# Diy planaria & flatworm traps



## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

What's everyone idea on this??? Share your traps w/ pictures and success or fail stories! I myself have a flatworm problem, though there not lethal to shrimp. There annoying the living day lights out of me!! Haha:angryfire


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## Dolfan (Apr 8, 2005)

Here's a link to another thread where ppl were showing their ideas for traps...

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338898

The OP idea seems very cheap to make, just get a small portion cup and lid from a restaurant, what they serve togo salsa or other sauces in.

Post 17 & 20 had pics but I can't see them now for some reason. Basically one used a glass test tube that you would take a blood sample with(I guess he works in the medical field) and the other used an API test tube for testing your water. They cut a small hole in the top and stuck in a short length of airline tubing. 

Steathlypotatoes, the poster of #20, had extra to sell for cheap if you want to give him a shout. I was going to purchase a couple, then decided to use the "Safeguard" dewormer method. Good luck.


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

Yeah I seen those, but I don't have an extra test tube, I actually broke two of the four I had lol. And the cup idea just didn't look as effective


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

How on Earth did you break your test tubes!?!? I have accidently slammed them into the sink while getting rinse water out and nat a scatch.

Anyways contact stealthypotatoes he is selling what I (with my trusty Masters degree in engineering) thought up a few months ago.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=328170&highlight=


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

I have a huge planaria infestation in my OEBT/Rili shrimp tank currently. So today I made a DIY planaria bait trap made from a API glass test tube with airline tubing.. and I got this much few hours later..






It really does work.


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## newbieplanter (Jan 13, 2013)

Can u freeze these and feed them to your fish?




NeonFlux said:


> I have a huge planaria infestation in my OEBT/Rili shrimp tank currently. So today I made a DIY planaria bait trap made from a API glass test tube with airline tubing.. and I got this much few hours later..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

Yeah, that will probably work. I have given it some thought about feeding them live to my cichlids, because they're harmless and safe if ingested (they are not parasites from what I heard) although I have loaches and I heard that bottom-dwelling fish can be victims by these guys by crawling, sneaking into their gills and getting them irritated, itchy and maybe sick.. So yeah, freezing will work. Hopefully they don't survive freezing.. Anyway, good idea haha maybe I'll actually culture a bunch of these guys in a small tank, net them out, freeze them into cubes and feed lol. Great source of protein.


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I was going to the bathroom to wash out my test tubes and my daughter decided to crawl under me at the moment I had the test tubes in hand and tried catching her from hitting her head on the door, she just started walking and is clumsy, and flam wam bam, there went my test tubes, straight on a slate bathroom floor:/ at least my daughter is ok though that's all that mattered. I was thinking, can I use a bic pen to make on of these things? And somehow clean a used ink tube to use as the tubing, instead of airline tube, and configure one do you think?


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

It may be a tad to small for bigger planaria. But I'm sure little ones could squeeze in. Try it and let us know


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

Nice catch! Looks most like my trap. Works like a charm


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I'm going to try to make the bic pen one tomorrow, see what decides to take the bait. What's in my tank looks nothing like what newbie caught. But we'll see. And I need help posting pics. I clicked the picture thing above the message typing box on another thread, and put my URL in but it showed up blank


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I ended up just buying a test tube and making one.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

neonflux, that is absolutely disgusting! and a good example of how that trap totally works!


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

Jahn said:


> neonflux, that is absolutely disgusting! and a good example of how that trap totally works!


:icon_twis


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## umdterps96 (Oct 21, 2010)

NeonFlux said:


> I have a huge planaria infestation in my OEBT/Rili shrimp tank currently. So today I made a DIY planaria bait trap made from a API glass test tube with airline tubing.. and I got this much few hours later..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow that is horrifying...glad to see it worked so well


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## Alyssa (Sep 16, 2011)

NeonFlux said:


> I have a huge planaria infestation in my OEBT/Rili shrimp tank currently. So today I made a DIY planaria bait trap made from a API glass test tube with airline tubing.. and I got this much few hours later..



What did you use as bait?


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

Yeah I am curios as well, what did you use as bait


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

I used New Life Spectrum food fish sinking pellets. I only used 3-4 pieces in each tube.


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I've been using one sinking pellet of the orange hikari bag and had some luck with the worms but defiantly not as much as you have, also, recently today I seen there are worms sticking out of my gravel, I only put tubifex worms in once two weeks ago, I didn't know they could multiply and survive like that though


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

So what works better safe guard or no planaria?


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

D you think assassin snails will go after planaria and worms? Or straight for shrimplets


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## snakeskin (Jul 28, 2005)

I wouldn't suggest freezing them and feeding them to fish. From what I have read they can survive a lot of different conditions and they don't taste good to many fish. I introduced a male fancy guppy to my shrimp tank to help take care of flatworms and I happened upon some planaria, I put it right in front of the guppy, he swallowed it and promptly spit it back out... probably not work the risk of infecting other tanks.


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I just put a baby beta in my shrimp tank and he started go ing to town. My dog ate my banana worm culture so I also had no choice in trying to see if he would eat the planaria... Lol


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

The worms I told you guys were sticking out of my gravel. Plus baby planaria in the tube hard to see


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)




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## umdterps96 (Oct 21, 2010)

Pics don't show


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## Subtletanks91 (May 29, 2013)

I've been having that trouble I don't know why


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## stealthypotatoes (Feb 2, 2013)

Subtletanks91 said:


> I've been having that trouble I don't know why


I use photobucket and then click on the photo icon with the mountain and the sun. Put the direct link in the popup


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## skelley (Jul 18, 2011)

I will be making one today. I make something that has a similar idea in the summer to trap fruit flies, but some of them do find their way back out. I really like the idea of the airline tubing, but they won't crawl back out as long as they have food to munch on? The opening seems so large. I suppose I should have a decent length of tubing inside the test tube. I have a plastic test tube vial that we received with a kitten from the Humane Society a couple years ago, still sitting in a drawer unused. Should be a quick and easy project.


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## 1987 (Jan 27, 2007)

Those test tubes are just 5 ml tubes

Amazon.com - PLASTIC TEST TUBES W/ CAPS 12/PK


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