I think I have planaria in my tank

[Fishingfool]

It's a Fluval Flex 9.  Been up and running for 10 months.  

I added some chili rasboras and a couple of amanos and some new plants to the tank that I got from the co-op a couple of days ago.

Wow these new additions are tiny.  I never realized how much my CPD grew.

Anyways today while I was trying to check up on these tiny additions, I saw little white things on the side glass.  Upon closer inspection, they look like of like white slugs, at least the biggest one, which isnt very big actually.  There are about a dozen that are super tiny.  Maybe tip of ball point pen size.  They are thin and move around the glass like a slug.  I'm guessing they are planaria?  If so, how do I go about eradicating them?  Or just leave them alone?

 

 

https://i.imgur.com/l3qOelZ.jpg

Edited November 28, 2021 by Fishingfool

[Guppysnail]

Stole this off the net for you. My eyes are not good enough to tell from your pictures. Unless you have shrimp none are really harmful then planarian could be an issue. Cut back on feeding in all three cases and gravel vac. Fish will snack on them. Good luck. Beautiful fish. 
planaria on left  rehabdocoela right

detritus worm

[Torrey]

Unless you have shrimp, planaria are just another clean-up crew you would have in nature.

They will reduce eggs hatching if this is a breeder tank. Otherwise, I would not worry about them. Cut back on feeding, and some fish will eat the planaria... which risks making more planaria if the fish only bites it in half😅

Planaria traps are very effective at removing planaria, be sure to put planaria in alcohol and don't flush down the drain.

[Fishingfool]

These suckers are tiny.  Only thing I had available was a loupe and now I think they are rehabdocoela.  I do not see a pointy triangle head.  Does look more rounded.  Then again, they are so tiny, it's hard to focus on them.

[Biotope Biologist]

They also very well could be baby snails. Snails don't start out with a shell, I would wait to see if they develop. 

[Fishingfool]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:48 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

They also very well could be baby snails. Snails don't start out with a shell, I would wait to see if they develop. 

How long does that take?

 

I got a couple magnifying glasses to try and help. So far I haven't been able to get one of the larger ones up front for a closer inspection. But now I'm 95% sure they are rehabdocoela.

How do I get rid of them? Are they harmful to humans? I don't want some eater to splash on my eye and get these suckers in them. Or a cut on my hand.🤢

[Torrey]

On 12/1/2021 at 12:56 AM, Fishingfool said:

How do I get rid of them? Are they harmful to humans? I don't want some eater to splash on my eye and get these suckers in them. Or a cut on my hand.🤢

Before I make a recommendation, honest question with zero shame.

Would leaving them in there negatively impact your ability to relax and enjoy your tank?

[Fishingfool]

On 12/1/2021 at 2:54 AM, Torrey said:

Before I make a recommendation, honest question with zero shame.

Would leaving them in there negatively impact your ability to relax and enjoy your tank?

They are unsightly. Kind of like bread algae and the likes. If I see any, I try to tweezer them and remove it from whatever surface they are attached to.

 

 

[eatyourpeas]

Rhabdocoela are harmless, and like detritus worms and planaria, just a sign of overfeeding.

[Fishingfool]

On 12/1/2021 at 9:58 AM, eatyourpeas said:

Rhabdocoela are harmless, and like detritus worms and planaria, just a sign of overfeeding.

So, less overfeeding and they die off completely?  What I dont get is, if it's a sign of overfeeding, does that mean those critters are always there, just cant see them?  Or do they appear out of thin air once a tank is overfed?

 

Today is water change day.  Since it's only a 9-gal tank, I use a siphon and bucket.  Typically change out about 3-4 gallons.  What I found is, the worms on the glass are very easy to suck away.  I removed quite a few doing it this way.  I cant vacuum my substrate.  It's SeaChem Flourite Black.  It's way too light and I always lose a few when I hover near the bottom to get the crud.  My hose has this little cap thing to help prevent that but it appears to block flow and prevents sucking up any visible particles.

 

Can Rhabdocoela live outside water?

Edited December 1, 2021 by Fishingfool

[Biotope Biologist]

On 12/1/2021 at 2:53 PM, Fishingfool said:

So, less overfeeding and they die off completely?  What I dont get is, if it's a sign of overfeeding, does that mean those critters are always there, just cant see them?  Or do they appear out of thin air once a tank is overfed?

 

Today is water change day.  Since it's only a 9-gal tank, I use a siphon and bucket.  Typically change out about 3-4 gallons.  What I found is, the worms on the glass are very easy to suck away.  I removed quite a few doing it this way.  I cant vacuum my substrate.  It's SeaChem Flourite Black.  It's way too light and I always lose a few when I hover near the bottom to get the crud.  My hose has this little cap thing to help prevent that but it appears to block flow and prevents sucking up any visible particles.

 

Can Rhabdocoela live outside water?

So they live off the uneaten food in your tank and detritus worms are filter feeders so they can pick up microscopic food particles from the water column. Why you see adults doing the wavy wiggle dance. Interestingly babies of most worm species are barely visible to the naked eye. They very commonly attach themselves to substrate and plants and can lay dormant in those media for months or years in some cases, depending on the species. 

 

I'm unsure of the exact dormancy period of rhabdocoela but yes most species we see in the aquarium can live outside of water for extended periods of time. They in their native environment inhabit ponds and standing bodies of water that dry up in the summer. They can also produce dormant eggs which may last on the timescale of years without water