planarias?

[bellurius]

Hi everybody..today I saw 2 planarias and 2 or 3 other very little worms I can't identify..
So, I have to be warried or it's all normal??
Thanks guys...

[imke_j]

There are different types of worms possible to emerge in a shrimp tank. Planarias often have an head like an arrow:

/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/planaria_02-400x300.jpg

Some shrimp keepers don't care about worms while others do. Me, belonging to the later group, would make them go with known treatments.

[bellurius]

Ok thanks..so until they don't attack my shrimps I don't care about them..but why do worms appear? I did something wrong?

[imke_j]

Planaria often come with new plants, moss, snails or frozen food. That's why it's recommended to bath plants in mineral water with CO2 (15-20 min). Concerning food, I use frozen artemia only, because they come from saltwater (no planaria area).

[bellurius]

Ok thanks a lot....do you think that genchem no planaria is an option or I have to do anything for now?

[imke_j]

Genchem No Planaria has good application reports; as well as Aquaspid Eradica, Panacur and Flubenol. Some products may harm snails and if you have lot's of planaria, you must be aware of the dead bodies not wasting your tank. Here is an excerpt of my blog on using Flubenol.

Planaria: A how to get rid of (/blog/planaria-a-how-to-get-rid-of/)

Panacur and Flubenol are medicaments used for deworming cats, dogs and other pets. Due to the lack of missing drugs for fish tanks, shrimp keepers use them to get rid of planaria. Planaria are limped worms with triangular heading and can harm shrimp and their offspring. If your shrimplets always disappear after a few days, planaria may be the reason. They even attack full grown shrimp: The tiger shrimp showed on the pics below was jumping like crazy trough my tank. A closer look showed that a planaria had been creeping inside the body. The shrimp died later on.

While Flubenol uses as active agent ‘flubendazol’, Panacur uses ‘febendazol’. The components will destroy cell structure of planaria and let them starve after a few days. The drugs are available as powder, pills and liquids. Powder and pills must be dissolved completely in warm water before adding to the tank. It is very important to not overdose the products and have a faithful look at the percentage of active parts! Otherwise your shrimp maybe die or will be crippeled (http://www.neelies.de/Bilder/krank-neele.jpg) as some people reported.
Here is a step by step guide using Panacur:



Try to catch as lot of planaria as possible with a planaria trap (http://www.wirbellose.de/planarien/planarienfalle.jpg) and remove them from the tank. Remove snails while using Panacur also.
Make your weekly water change (20-30%) and remove as much destritus (=biological waste) as you can.
Add the medicament. Prefer to do underdosing more than overdosing! One pill Panacur KH 250 (with 250mg Fenbendazol) is sufficiant for 432 liters. Check out the table below and only calculate with the netto water volume of your tank!
After 5 days change 30-50% water and repeat the treatment and dose Panacur second time.
After 5 days, do another waterchange (30-50%) and filter with carbon to extract the leftover of medicament.
You have to repeat the cure after 14 days, because not every drug is killing planaria eggs.

[retardo]

If I had not seen it for myself, I would not have believed it!! I saw this cherry shrimp in one of my friend's tanks completely taken over by planaria and immobilized! This shrimp was egg-laden and still clinging to life... :(

http://www.shrimpnow.com/mygallery/files/1/9/1/planaria_attack.png

Seeing this was extremely frightening and I would recommend getting rid of any and all planaria in your tanks! I had believed that only weak or young shrimp would be able to be caught by planaria, but I watched as another healthy shrimp was attacked and overcome by planaria. Get fish that eat planaria or do as imke_j recommends and treat with flubendazole.

[Frank]

That´s scary. Poor shrimp.

[mlgt]

That is like out of a horror movie :(

Poor shrimp

[bellurius]

thanks guys!!

fortunately i'm not in that situation...i saw only two of them..and now i don't see any worms..:huh:

I will buy genchem no planaria too..cause i want to be sure that my shrimps do not become a dinner for anyone!!

[imke_j]

fortunately i'm not in that situation...i saw only two of them..and now i don't see any worms..:huh:

Planaria mostly hide in the gravel and come out when lights are turned off. Check it! :shocked:

[bellurius]

yes i know!! i've already checked in the night..;)