Asking anyone with planaria experience to help!

[tabletopfishguy]

I have a 5gallon Neo. tank setup thats recently been having a strong planaria outbreak, I ordered Genchem No Planaria and heard that it was safe and reliable. Now im researching further and some people say that No Planaria didn’t even take out the worms making shrimp sluggish, die back in colony etc, so im hoping i can get some tips or help from the forum. Im planning on injecting my aqua soil with the medicated water for more direct exposure to the planaria since i see them mainly in my substrate. If you have any tips of exterminating the little buggers any help would be appreciated this is my first shrimp only tank and this issue has been sending me into panic. (100% sure these are planaria and not detritus worms)

 

[Boundava]

Planaria traps and patience, LOTS of patience...

 

[ghyti]

Fenbendazole. Safe Guard or Panacur dog dewormer. 0 .1 gram per10 gallons. Kills them overnight with no side effects to fish or plants. Does not harm 3 day old Angelfish. I don't have shrimp so I don't know about them.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. If your fish won't have them for lunch, then the best means of removing them is to do a thorough job of vacuuming the bottom material. Vacuuming can be a part of your water change routine. These worms can be a danger to your shrimp and snails in general.

10

 

[Eskimo]

I had great luck with No Planaria. Just follow the instructions. I mixed it in a separate container then added it to my water. It tends to clump and float if added directly into the tank.

 

[Aqua67]

From what I understand No Planaria does work well, even in shrimp tanks, although you will lose your snails. I use a glass planaria trap baited with frozen blood worms (thawed) and I leave it in overnight. You can do this for as many nights (with new bait) as you want. I also use a turkey baster to suck them out whole and I will squirt them into my houseplants. Don’t squish them as each piece grows into a new planaria.

 

[tabletopfishguy]

I had great luck with No Planaria. Just follow the instructions. I mixed it in a separate container then added it to my water. It tends to clump and float if added directly into the tank.

Any idea if using a fluval giant turkey baster to inject the medicated water into the substrate will show more effective?

 

[tabletopfishguy]

From what I understand No Planaria does work well, even in shrimp tanks, although you will lose your snails. I use a glass planaria trap baited with frozen blood worms (thawed) and I leave it in overnight. You can do this for as many nights (with new bait) as you want. I also use a turkey baster to suck them out whole and I will squirt them into my houseplants. Don’t squish them as each piece grows into a new planaria.

yeah no squishing has been taking place, found that out as soon as i started figuring out what they were, doing my thorough job of gravel vaccing, going to start medication tomorrow and hope for the best as i follow instructions. if that fails ill resort to painfully using traps nightly like you said.

 

[tabletopfishguy]

Hello. If your fish won't have them for lunch, then the best means of removing them is to do a thorough job of vacuuming the bottom material. Vacuuming can be a part of your water change routine. These worms can be a danger to your shrimp and snails in general.

10

as far as i know fish in general dont eat planaria besides i think a couple types of loaches and very characteristic fish since they are pretty bitter tasting due to their slime/slime trail. I use a giant fluval turkey baster for gravel vaccing to prevent accidental shrimplet casualties. Its slow but it works, my substrate is a bit deep in some spots with my scape so some spots are unreachable.

 

[Eskimo]

I have ramshorn snails in my shrimp tank and loss none with No Planeria. Just dose and wait. Don't over think it. It takes time for it to work.

 

[MaloK]

Any idea if using a fluval giant turkey baster to inject the medicated water into the substrate will show more effective?

In fact it could be less effective.

If the planarias becomes aware that a poison is in their environment (because of a too high concentration), they will hide deeper and close themselves to resist the attack.

On the other hand, if they are poisoned without noticing, it's going to go faster and they wont have the reflex to hide in defence.