Leeches from pond hornwort. Does anything kill or eat them?

[Laura R]

Small leeches, cool but creepy and latching onto corydora which die. 3 tanks have these leeches. I completely broke down the 40 discarding substrate, removing hardscape and plants ( all hornwort discarded- but that horse already out of barn). Hardscape placed in empty bathtub with leeches crawling off to seek water. Satisfying to douse them with salt granules! 

All surviving cory moved to quarantine. 40 is back up and recycled. No leeches to date. No hornwort. Plates, corydora, opaline gouramis, heavily planted new plants and substrate.

Heavy gravel vac removes many but likely not all. The tank with common pleco had this same hornwort but no leeches. 

So my question...is there a med that kills the leeches but not fish or plants. I have found nothing in research so plan to breakdown the 20 and 10 as I did the 40. Suggestions or comments? 

No photo but nephew studies etymology and is fish hobbiest. They are small leeches-fish in 100 gallon outside pond all deceased, now know why. Pond to be completely broke down in spring.

Thanks to all interested.

[Struggle]

I’ve never ran into leeches attached to any of our fish but do find some that I believe eat plant matter/detritus in our aquariums time to time so take this with a grain of salt. I would think you could do a alum dip on everything but the fish. We’ll occasionally do a alum dip when we buy new plants and it tends to take care of unwanted hitchhikers.I hope you get it worked out and please keep us updated on how it goes. 

[Laura R]

Thanks. I will look into the alum dip. 

[Laura R]

My nephew also researched as I gave him a potted plant from the 40 before knowing it infected. He did not place it in his aquarium...

He liked the plant and was going to try potassium permanganate...although he stated it would not kill any potential leech eggs and would need repeated after 4 weeks; then maybe again after 4 weeks. ??? Too much for me to try. He likes the experiment process. I will have to connect with him to see if any positive results. I would venture he did not place the plant in his aquarium. He suggested maybe loaches or pea puffer might eat? I would think leeches would maybe prey on these if opportunity arose. 

I think I break down tanks completely and lesson learned with untreated not quarantined pond plants. 😕

[Laura R]

I forgot to mention nephew said plant only treated as potassium permanganate will kill inverts and probably fish.