# The power of Planaria



## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

This is why u should never cut or crush them.






this is how you get rid of them.


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

The reason I posted this was b.c I had an outbreak of planaria in my tank. All are 1/4 size of adult crs. 

I'm trying this method now but made the mistake of using store bought shrimp dumpling filling which had sesame oil added to the mixture. 

I now have a very thin layer of oil on the surface.


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## Alexpatrascu (Jun 13, 2010)

CrystalMethShrimp said:


> The reason I posted this was b.c I had an outbreak of planaria in my tank. All are 1/4 size of adult crs.
> 
> I'm trying this method now but made the mistake of using store bought shrimp dumpling filling which had sesame oil added to the mixture.
> 
> I now have a very thin layer of oil on the surface.


That one bad mo-f-ing worm.

Try the trap and see it you get any results.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Just put some guppy fries in there and they'll wipe out the planaria in no time.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Hey Solarz, thanks for the tip, so fancy guppies will eat these worms, cause right now i have two of them in my 75G tank, and this gives a whole new purpose in me always keeping a few in my main tanks in case i ever get worms.

Now my question is, how does one get these worms anyways. Right now, i have in my main tank some baby fancy goldfish, 2 fancy guppies, a BN Pleco, and some Bamboo Shrimps, and some Amano Shrimps too (may be transfered to a 10 gallon tank though one i build my red chery shrimp tank, and if my goldfish ever want shrimp instead of their main food). I never seen these worms before. Where do they come from, how does one get these?


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

solarz said:


> Just put some guppy fries in there and they'll wipe out the planaria in no time.


Won't those eat the crs shrimplets?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

CrystalMethShrimp said:


> Won't those eat the crs shrimplets?


They *might*, but personally I'd rather risk losing a few shrimplets than mucking with the water chemistry.

Besides, if you use guppy fries, they shouldn't be able to harm the shrimplets. You only need one fry really, unless your tank is over 20 gallons.



zfarsh said:


> Now my question is, how does one get these worms anyways. Right now, i have in my main tank some baby fancy goldfish, 2 fancy guppies, a BN Pleco, and some Bamboo Shrimps, and some Amano Shrimps too (may be transfered to a 10 gallon tank though one i build my red chery shrimp tank, and if my goldfish ever want shrimp instead of their main food). I never seen these worms before. Where do they come from, how does one get these?


I've noticed that invariably, the planaria appear in tanks where I don't have fish. I.E. my shrimp tanks. I'm guessing planaria eggs are microscopic and present in all established aquaria. It's the presence of food coupled with the absence of predators that will increase their numbers to a point where you can see them.


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

solarz said:


> I've noticed that invariably, the planaria appear in tanks where I don't have fish. I.E. my shrimp tanks. I'm guessing planaria eggs are microscopic and present in all established aquaria. It's the presence of food coupled with the absence of predators that will increase their numbers to a point where you can see them.


Agreed, I too only notice these in my CRS tank, which is my only fishless tank.


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

The largest I've seen is only about 1/4 the size of an adult crs.
When I see them I stop feeding, other then spinach twice per week.
I then pick them off the glass manually with a ruler and pull them near the top. I then switch to my syringe and suck them up. 

How big do adult planaria's reach?


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## Alexpatrascu (Jun 13, 2010)

They can go up to 2 cm


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

Yeah I can see a 2 cm creating havoc in a crs tank. 

I rechecked and they actually aren't 1/4 the size of my adult crs, rather they are just the size of the adult's tail portion. Roughly 4 mm. I've never seen one bigger then that in my tank as I'm manually removing 15 per day.

Btw the trap did not work. I follow the video and infact made 3 holes in the bottom of the bottle.
Did not see a single planaria. Only my crs and snails were interested in the bottle.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

CrystalMethShrimp said:


> Yeah I can see a 2 cm creating havoc in a crs tank.
> 
> I rechecked and they actually aren't 1/4 the size of my adult crs, rather they are just the size of the adult's tail portion. Roughly 4 mm. I've never seen one bigger then that in my tank as I'm manually removing 15 per day.
> 
> ...


I once tried to make a trap for pond snails, it didn't work either. I'm telling you man, just put a guppy fry in there and the planaria will be gone in a few days.


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

how big is a guppy fry and where can i get them?


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Whoa... never seen a planaria that big... and they look way too similar to a part of the human anatomy  THe only planaria I've ever had were tiny white specks. That said, all the types I did have were 100% removed from my tanks when I used levamisole in them to get rid of an internal parasite years ago. Ive hardly added new fish to my system since then and always added them after a qt in a levamisole treated tank anyways. I haven't had a single planarid since. I can't say definitively that is the reason, but being that it is a nematode killing medication it makes sense. I never had a lot, but it's nice that I dont end up with all kind of crawlies on my glass now if I happen to be behind on water changes . Crazy video though if I understood what was going on... but I don't speak japanese (?) so I don't know for sure .


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

CrystalMethShrimp said:


> Btw the trap did not work. I follow the video and infact made 3 holes in the bottom of the bottle.


I made a trap out of a glass test tube (the common test kit type marked for 5 mL) - cut a small hole in the plastic cap. I had to experiment with different meats but it was succesfull in removing planaria. If I remember correctly raw beef was the strongest bait.


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

Is there anything equilvant to safeguard that we can buy in Canada or is it vet only prescribed. That seems to be the best way to rid of planara, hydra, etc, in a few doses and be completely shrimp safe. I think its one of those things we can't get over here but they can get in the states. O well, we get Netlea soil and they don't, so I guess it evens out.  lol


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