Re: FAQ
The little white worms that frequent my tanks are nonparasitic and are of litte harm from what I have seen; you might also be seeing planarians that are white or transluscent. The little dark brown/black “worms” are a larvae to a type of moth or midge I believe. Fish love the latter and they are usually found at the water line, especially in filter media. Most of these can be killed by adding malachite green as a fish medication for ich. But I think they are harmless aside from being unsightly. The sandy brown patches, as usually found in the limb girdles are sluffs of dead skin that appear when a growing turtle sheds. These will usually fall off or can be rubbed off with a dry swab. If the brown area is imbedded in the living skin then there might be a fungus present. Then there are other issues. — Jonathan Helms