New Problem Worms

badboyace84 · Jun 16, 2011

hey guys i have just found in my tank little white worms i think planaria. what can i do about them to kill them off without stripping my tank as thats not really an option
thanks in advance
adam

bristlenoseitplecoman · Jun 16, 2011

Get general parasite or worm cure. It is the best option if you don't know what type of parasite or worm it is. hope it helps.

Caprichoso · Jun 16, 2011

Best cure is called "No Planaria''. It's all natural Betel Nut extract and is safe for snails and shrimp too. It works! I had to use it in my shrimp tanks because my substrate cannot be vacuumed and I had a few planaria. You can buy it online. Haven't had planaria since.

loraxchick · Jun 17, 2011

Cut back feeding and do extra gravel vacs, planria thrive wher there I extra food or detritis. Those ' cures' in a bottle my work short term but if the issue which let them estblish in the first place isn't resolved they will be back. Luckily planaria arent harmful at all and smaller fish will even eat them.
cheers

badboyace84 · Jun 17, 2011

thanks guys ordered the no planeria glad it wont hurt my lil shrimpys as its safe for those i take it its also safe for fish aswell

Caprichoso · Jun 18, 2011

Yes, very safe, didn't affect anyone in a negative way. Glad you're getting the product as the planaria can harm baby shrimp. I've seen planaria sticking to the legs of shrimp and they shiver and shake so bad to try to get them off! They release a toxin that can harm shrimp and fry fish.

Just a tip on the product, take a cup of tank water out and put the "no planaria" in it and stir a lot to dissolve the product. Then pour the mixture in the tank.

You should stop seeing the worms by day 3 or 4.

Good luck!

badboyace84 · Jun 19, 2011

thank you for the tip. its made my water cloudy did that happen to yours?? ive had 2 shrimp die and 3 lamp eye killifish die. could these buggers be the reason for my sudden deaths as ive never had problems before and its only since these things appeared that its all started

Caprichoso · Jun 20, 2011

badboyace84 said:
thank you for the tip. its made my water cloudy did that happen to yours?? ive had 2 shrimp die and 3 lamp eye killifish die. could these buggers be the reason for my sudden deaths as ive never had problems before and its only since these things appeared that its all started

The cloudiness is normal. I know a lot of people say that planaria are harmless but I know that's not true and have seen them bugging my shrimp. They can kill fry and also kill adult shrimp after they moult. The shrimp are vulnerable at that time and can become easy prey. As far as your killifish, they could have been a bit weaker which then could have made them more vulnerable to the worms attacking. Apparently they can get into the gills of fish and irritate them. Another thing to consider is that the planaria contain a neurotoxin which can also harm the shrimp and small fish if they eat the planaria. Gourami, Betta, Platy's, Rams are good at eating the planaria. For me this isn't an option though as I have shrimp only breeding tanks with Fluval Shrimp substrate which cannot be vacuumed. This makes planaria more prone to thriving when you can't do a good vac.