corkscrew worm?

[michelleolds]

i just shined the flashlight in my tank and saw these little white worms swimming around with a corkscrew-like motion. anyone know what they are? sorry no pic.

 

[cranberry]

It was probably a BW epitoke. Wish I had my old video of them but I'm afraid it's lost on an old harddrive. It's basically the swimming reproductive stage found in several types of polychaete annelids. A part of th original worm changes and fills with gametes. When the time is right they break off, if you will, and swim up in the water column in a corkscrew type fashion, releasing gametes.

 

[michelleolds]

so are they bad or good?

 

[cranberry]

It happens in everyone's tank who has bristleworms..... so I would say no, not bad.... just reproduction.