Planaria in snail tank

[jessipanda]

Hey everyone!

I have a barebottom 10g I've been using to breed mini ramshorns in for a couple months. Since I keep it cycled and cleaned for the snails, I also use it as a QT for new fish. Worst case scenario, I lose all the snails from some disease/med due to sick fish from my LFS. Hasn't happened--yet, luckily! But since I haven't had any fish in it for awhile now, it seems planaria have taken over. I only feed this tank a 1/4 piece of an algae wafer or a small piece of blanched spinach right the night before a water change. Whatever is left in the morning gets removed with thw siphon.

However, the planaria have exploded and seem to be feeding on the tiny snail eggs. Does anyone know of a way to kill off these worms without harming the snails? Would my best option just be just to put some fish in there temporarily to eat them?

80°F, pH 7.6, amm 0, nitrite 0, nitrate about 5.

Thanks! ☺

 

[Kazin]

I'd reduce feeding to zero. The planaria will go away. Best way to feed those snails might be to grow algae instead with some bright lights?

 

[Fresh2o]

There is a deworming medicine that you can use that is effective against planaria and hydra. I have not used it myself (will post back when I find the name of it).
In the short term, planaria can be killed with a spot treatment of excel or Glutaraldehyde. Snails don't enjoy if so only a small, localized amount is needed. Using a syringe is best.


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[Nils]

There are diy planaria traps you can make, Google some. They're pretty effective!

 

[jessipanda]

Kazin, I haven't fed the tank since the planaria exploded about 2 weeks ago, and I've been doing 2 water changes a week in an attempt to at least reduce their numbers. So far, no such luck. I've also had the lights on 24/7 for about the same amount of time to allow more algae to grow for the snails to feed on. Do planaria also feed on algae? This would explain why their numbers haven't dropped.

Fresh, I'm afraid those meds may kill off the snails as well. I'm not worried enough about the planaria to kill off everything.

I'm thinking my best option may still be to place a couple fish in the tank to eat them. I have some adult female guppies and a juvie male, so perhaps when/if they have babies, I could put some of the babies in this tank to feed on the planaria?

 

[joeychizzle]

You can buy these nifty little glass traps with little holes in them for the planaria to wriggle through. just stuff a little chunk of meat in there and they'll swarm all over it. just hope you don't get any shrimplets stuck in there.

 

[jessipanda]

No shrimp in this tank, just mini ramshorn snails, and plenty of them! I may have to try one of those traps. Thanks joeychizzle ☺

 

[Kazin]

I'm wondering if "prazipro" would work here. It kills a lot of worms and left my own snails perfectly safe. Have you looked into it?

 

[jessipanda]

Yeah, getting mixed reviews in regards to the snails surviving. Some say yes, some say no. May be dependent on brand and/or dosage. What did you do?


Also, looking for info on EBR's with shrimp. If anyone knows of a thread discussing this, I'd love a link! My searching has failed thus far.

 

[Kazin]

I bought it from amazon as "Hikari Prazipro 4 oz". I used a reduced dose. I am trying to find the article that I followed the dosing directions of to give you an idea.

From my own experience, I can attest that it's snail and shrimp safe at reduced dose. I used it a while back in a tank with snails (including ramshorns, nerites, assassins, etc.) and it killed off only the scutariella off my cherry shrimp. Not only did my snails do fine, I didn't even lose a shrimp!

I didn't use it on planaria though, but rather scutariella, but various forums seem to report that it works on planaria as well.

 

[joeychizzle]

No shrimp in this tank, just mini ramshorn snails, and plenty of them! I may have to try one of those traps. Thanks joeychizzle ☺

No problem

it's creepy how after reading this thread I saw my first flatworm in my tanks . I'm used to the little white thread like ones but never the flat ones. Looks like I might have to follow my own advice hahaha