Worms in water dish

[chestnut]

Hey guys, hoping some of you more experienced keepers can help me out.

I've just tipped a couple of water dishes today and refilled them. However when I inspected the water there were a couple of worms:

1. What are they?
2. Are they harmful to the tarantula?
Edit: They *could* have come from the soil when I rinsed the dish into the container.

The little white specs you see above and below I'm pretty sure are springtails that magically appeared in my enclosures. I don't see them jump but they move around in the water. I have to tip the dish because it literally becomes infested with them ._. If they are not feel free to correct me


chestnut.

 

[xXTristinaXx]

what substrate are you using?

 

[chestnut]

what substrate are you using?

Coco-peat mixed with peat moss (ratio about 70/30). In terms of source, only thing I can think of is maybe they both came from the water which I just take straight from the tap.

 

[Tarantuland]

The small white things look like springtails, but the larger two worms at the bottom right look like nematodes to me. I’m not sure if they’re the kind that would be harmful to your T or not, but I would probably switch out the soil and check any other enclosures. Id recommend taking a minute and searching the forums for other instances of this.

 

[Tarantuland]

Nematode Question

I don't know much about nematodes. However, I'm sure there are many different kinds. My question is, are all of them dangerous for tarantulas? I got in an order of dwarf white isopods today and I was trying to make sure I got all of them out of the cup they were in into a better container for...

arachnoboards.com

 

[chestnut]

The small white things look like springtails, but the larger two worms at the bottom right look like nematodes to me. I’m not sure if they’re the kind that would be harmful to your T or not, but I would probably switch out the soil and check any other enclosures. Id recommend taking a minute and searching the forums for other instances of this.

Thanks heaps, yeah that's how I came to the conclusion the white things were spring tails. Just initially didn't see much on the worms with images and freaked out.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

The worms are most likely soil nematodes which are harmless, they basically do the same job as springtails/mites.

You're only ever likely to encounter the parasitic nematodes that everyone cacks themselves about if you regularly purchase wild caught tarantulas.

 

[Dry Desert]

Coco-peat mixed with peat moss (ratio about 70/30). In terms of source, only thing I can think of is maybe they both came from the water which I just take straight from the tap.

As you are Australian, your water could be from bore holes, or pumped/ gravity fed from storage tanks. If you are not on government regulation mains water I would have your water supply checked, just a thought.

 

[Polenth]

The big ones with the black heads look like fly larvae (most likely fungus gnats). The size and the black heads are the giveaway. You do also have soil nematodes in that first picture. They're the little hairs mixed in with the springtails. Nothing to worry about in the mix. Just critters looking for snacks.

 

[chestnut]

The worms are most likely soil nematodes which are harmless, they basically do the same job as springtails/mites.

You're only ever likely to encounter the parasitic nematodes that everyone cacks themselves about if you regularly purchase wild caught tarantulas.

Sweet that's good news for me then as these were purchased as slings. Useful information for me regardless for future.

Thanks all, you've put my mind at ease! Glad I don't have to do a rehouse, just might mean I need to cut back on the watering/let the enclosure dry out a little.