Worms in Turtle Tank: How’d they get there and what to do?

As a turtle owner, one of your most important jobs and responsibilities is to maintain a healthy environment for your turtle. This means making regular water changes and tank cleans. It is important to note that one of the most important responsibilities of a turtle owner is to check on the tank and your turtle at least once a day.

Since turtles live in a small, closed environment, poor environmental conditions can have a drastic impact and threat on your turtle. Additionally, turtles sometimes knock around ornaments in the tank, so it’s always nice to check the tank out for needed upkeep.

When you are checking your turtle tank, it’s important to keep an eye out for the presence of foreign objects. For example, you should know what to do if you find worms in your turtle tank.

Worms in Turtle Tank

There are usually two types of worms that show up in a turtle tank: Detritus worms and Planaria worms

Detritus worms:

These worms are not very harmful to your turtle. However, they can certainly become a nuisance to look at since they can multiply by the thousands. Detritus worms usually enter a turtle tank from plants or from gravel that was used in a different tank. These worms can thrive in both a glass and a plastic tub turtle tank.

There are many reasons why Detritus worms can quickly multiply in a turtle tank. They thrive in conditions where there is a low dissolved oxygen level, or the water has a low pH. For this reason, you should always make sure to test your water chemistry. Overfeeding your turtle can also cause detritus worms to multiply, as it provides them a food source.

You can usually remove Detritus worms by doing a water change in your turtle tank. I would also recommend cleaning or replacing any gravel if you have it in your turtle tank. After the Detritus worms are removed, make sure to frequently clean your tank to prevent another outbreak.

Planaria worms:

These worms are actually classified as flatworm and can actually be harmful to your turtle. If they multiply, they can pass diseases and cause infections in your turtle. Planaria worms usually enter a turtle tank when you introduce a new live plant.

These white worms are much bigger than Detritus worms and actually have eyes that you can see. If you spot these worms, you should act immediately.

The best way to get rid of Planaria worms is to clear out your entire turtle tank. You should put your turtle in a bucket, and then take everything out of the tank. You should do a deep scrub of the tank, and also scrub any items that you plan to put back in the tank.

I recommend replacing all of the gravel or any live plants, as it can be hard to remove Planaria worms from these objects. After everything has been cleaned/replaced, you can put everything back into your tank, including your turtle.

In the future, make sure to closely observe any live plant that your put inside your turtle tank.