Approach for planaria

[Beastije]

Hi guys, I need help figuring out an approach, so when the time comes, I can execute without issues.
At this moment I have a 40l tank with shrimp and indostomus paradoxus and planaria. I also have 25l tank with some leftover fish that I am waiting out to pass from old age.
I am planning to move both the indostomus and shrimp and the decor (bamboo tubing and possibly submerged leaves although I can get new ones) to the 25l, once that old fish dies. I however do not wish to move the planaria.
I plan to keep the plants in the 40l tank along the filter sponge, but I will toss the whole substrate.

My initial idea was, to move the fish in the bamboo tubing, so I dont have to net them, but then dip the tubes in no planaria solution before returning them to the new tank. I will do the same with leaf litter, to not carry anything over. In the 40l tank, I will attempt to catch as many ramshorns as possible, but move them to a different tank, that doesnt have any shrimp, so even if planaria is there, fish in that tank would eat it.
Then I plan to toss the sand, treat the tank with no planaria, wait two weeks, treat again, maybe put in new sand and treat once more (though that is 6 weeks, I am not sure I will be able to hold out that long). test and wait for cycle, maybe squeeze some sponge from other tank in there and based on tests, consider this tank cycled. I would I guess buy new ramshorns to the 25l indostomus/shrimp tank.
Does that sound like a good approach or am I overthinking this?
Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

I would just catch the fish and shrimp and put them in a spare tank/ plastic storage container. Add copper or whatever you are going to use to kill the planaria. Wait a day, then flush the tank a few times before moving fish and shrimp back in.

 

[Uberhoust]

Just curious what to planaria do in the aquarium? I think I would be ok if I had planaria in my tank, I have found them in streams around my home, and have encountered them at school years ago, and always found them fascinating.

 

[Beastije]

Just curious what to planaria do in the aquarium? I think I would be ok if I had planaria in my tank, I have found them in streams around my home, and have encountered them at school years ago, and always found them fascinating.

They release some sort of toxin to paralyze. It does not hurt adult fish, most fish do not eat them unless tarved, thus making it likely they do not taste well
For shrimp however, they stun the shrimp, climb under its shell and eat it. They kill fry of fish and small shrimplets too. In fishtanks, they are most likely there anyway, but you will not notice them and they do not cause issues. In shrimp tanks, issues
I also read for fish living in the tank with planaria is stressful because of the toxin in the water, but do not have a reliable source for that info

 

[Slaphppy7]

"These worms move on slime trails, much like snails. However, the worms’ trail contains a toxin that will stun and paralyze any shrimp or snail touching it. That gives the planaria free reign to eat your precious inverts alive"

Source: https://www.aquariumsource.com/planaria-worms/

 

[Uberhoust]

@Slaphppy7 Thanks. I think I never seen them in my tank because I have always had some fish of the type that would eat them the second, they see one.

 

[Colin_T]

Praziquantel might treat them and it's easy enough to remove. You can even leave the fish in the tank while treating. You should be able to leave shrimp and snails in there too.

 

[Beastije]

I want to move the fish anyway, because the tank is simply too big for them.
Anyway the medications are not easy to come by and when they do have some they are for birds or livestock and have some salts in them or other ingredients. I think I will try no planaria and that one is proven to kill snails. What scares me is I saw planaria on leaves and the tubes and basically everywhere so i may need to treat the new tank just in case too