Hi All...
Taking Andy's advice I've done my google search and ended up deciding, unless otherwise corrected here that the worm is a "planeria". White I think when you and then brown/grey etc. They come from having uneaten food waste in the substrate and over feeding. Well we have and have done neither. But I recalled that I had given Li'i a new cave. An upside down flower pot with a hole in it. I placed it on a catappe leaf and left it there without touching it for now... mmm four days +. I moved it this a.m. to vac/syphon under it. It was loaded with her poop and two old wafers and a couple sinking catfish pellets parts.
Evidently I disturbed these worms when I cleaned it up. EeeYuckoagageeargh'uh. I hadn't wanted to move it for a while to let her settle into it. She actually did react to it which is unusual. She flipped when I moved it out and took her catappa leaf. Poor sweeting. I can now give them their catappa leaves again. Just one each though and that after soaking out lots of the color tone out of them first.
Andy, the instructions I found varied from yours for this worm... I'm posting the steps here they list to get rid of this. I think that we've caught it early in the process (???)... I don't know about the salt, I've read you shouldn't use it w/ finless fish ie: cats. Also, I've read you can in urgent situ's.
Instructions to remove Planeria (white) worm – I found online:
Source-URL: http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/ ... ite_worms/
"Here are my recommendations.
1. Clean Your Aquarium. In particular you should clean your gravel with a Gravel Washer.
2. Add Aquarium Salt to your aquarium up to a maximum of 1 Tablespoon for each 5 gallons of water.
3. Don't Over React. Clean your gravel every day with the Gravel Washer. When you've removed 20% of the water, stop and top your aquarium back up with tap water. Repeat this procedure every day.
4. It may take several days of gravel washing to get your gravel really clean. When it is finally really clean, begin removing gravel, until it is at most 1/4" deep. If you have an under gravel filter you'll need some more advice.
5. Add Quick Cure. Each day after you clean your aquarium and wash the gravel, treat with quickcure.
Repeat steps 1 to 5 listed above, until you don't see the worms any more. This procedure will take several days and require quite a bit of your elbow-grease, but it's the safest method for the rest of the fish in your aquarium.
Reduce the amount you feed your fish, as well as the frequency of feedings. ###
OKay,, if it's deemed here by friends that we do have this particular worm (planeria) and if it's thought I should follow these steps, then it needs to be modified. Not by me, I trust someone else, one of the gurus, to do the modification rather than I. Thank you for your invaluable time... you know I very much appreciate it. Very much...
Take care all you, Googols,
GF