# Pest Videos



## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

*Scutariella Japonica / Planaria / Bacterial Infection (Pest Videos)*

First video: A very large Bloody Mary with a very large, single "worm" (for lack of a better term) on it's nose. These pests have been in my tank for about a month but this is the first time I've seen it move with a tail. It's always a single worm, always in the same spot on the shrimp, different shrimp. It seems to fall off after a few days.

Second Video: Another large single worm on a small Neocaridina. I know it goes out of focus for a bit but stick with it, there is very clear video.

I cannot see any eggs on the sides of the body.

MANY people have insisted it is Scutariella japonica, it may be a different species of Scutariella in the same family as there is always just one worm (I've seen the Japonica videos). I'm going to treat with either salt or ParaGuard depending on what I can get my hands on tomorrow. I would prefer to treat the entire tank rather than one shrimp at a time.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

If you use Paraguard, please post the results. What instructions have you found for making sure you get the adults and the eggs?

A salt dip, I know from experience, works against the adult Scutariella japonica.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

5ml Seachem ParaGuard dosed to 10 gallon tank at 1:58 p.m. today.

Besides Neocaridina, this tank contains 2 otocinlcus and a carp ton of snails as well as plants. Update to come.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

Any results using Paraguard?


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I tried to keep detailed notes on this dilema:

*17 Aug:* Dosed 5mL ParaGuard

Dipped: Approx. 5 or so shrimp incl. oldest Orange Rili (a.k.a. Flora)​
*18 Aug:* 1 Bloody Mary & 1 Blue Rili berried

*19 Aug:* Dosed 5mL ParaGuard

Dipped: Brown male & Snowball female
Moults: 1
Berried: Flora & 1 Blue Rili​
*20 Aug:* Dosed 6mL ParaGuard
Note: Flora dropped over 1/2 her eggs
Dipped: Orange Rili
Berried: Blue Rilli, Orange Rili & Brown male
Moults: 1​
*21 Aug:* Possible Planaria spotted (just kill me now!)
Moults: 2
Dipped: Orange Rili​
*22 Aug:* First dose of No Planaria
Parasite on Orange Rili, did not dip
Moults: 2​
*23 Aug:* No parasites visible!!!
Moults: 1
Will dose No Planaria again this afternoon.​
I wonder if it was the Paraguard or the salt dips that caused the egg drops. It was Flora's second "clutch", she gave me all the Orange Rilis. A Bloody Mary also dropped most of her eggs but I think it's her first clutch.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

So before you used No Planaria, did the salt dips or Paraguard have a noticeable impact?


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

infolific said:


> So before you used No Planaria, did the salt dips or Paraguard have a noticeable impact?


The salt dip worked immediately however, it's almost impossible for those shrimp to not get reinfected simply due to eggs laid under their shells and then moulting. Even if you picked up all the moults, what about moults after lights out laying in the tank till morning?

I have no idea how long Scutariella japonica can survive without a host. In a planted tank, treating the entire tank is probably the best way to eliminate the pest, IMHO. Also, I have no idea how long it takes for ParaGuard to work, all it says on the bottle is to redose until parasites are gone.

I did not have any fatalities.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

Thanks for the info. Yes, it's the in-tank treatment I'm curious about for exactly the reasons you've described. Folks with small shrimp tanks can scoop out their shrimp and moults, but in a planted tank that's next to impossible.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Finished the last dose of No Planaria yesterday, will be doing a 40% water change later today.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Last week I noticed that some of my shrimp had dark spots on their heads. I tried to wave it away thinking it was their brain or something. Yesterday I checked the German site, www.crustakrankheiten.de and came to the conclusion that it could be the begining of an outer bacterial infection. It would take weeks before I could import the medication so I did a 50% or more water change, removed the driftwood, floating plants, vaccumed the substrate as best I could and cleaned the sponge filters. I added more cinnamon bark, banana leaf and alder cones as the site recommended. Thankfully I don't have any fatalities.

I consulted someone with 6 years experience and they said that this often occurs when you purchase shrimp from stores that import shrimp from other countries. They also said that purchasing from from home breeders who have generations of disease free shrimp is the best way to go.

For now, I'll continue giving this tank the best care I can, these shrimp have been tough. I'd like to remove all the rooted plants but I don't want to cause a cycle. I may move everyone to my bare bottom 5 gallon and restart the 10g without rooted plants.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

In the vein of doing the best for my shrimp, I followed the advice of the breeder and replaced my substrate... I was using Fluval Stratum and it was keeping the PH too low for neocaridina (but the plants loved it!).

Actually, first I moved all the shrimp to my 5 gallon, removed all rooted and floating plants then scooped out the substrate. I put floss in my HOB filter to help clear the water. If I had a brain, I would have drained the water, THEN removed the substrate. *sigh*

I drove to PetSmart and bought 2 bags of white sand, rinsed it and added it to the tank. I like the look of white sand, it makes it very easy to see the shrimp but boy oh boy, is it white!

The final plan is to only have plants and decorations which can easily be removed in case of another outbreak. If I want a rooted plant, I'll put it in another container and submerge it in the aquarium. Anything I add to this tank (or any other tank, will be quarantiened!!!

Here's a dark spot I believe to be a bacterial infection:










I expect this tank will have another small cycle so I'll wait a week or so to add the shrimp back in.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

Tabatha said:


> In the vein of doing the best for my shrimp, I followed the advice of the breeder and replaced my substrate... I was using Fluval Stratum and it was keeping the PH too low for neocaridina (but the plants loved it!).


What was your pH and what's the target pH range you were given?



Tabatha said:


> Anything I add to this tank (or any other tank, will be quarantiened!!!


I'd guess that many of us have learned this one the hard way! It's like computer backups. We only start doing them after we've had our first data loss. 



Tabatha said:


> Here's a dark spot I believe to be a bacterial infection


Like you I think I would've dismissed this or at most just watched to see if it got bigger over time. I hope your efforts are successful.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

infolific said:


> What was your pH and what's the target pH range you were given?


My pH with Fluval Stratum was 6.0 or lower. Water out of the tap (dechlorinated) is 7.0 - 7.5.



infolific said:


> I'd guess that many of us have learned this one the hard way! It's like computer backups. We only start doing them after we've had our first data loss.


Sadly, this goes for plants too!



infolific said:


> Like you I think I would've dismissed this or at most just watched to see if it got bigger over time. I hope your efforts are successful.


Thank you, me too!










I'll be adding cinnamon bark and cholla logs but not much more than that.


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