Has anyone had issues with planaria harming snails?

[Gage.R]

So I’ve been patiently waiting for my Apisto and Zebra Nerite to finish there quarantine. Although I may or may not have a problem. I’ve never had issues with planaria harming snails before but this struck my curiosity. Surely it’s depended on the worms themselves, the food availability and just “Luck of the draw”. My tanks that have/had planaria have never really exploded in population and have been generally beneficial, provided that I keep them in check with maintenance and or predator fish to eat them. There’s also various other micro fauna in this particular  aquarium such and hydra and cyclops and rhabocoela  when viewed under my cheap Amazon Jewelers loupe. I’ll upload pictures if needed. Thoughts?@Cory

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Gage.R

[Guppysnail]

I have not had planaria with snails but I have previously read (on the internet so take it with a heaping tablespoon of salt please) that they will harm snails and snail eggs. 

[Biotope Biologist]

Planaria will go after snails and snail eggs too. Some even target shrimp, but usually they go for easier food such as copepods and leftover fish food. So suffice to say you are correct in your observations.

[Gage.R]

On 12/13/2021 at 8:52 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

Planaria will go after snails and snail eggs too. Some even target shrimp, but usually they go for easier food such as copepods and leftover fish food. So suffice to say you are correct in your observations

ah ok. Even though I haven’t had an issue with them harming my other nerites in previous setups (with the added factor that I have) all males so not little white eggs,). I’m going to air on the side of caution here. Although I think the apisto should be all good with them. I’m debating whether I should go an and use some no planaria I have on hand in this tank since I don’t plan on adding snails. Although I may not just in case I change my mind. It may be strange to some that I’m not really bothered by planaria as I do believe they have their benefits to the “ecosystem as a whole” they just need to be kept in check 

[Gage.R]

When thinking about this over the past few days, I recalled a video in which Corey very briefly mentioned worms and planaria as potentially being an indictation of a healthy substrate, (I’ll sent a clip of that). Now of course at least in my experience and what I’ve gathered from others, things like rhaboeocela, and detritus worms seem to be more desirable when it comes to not harming live stock (although again I haven’t had much issues with planaria posing a threat). Things worms and snails are definitely good in my book. I always seem to get a bit of a rhabocoela bloom when starting a new tank up likely from some plants melting and converting that I don’t trim in time. It’s of course a easy fix though, part of the fun and challenge of balancing and maturing a tank, nature finds a way

https://youtu.be/Seq-Kqp4K8Y

should be around 37:40 🙂 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Gage.R