White tissue & WORMS?

[Guest Rhonda]

HELP!!

I have a custom inground tiled spa about 600 gallons. About a week ago I started to notice white tissue looking particals in my spa. Then today I saw what looked like very thin spaghette pieces. So I heated up my spa to it's highest temp possible and super SUPER shocked it, letting the filter run for several hours. I turned the pump off for a while then turned it back on. Now even more thin strand were coming out of the jets. Later this evening I went out to take a look and desided to get one of the thin strands out. I freeked when I saw this thing move. It looks like a tiny thin worm. HELP, what the heck is this? The water is maintained daily as it is used often. I do not have chemistry problems and use Nature2 filtration. Does anyone have a clue what this is? I can't seem to find any info on this.

[Guest Bob]

The post doesn't mention what kind of sanitizer and how much. Have the water tested and post the results here. The sanitizer (chorine, bromine, etc), when working correclty, should be oxidizing away the white tissue.

[Guest Guest_Dr. Spa_*]

It sounds a bit like white water mold.

[Guest Novotny]

Yes, I found them too in the paddling pool. After looking on the net I foiund that they were Horsehair worms, or Gordius. They are harmless.

[Guest audrey]

We just found white, spaghetti looking worms about 2 inches long. About a hundred of them. They are motionless and look dead. I didn't touch them. What are they and how do I get rid of them and most importantly where did they come from.

Audrey

[Guest Lisa]

Help please i have foung red and grey worms in my pool.i dont know how to get rid of them how could they get there they are in some mossy green stuff which is at the bottom of the pool.me being oly 14 would prefare to mess about in clean water!!!what can i get to clean my pool an get rid of these worms an Where?

[Guest Walt]

I have them too, here in Canada. I was worried as to what they were.

[michael_007]

HORSEHAIR or GORDIAN WORM

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomo...sehair_worm.htm

Horsehair or Gordian worm

Phylum Nematomorpha, Family Gordiidae, Genus Gordius

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Horsehair worm, Gordius sp., an internal parasite of crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and others

Description:

The phylum Nematomorpha (from the Greek nema, "thread," and morphe, "shape"), is a group of invertebrates called horsehair or gordian worms. The name horsehair is derived from the worm's hair or threadlike appearance in its adult stage.

The horsehair worms are interesting threadlike roundworms that resemble the "hair of a horse's tail or mane." These long, active worms may be observed during late summer or fall in streams and ponds, but are more commonly noticed in domestic water containers such as bird baths, swimming pools, water troughs, pet dishes, sinks, bathtubs and toilets. They may also be found on damp garden soil or vegetable plants after a rain (another common name is the cabbagehair, however, this may be a parasitic nematode affecting the same insects . . . see comments).

Horsehair worms are no bigger around than kite string (1/25 to 1/16 inch wide) and very long (4 to 14 inches). Amazingly, the entire horsehair worm grows and develops as a parasite inside the body cavity of crickets and other large insects such as grasshoppers, katydids, beetles and cockroaches. This internal parasite of insects does not harm humans, animals or plants. Horsehair worms are white when they first emerge from the host's body. They turn yellowish-tan to brownish-black after a short period of time. The worms often squirm and twist in the water, knotting themselves into a loose, ball-like shape, resembling the "Gordian Knot."

Life Cycle:

Horsehair worms reproduce sexually, in spring, early summer, or autumn. Eggs are laid in long gelatinous strings where eggs may number in the millions. After hatching, some experts suggest that the larvae encyst on vegetation or other surfaces along the water's edge. Eventually, some of these cysts are ingested by hosts feeding on these items. The cyst degenerates in the digestive tract of the new host, and the larva burrows its way through the intestinal wall into the host's body cavity to continue its development. If ingested by an inappropriate host, the cyst may degenerate and then reencyst in the tissues of the host. If this inappropriate host is then ingested by a predator which is a host, the cyst may again disintegrate and continue its life cycle in this new host. Other researchers suggest that after the larva emerges from the egg, it penetrates the body wall of just about any animal, though normal development occurs only in suitable hosts.

After entering the body cavity of an appropriate host, the larva grows to a juvenile stage, then emerges from the host to mature. During the larval stage of development, the horsehair worm digests and absorbs surrounding tissue. This period of metamorphosis occurs over a period of several weeks to several months; eventually the larval form develops into a tightly coiled mass in the host. One to several horsehair worms may occur in a single host. The parasite uses the important nutrients of the host, probably impairing its reproductive system. One interesting habit of infected insects is that their behavior changes as the horsehair worm matures. Parasitized crickets are thirsty and go to water to drink. While there the horsehair worm emerges from the insect's body and swims away in the water, an essential step in the life cycle of this internal parasite. Insects infected with horsehair worms die as a result of the parasite.

Comments:

Horsehair worms are completely harmless. They do not infest people, livestock, pets or plants. They are beneficial because of the small percentage of crickets, and other insects that they kill. No control measures are needed when this interesting worm is found.

There also is a very long species of nematode, Mermis nigrescens which is a parasite of grasshoppers. The large adult nematodes, 4 to 8 inches in length, overwinter in the soil and under sheltering debris, emerging in late spring during periods of overcast, humid weather. At that time they may be seen crawling about plants as they lay eggs. Grasshoppers that ingest these eggs become infected as the nematodes develop internally. By late summer, it is not uncommon to find the abdomen of many grasshoppers to be packed with these parasites. Such infections seriously stress and sterilize infected grasshoppers.

Origin of the common names:

One common name of nematomorphs is "Gordian worm", which originated from its similarity in appearance to a knot, specifically one created by Gordius, King of Phrygia around 330 B.C. As the mythical story goes, Gordius used this knot to bind a chariot to a pole. He declared that whoever could undo the knot would be ruler of all Asia. The challenge ended when Alexander the Great, when not able to untie the knot, cut it apart with his sword.

The "horsehair worm" name likely originates from what ancient observers perceived as the spontaneous transformation of hairs from horses that, having fallen into watering troughs, developed into living worms.

TO KILL THEM:

Either:

(1) Replace water and flush all pump systems; or

(2) Used several doses of shock, (ALTERNATE: Use HYDROGEN PEROXIDE for shock, next use traditional shock, repeat as necessary); chlorine, laundry soap WITH BLEACH (power or liquid [anti-bacterial]); more chlorine; filtered and rinsed filter daily; sometimes twice a day until they were all gone.

[The Spa Guru]

Are you using water that is coming from a system like Rainsoft, Culligan, etc. when filling the spa?