# Killing Planaria & Hydra



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

If it's just shrimp, drastically cut down on feeding. Feed them dried leaves instead and maybe one or two pellets, but that's it.

Without filter feeding from the water, the hydra will disappear.

Also, depending on how many you have, you can go in with some tweezers and just squeeze the hydra. If they're higher up in the tank like mine usually were, you can drain the water level during a WC, apply a few drops of H2O2 directly to the hydra, wait a few minutes, then just fill the tank back up. Usually kills them.


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## pealow (May 11, 2008)

I cut down on feeding and they all disappeared like magic. Not seen either in about 1 month. Also no more pond snails.

Paula


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## customdrumfinishes (Apr 4, 2008)

you can use the dog dewormer, there are several threads here about it recently and it works great. just search for planeria.

you can stop feeding them they wont die, someone here already proved that they can stay alive for weeks with no food at all.


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## Asgard (Feb 8, 2008)

Flubenol 5%, it won't kill your shrimps, it does kill some (apple) snails though.
see: http://www.shrimp-diseases-online.com/planarias.htm


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## OhNo123 (Jan 8, 2008)

Hmm.. my guppies eat the planaria..

Hydras go away if you reduce feeding, at least from my experience.


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## southerndesert (Sep 9, 2007)

I am with the cut back on feeding opinion, a length of air line tubing attached to a thin stick or skewer used a a siphon works well to remove them as well. I have heard the method you mentioned has worked well for some, but also the opposite... I just worry about chemicals and shrimp...

Bill


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Pure Spixi Snails will eat Planaria and Hydra, or so I've heard.


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## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

I don't feed my tiger shrimp tank at all and my hydra and planaria boomed still. So I added spixis and saw numbers go down dramatically. It did not totally eliminate them all, but the numbers have been cut down by at least 90%. I'm very happy with the results


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

does anyone know where I can buy some spixis snails ? thanks


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## southerndesert (Sep 9, 2007)

They can be hard to find as I think they are on the "no ship list" by the government for snails. They are listed as invasive....

Bill


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## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Yep, spixis are illegal to ship across state lines. They don't even give out permits to enable you to ship spixis because you get flat out rejected. 

What you can do however, is move to California! I have a bunch of spixis for sale!


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

Just as long as they are "true" Spixi's and not the hybrid type. I've been feeding a lot less than I have been (twice a week and keeping leaf litter in) and still have planaria. I have been using the tube method to suck them up into a bowl maybe two or three times a day, but there are so many places for them to hide it will be impossible to remove them all. The driftwood has sooooo many holes in it, I see the tiny planaria come out of them all the time. My newly born RCS are being stung by these things and dying. I don't want to add any fish to the tank because the babies may be eaten also. I suppose I can try starving them again and see if it gets any better...


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## thelobster (Jun 30, 2007)

I actually just did this. My tank was infested with tons of Planaria. i gave in followed the instructions on planet invert.

I dosed one spoon leveled out and threw it in. The spoon was from one of my test kits.

24 hours later i look in my tank not one single Planaria and no dead shrimp what so ever.

I have RCS, CBS, and CRS all alive and well. It has been about a month since i have done this and still no deaths.


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

thelobster said:


> I actually just did this. My tank was infested with tons of Planaria. i gave in followed the instructions on planet invert.
> 
> I dosed one spoon leveled out and threw it in. The spoon was from one of my test kits.
> 
> ...


how did you do it ?? the 5g Flubenol method ?


