Gross brown waste

I currently have 3 adult (~8") axolotls in a 40 gallon breeder tank. I have a filter that's for up to 55 gallons, and it's aerated. A while back, I had this HORRIBLE bout of planaria that I COULD NOT get rid of. I got really busy and wasn't able to keep up with cleaning up their poop so I recently removed the sand from their tank. Not having sand makes cleaning easier so I do it more often--however, I'm no longer seeing axie "turds" ...all I see is this brown waste really loose, and it makes it really hard to clean. Especially if I spook an axolotl and they dash out of there, stirring up all the waste. I also have what *appears* to be dead worms ALL. OVER. EVERYTHING. I'm assuming that now that the plants and sand are gone, the planaria have nothing to feed on so they're dying off? They can't be eating uneaten food, my axolotls swallow a whole worm each.
My tank is disgusting, and it's an eye-sore in my house. I want to clean all the decor and stuff, but I don't want to kill the beneficial bacteria. If I'm still having this issue later on, I'm debating on getting more sand to put back in the tank, it's ugly without it :/

1. Are these small, brown, string-like things stuck on everything dead planaria?
2. Why am I never seeing axolotl turds?
3. Should I add sand back in?

Thanks.

I have no substrate and have a quick clean around my tank every day with a siphon. The waste does go everywhere but if you keep on top of it, it's not too bad. :happy:

I'm actually seeing the same brown dead worm-like things when I clean my tank and I still have sand, so yeah, I'd be interested in knowing what that is as well.

Can you post a pic of what they look like? Maybe I can help you out cause I also had planaria

I don't have the wormy like things but all the other stuff seems to happen in my tanks as well.
I don't have sand, I thought it was easier to clean. Maybe it is, but the tank looks so much more messy and gross.

Here are photos of the waste I'm seeing. I think most of it is loose poop, but if you look closely you can see what looks like brown worms on the glass and on the decor. Are those dead planaria? I clean the tank about every other day.

The technical term for 'gross brown stuff' is mulm.

What you should do is siphon it off the bottom every day with a tube. You'll never get rid of it all, but you can keep it in check. The worms aren't planaria, but are more likely some type of nematode.

Kaysie said:

The technical term for 'gross brown stuff' is mulm.

What you should do is siphon it off the bottom every day with a tube. You'll never get rid of it all, but you can keep it in check. The worms aren't planaria, but are more likely some type of nematode.

Click to expand...

I've never heard of either of those! Did it develop for any reason? Did I do something wrong? The tank is such an eye sore since I removed the sand, if I add sand again will the mulm get worse? I really want to do a revamp on their tank--I just read the mulm is really beneficial for live plants. If I add an axolotl safe substrate for plants, that could work, right?

I've started a new thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ters-substrate/92674-sand-vs-bare-bottom.html

The mulm will always be there, regardless of whether or not you have sand. It's just the general detritus in the tank; it happens to every tank. It is good for plants because it's made of waste products. Substrate makes it less obvious, but it doesn't change the amount of mulm, and you'll still have to remove it with a siphon.

A healthy tank has a whole host of organisms in it, not just axolotls. From microscopic bacteria to copepods, planaria, glassworms, etc. Think about a pond: it doesn't have just fish living in it. A tank is just a micro-habitat that you've created. Things will colonize it with or without your help. If you build it, they will come.