. Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking 100+ rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered in these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so it cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone have any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the pond.

Thanks,

Sam

Sounds like they could be black worms ( Lumbriculus Variegatus) good
for feeding fish. But I have never heard of them clinging to rocks
like that. Local pet stores sell black worms to feed tropical fish.
Maybe they could id them for you.
"Sam Hopkins" wrote in message
.. .
Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently built
a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions of
crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There are
large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes.
Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking 100+
rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I
picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered in
these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so it
cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone
have any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the
pond.

Thanks,

Sam

Clinging black worms sounds like
black fly larva.
This is a good page to ID them
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/con...s-general.html


k30a

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:15:39 -0400, "Sam Hopkins"
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently built a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions of crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There are large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes. Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking 100+ rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered in these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so it cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone have any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the pond.

Thanks,

Sam



Could be leaches. I've run onto them lately, most are harmless/fish
food.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

I don't think they are leeches. Looks like they have a hard outer shell.

"Charles" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:15:39 -0400, "Sam Hopkins"
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently built a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions of
crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There are
large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes.
Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking 100+
rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I
picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered in
these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so it
cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone have
any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the pond.

Thanks,

Sam



Could be leaches. I've run onto them lately, most are harmless/fish
food.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

Sounds like caddisfly larvae to me. They make little houses that are
stuck on rocks and filter material so they don't get washed away in the
current. My filters are full of thousands of caddisfly larvae and their
houses made of debris and algae. When I get some on my arm, the little
guys feel like they're biting! They are about 5 mm long and their cases
slightly larger. From a distance, the plastic biothings in my filter just
look dirty but they're full of these guys who live in fast currents. Fish
will eat those they can reach. To feed, they stick their heads out
of their cases. Their heads catch debris flying by.

http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/insect.htm#caddis

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003, Sam Hopkins wrote:

I don't think they are leeches. Looks like they have a hard outer shell.

"Charles" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:15:39 -0400, "Sam Hopkins"
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently built a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions of
crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There are
large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes.
Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking 100+
rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I
picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered in
these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so it
cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone have
any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the pond.

Thanks,

Sam



Could be leaches. I've run onto them lately, most are harmless/fish
food.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others





-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chemist, preservationist, animal lover, aquarist, and ponder. -
Extensive web pages on animals, fish, and ponds. -
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/ -
http://www.fishpondinfo.com
Free pond newsletter - sign up at my web site -
Finally! Buy Robyn's Pond Book at www.1stbooks.com -
-----------------------------------------------------------------
_ _
(o)____(o) ---ribbit
_/ oo \_
/ \----------/ \
\ | | | | /
ww ooo ooo ww

Hard shell ........ probably caddisfly
"Sam Hopkins" wrote in message
.. .
I don't think they are leeches. Looks like they have a hard outer
shell.

"Charles" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:15:39 -0400, "Sam Hopkins"
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about some worms that I found. I recently
built a
large pond and life is starting to take hold. I discovered millions
of
crazy
worms and I was wondering if someone could help me ID them. There
are
large
limestone rocks (fist size) directly outside of my outflow pipes.
Yesterday
I noticed that these rocks were completely black (we're talking
100+
rocks)
I had thought that it was black algae common seen in aquariums so I
picked
up a rock to check it out. The rock was moving! It was 100% covered
in
these
1/4" worms. The water is moving fast. Like 100+ gallons a minute so
it
cant
be mosquitoes. The rocks are completely submerged in water. Anyone
have
any
ideas what these are? They have not been found anywhere else in the
pond.

Thanks,

Sam



Could be leaches. I've run onto them lately, most are harmless/fish
food.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others