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## thelobster (Jun 30, 2007)

i did it as instructed on the shrimp site.

went out and bought 

http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_images/0/026851071617C.jpg

it comes in three sizes three different colors get the green one for the cheapest its for small dogs.

then i opened up the package scooped up the powder with my test kit spoon from one of those water test kits. Its white and half circle.

dropped powder in aquarium it gets scary here cause i freaked out. White powder balls sinking everywhere looks dangerous but i sucked it up. Checked back an hour later white powder gone. Checked back 24 hours later all the planeria gone!

its been about month and half now and no deaths. I have yet to change water since the treatment either.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

I just finished the method as "thelobster" mentioned above with the Fenbendazole in my 29 gallon tank. The first day I used a mild solution with 0.21 gr. of Fenbendazole. The next day almost all of the Planaria were dead. I have many RCS (some berried) and a handful of juvi CRS. I waited a day and did it again with a little stronger solution of 0.25 gr. of Fenbendazole and now all of the Planaria seem to be gone and the shrimp are doing fine. I am definetly cutting down on the feeding so now when it is feeding time, they all come out running. I got a small package of three 1 gram packets for $14 at Petco. If anyone wants to try this, I can provide a packet of Fenbendazole if they want it. Just give me your info so I can send it out.


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## msc (Mar 10, 2008)

This is what worked for me, (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/library/52784-planaria-hydra-elimination-shrimp-tanks.html) 24 hours latter and no signs of any Hydra. I used Panacur (liquid fembendazole) got it at my vets, 0.5mls for each 10 gallons. I mixed it with a cup of tank water first then poured it in the tank. The tank turned cloudy for about an hour then cleared up. I have Red cherry shrimp and Ottos, and all were fine. Hope this is of some help to you.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

This is the same person on Planet Inverts that also posted on Aquatic Plant Central. The chemical is the same but in liquid form. I was just posting for others to see that it does work if used cautiously.


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

I am going to petco today and will try the above method on one of my tanks - Thanks all for the info ..


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## thelobster (Jun 30, 2007)

dthb4438 said:


> I just finished the method as "thelobster" mentioned above with the Fenbendazole in my 29 gallon tank. The first day I used a mild solution with 0.21 gr. of Fenbendazole. The next day almost all of the Planaria were dead. I have many RCS (some berried) and a handful of juvi CRS. I waited a day and did it again with a little stronger solution of 0.25 gr. of Fenbendazole and now all of the Planaria seem to be gone and the shrimp are doing fine. I am definetly cutting down on the feeding so now when it is feeding time, they all come out running. I got a small package of three 1 gram packets for $14 at Petco. If anyone wants to try this, I can provide a packet of Fenbendazole if they want it. Just give me your info so I can send it out.


glad it worked for you too!!! were you scared when you poured the the powder in? i was! even though i read the shrimpinverts instructions over and over again



Chikorita said:


> I am going to petco today and will try the above method on one of my tanks - Thanks all for the info ..



good luck not that you need it


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

all done and well
My 40g crystal reds and 20g bumblebee are not free of the planaria
hehehe
Thanks all for the info


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## cwilfinger (Jul 8, 2008)

I had a bad case of planaria in my rcs 10 gal tank and did the fenbendazole method. I poured in 1/10 of a package and the next day, no change so I uped the dosage and put in 3/10 if a package. Next day, no change so I did a 50% water change and poured in half of a package. I finally got rid of them and my shrimps are doing fine. That was 4 days ago, As a matter of fact, I have 5 baby shrimpetts that I was able to count. They are just 2 days old now. I did have 2 deaths in the tank (one yesterday and another today) but I do not know if it is from the meds or old age or some other problem like a bad molt...Water peram. is fine. I'll be doing a 50% water change later today. So, hopefully I won't see anymore deaths anytime soon.


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## southerndesert (Sep 9, 2007)

Does this treatment seem to affect snails at all?

Bill


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## fishsandwitch (Apr 20, 2008)

it kills apple snails, do not know about others.

Planaria eat snail eggs, so I would do this method if you are keeping assasin snails before you add them and then do huge water changes

otherwise I dont see any harm in planaria

hydra are kinda annoying, but I really think used chemicals is unnessisary. Just my opinion though


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## southerndesert (Sep 9, 2007)

That is what I thought and I would guess most snails will be killed by this treatment. My tanks all have "other" inverts in them and as long as I do not over feed I do not often see them.
Cheer, Bill


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