This is disgusting! Can somebody please tell me what this is?!

[Eve Saint]

I recently noticed these almost translucent looking wormy type things growing only underneath the paper towels. It is creeping me out. If it is cricket larvae, I wont mind. But I really wonder though. Any info or answers are appreciated greatly! I also must mention I clean the tank at least twice a week. Help!

 

[Caleb C]

Are the paper towels used as substrate and are the paper towels moist? It sounds weird, you should clean it out with mild bleach and let it sun dry or something, completely wash out everything inside.

 

[Eve Saint]

Yes the papertowels were too moist actually.
I went to petco and the guy said that those worms can come from cricket poo?
I dont know. I really clean out the tank often, but I leave the paper towels way too wet!
I cleaned everything twice today and threw out the fake plants and used the bleach.
I will monitor everything often...
I am still scared and disgusted.

 

[Eve Saint]

Ive been reading for hours.
I noticed images of crickets and breeding.
I honestly thought crickets gave birth to baby crickets like humans or something.
So I looked up images of cricket eggs,they look exactly like what was underneath the paper towels in the tank!
The things werent moving so I am guessing they were eggs!
It is still very scary looking.

 

[Caleb C]

Oh, if they weren't moving, it was probably a cricket egg, they're like tiny grains of rice, I guess. Why were they so moist? Do you leave crickets in the tank? I always only feed mine one or two, and make sure they're eaten, or else I take them out. I'm not sure if cricket poo could carry any nasty parasites or anything, but they're dirty things, I hate how they smell.

 

[Eve Saint]

I leave crickets in the tank!
I will change this right away!
I was online last night for hours looking at multiple images of cricket eggs, it is certainly cricket eggs!
In one way I should of left them I guess, but the image of the eggs were disturbing. LOL

 

[Caleb C]

Yeah, leaving crickets in the tank will also annoy them, and if the crickets get hungry, they may start eating soft parts of your leo's body.

 

[Josh2]

Definitely get those out ASAP! Luckily these are pretty easy to clean up. Some insects are NOT!