aquatic pest ( snails worms and fungus )

[hotsauce48]

I set up my aquarium and last week my driftwood was getting fungus on it again after I soaked it and yesterday night I found some hitchhikers on my thermometer ( snails ) I don't know what kind they are,but the body is white and the shell is brown at the top and inside it looks yellow and the bottom has a brown pattern.Today I noticed some micro worms.I don't want to get a loach and I'm soaking the wood in water right now with some bleach.I'm trying to keep my tank south american. What can I do with the snails ,worms and what else can I do with the wood? Do tetras or plecos eat any of this stuff?The snails did'nt leave slime but are leaving waste on the wood and scavenging it . Please help me,and othrs on planet catfish.What can I do

[yeattsca]

Use a clean rag and wipe down your drift wood, also remoove the gravil and stomp on it(this kills the snails and provides your fish with a treat, or you can use a colender and rinse out the remains). definetly change your water, wash your tank, and rinse of the wood very well(bleach is a chemicle).

A good type of wood is ceader, it's dense(litle if any pests)and you can get it any where.

[MatsP]

Right, if you follow yeattsca's advice, you will be starting over on your cycling, which certainly will irritate the fish.

Snails are not THAT bad - they can become a pest if they grow to large numbers, but in small numbers they are certainly not a great problem [obviously, somewhat depending on WHAT KIND of snail they are].

Some Plecos, for example Ancistrus, will eat fungus of the wood - and they will also keep the wood clean from wood that goes soft and starts to fall off.

Small worms are eaten by Corydoras for example. Or eartheaters (not catfish,Geophagus or Satanoperca for example) if you have a larger tank (75-100g or bigger).

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Mats