What do you use to treat planaria?

[Liliana Araoz]

I have a brand new 20g long tank, heavily planted and fishless cycled it for 2 weeks. I introduced 5 baby ramshorn snails, as I noticed a lot of protein and biofilm building in the tank, plus all the decaying plants (dwarf saggitaria sheded a lot from transplanting it to the new tank)  ...and I just noticed what could be planaria. Two or three tiny tiny worms cruising slowly through the glass... Not entirely sure if they are or not, but they could be, as one of the tanks at my LFS has planaria in it and they might have cross contaminated other tanks, and somehow I might have transfered it to my tank. Yesterday I added one betta and 3 albino corydoras, as I read online, fish most times eat them and keep them under control, also that planaria will thrive if there's overfeeding, which is not my case, however all the waste from the driftwood and plants could be an issue. 

What are your thoughts? 

[Daniel]

I like that sort of stuff in my aquariums, as it provides food to fishes and is otherwise harmless. Other people find it unattractive.

So in the end it is a personal decision.

[Ben Ellison]

I'm with @Daniel i tRyan make a ecosystem and I feel little guys like this add to that. To my knowledge  they are harmless? If you want to remove them I have a article I found.

https://www.cuteness.com/article/aquarium-fish-eat-planaria

Edited September 20, 2020 by Ben Ellison

[Daniel]

Also,

@Liliana AraozNice first post clearly written, with tags, and good quality pictures. I look forward to many future posts from you, welcome.

[Liliana Araoz]

1 hour ago, Daniel said:

I like that sort of stuff in my aquariums, as it provides food to fishes and is otherwise harmless. Other people find it unattractive.

So in the end it is a personal decision.

Thank you @Daniel... Honestly my concerned raised as one of my LFS girls pointed at me that they had planaria in that tank and "they didn't know what to do yet" .. tho it was a tank with only shrimp and snails in there, no fish... makes sense now once I have done some research. In many websites it sounds concerning, as they can "attack" shrimp and sometimes fish, they get in their gills and it can irritate them, blah blah... makes sense what you say and it makes more sense that I had a few planarias in there since my tank didn't have fish either. Let's see how it goes with the new buddies, hopefully they will keep them at bay. 

[Daniel]

In my experience planaria just can't muster the agility to 'attack' anything anymore than garden slugs could pose a threat to me in my garden.

 

[Ben_RF]

I have used 1 gram of panacur c.  Typically I have had to do two treatments to clear it up.  I will only use this in shrimp tanks, because to be perfectly honest in any other tank I give thanks for it as live fish food along with detritus worms. 

[Liliana Araoz]

2 hours ago, Ben_RF said:

I have used 1 gram of panacur c.  Typically I have had to do two treatments to clear it up.  I will only use this in shrimp tanks, because to be perfectly honest in any other tank I give thanks for it as live fish food along with detritus worms. 

But isn't Panacur harmful to snails? I wouldn't use it since I have ramshorn snails

[Ben_RF]

They say it does, however, the treatment has never impacted mine.  

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ben_RF

[ange]

It's difficult to tell based on the size/res of your photo but I believe you may not have planaria. Rhabdocoela are a common aquarium flatworm and are a normal part of a healthy ecosystem. They look very similar to planaria and lack the pointed head region.

[Liliana Araoz]

1 hour ago, ange said:

It's difficult to tell based on the size/res of your photo but I believe you may not have planaria. Rhabdocoela are a common aquarium flatworm and are a normal part of a healthy ecosystem. They look very similar to planaria and lack the pointed head region.

Interesting. Thank you! Yes they are very small at the moment, so it was very very hard even with a magnifying glass to try and see if they have that pointy head and crossed eyes.

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/21/2020 at 9:25 AM, ange said:

It's difficult to tell based on the size/res of your photo but I believe you may not have planaria. Rhabdocoela are a common aquarium flatworm and are a normal part of a healthy ecosystem. They look very similar to planaria and lack the pointed head region.

Those do not look like Planaria. I agree.

[Liliana Araoz]

1 minute ago, Mmiller2001 said:

Those do not look like Planaria. I agree.

Well, little update. I finally have added a few corydoras and a betta to this ecosystem and holy remedy... little buggers are gone. Whether they are Planaria or Rhabdocoela, they are no more... or at least I can't see them LOL.

[Mmiller2001]

1 minute ago, Liliana Araoz said:

Well, little update. I finally have added a few corydoras and a betta to this ecosystem and holy remedy... little buggers are gone. Whether they are Planaria or Rhabdocoela, they are no more... or at least I can't see them LOL.

Excellent!