Planaria Or Something Else?

[cowgirluntamed]

Pasting this from my bloated guppy post. Kind of a new issue but didn't know if it would cause bloat as week. I'll get water parameters for my 10 gallon tomorrow. Don't have time right now but I wanted to post this quick. And this sighting happened yesterday too. If I see it again I will try to get a picture.

Ack!!! I just saw a white worm gliding over the glass of the 10 gallon my bloated guppy came from! I was too mesmerized watching it that I didn't get a picture or anything. I'm not sure if it was a planaria as I didn't really look at its head. It glided like the pond snails do on the glass, was white, and also at one point partially came off glass and then went back on and glided again. It wasn't very long, maybe about as long as a cut fingernail(maybe a bit bigger). It wasn't thin and squiggly looking like pics/vids showed the detritus worms are, but not sure if this is planaria or something else? If you think I should post this separate from my bloated guppy I can but since I pulled him out of that tank I didn't know if that could be something causing the bloat? The rest of the guppies look fine. Before snails seem fine. What can I do??
Kristen

 

[Ch4rlie]

It does sounds as if it is planeria. These usually occur in tanks that has had overfeeding occurring.
 
A picture would be most helpful or you could google planeria and see what images come up and compare to what you have in your tank.
 
Planeria can be treated by using any meds that conatins Fenbendazole.
Cat or dog worming tablets for example has Fenbendazole as it is a parasite medication.
 
Here are a couple of links that may help you start research on planeria, IF that is what you have in your tank.
 
http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=5416
 
http/www.planetinverts.com/killing_planaria_and_hydra.html

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Thanks for the links. I have some paraguard on hand. Would that work if that is what it is? If so, would it hurt my nerite snails or should I remove them? I also read that they don't appear just from overeating, but are hitch hikers on plants and that they are carnivorous to the fish? I did recently get some anubias plants. Never saw them before that. Don't see anything in my other tank except pond snails but seeing as how I've only seen the one thing...dunno.
Kristen

Ps- would this have anything to do with my guppy bloating? Still trying to fix him.

 

[Munroco]

Sounds a bit big for planaria, any time I had them they were much smaller. I haven't seen them detaching themselves from the glass either. Could they be leeches?

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Sorry for not posting yesterday! I came home from work yesterday morning(I work nights) and noticed my air pump in my hospital tank wasn't pumping bubbles like it should...I went to mess with the adjustment thing I put on it and it just quit alogether! So I had to run to the store and get another one and then had a few other things to get done before I went to bed so didn't get the testing on the tank done. Anyway...here are my results from today!
 
 
Tank is 10 gallon, temp is 77ish F. 6 male guppies(was 7, but the one has bloat still so he's in his own 5 gal hospital tank), and 2 nerite snails. Also some pond/bladder snails but I don't care if they go away or not.
 
ph-8.0 (I think i've been reading this at 7.5 all along when it wasn't, for some reason it's just a really light color...my other tanks are 8.2)
Am- 0
Ni- 0
Na-10
KH-12
GH-15
 
I do need to do a good gravel vaccuming on it as the last time I did a "water change" was when I basically sucked water out of that tank to put in my hospital tank(a 5 gallon, but I only got it to about a third of the way full on it) to help not shock the bloated guppy I still have in there. (checked his tank and ammonia was 0.50! So just did a 50% water change. I got a sponge filter in there now so hopefully that'll get seeded soon. Didn't really have time before I put him in there to do it.)
 
Anyway, I don't think it's a leech. I looked up some pictures of those and that's not what it looked like. I do believe it was a planaria but I haven't seen it again...it's body was sort of all straight(though again I'm not sure what the head looked like). I just know it detached it's head with a tiny tiny bit of it's body, looked like it looked around, and then it attached itself and went off and I lost it soon after that when I turned away for a second. I haven't seen it since...but not sure if I should just treat it just in case or not. I did buy a small 1 gallon tank that I can put my two nerites in if I have to get a medicine that would harm them. (And will it hurt to put them in an uncycled tank if that's the case? I'd probably put a sponge filter in it and leave it bare bottom. Maybe a couple of fake plants for them to climb around on and a piece of wood to grow some algae(along with wafers).
 
My question is...to treat or not to treat? I don't want an infestation of parasites.
 
Thanks for the links and such guys. (Oh, and if someone knows of a med that could rid of tank of those pest snails that won't harm my tetras or pleco I'd love to hear it!)
   Kristen