# Worms In Shrimp Tank



## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

People here recommend Safe-guard (pet de-worming medicine from Petsmart) with great success with shrimp tanks. It is reported to kill only worms, no shrimp!


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

It doesn't kill nematodes, only planaria. If you have nematodes or tubifex, you need to feed less, you will never get rid of them 100%


----------



## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

Tubifex rule... free betta food for life.


----------



## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

My merah are obese from all the tubefex in their shrimp tank. They're gross but they don't seem to harm anything.


----------



## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

I recently treated for hydra using fenbenzadole (safeguard/panacur) and had wood shrimp filtering and eating the undissolved crystals with no apparent ill effects. It works wonders when used properly.


----------



## HolyAngel (Oct 18, 2010)

Pull them out with tweezers when you see them and drop or hang them from the surface, I bet you'll barely be able to hold 1 at the top before any mid/top summers nab it right off the tweezers 

My harlequin rasboras, cardinal tetras, and guppies LOVE live tubifex worms, only the guppies will touch the dried cubes of them tho.


----------



## JEden8 (Jan 5, 2011)

They are solid white and the largest one I've seen was about 3/4" long. They just swim around the tank every once in a while I'll see them. Are these planaria?I feed 3 algae wafers to about 75 shrimp every other day. Is that over feeding?


----------



## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

Planaria aren't free swimming, they crawl around on things. There are parasitic worms that are often found in ghost shrimp, if you have any of those in your tank, though they can get substantially longer than 3/4". I had a 4" worm come out of the side of a 1" shrimp and the shrimp survived, it was exceedingly nasty. I don't know that that is what you have or anything, just a possibility.


----------



## JEden8 (Jan 5, 2011)

jasonpatterson said:


> Planaria aren't free swimming, they crawl around on things. There are parasitic worms that are often found in ghost shrimp, if you have any of those in your tank, though they can get substantially longer than 3/4". I had a 4" worm come out of the side of a 1" shrimp and the shrimp survived, it was exceedingly nasty. I don't know that that is what you have or anything, just a possibility.


I've never seen them growing out of my shrimp. I just see them swimming around in the tank. For instance, yesterday when I got home from work there were 5 or 6 of them swimming around in the tank. That's the most I've ever seen at once. Normally they come crawling out of my sponge filter. That's where I seem them the most. It's just now there are more and more of them and they ae coming out more often.


----------



## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

Sounds like tubifex worms. Just stop feeding for a while.


----------



## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

I have the same worm issue. I don't think it's tubifex because aren't tubifex red? these are white and aren't that long (about 1"). I plan to move my shrimps to another tank, put some neon or cardinal in, and perhaps tiger barbs (just because they're my fav fish), too, in this worm tank and stir the substrate a little. 

which other fish like to swim at the bottom? I think neons and tiger barbs both like to hang out in the middle water. I need them to go to the bottom as well to take care of those worms sticking out of substrate...


----------



## JEden8 (Jan 5, 2011)

gtu2004 said:


> I have the same worm issue. I don't think it's tubifex because aren't tubifex red? these are white and aren't that long (about 1"). I plan to move my shrimps to another tank, put some neon or cardinal in, and perhaps tiger barbs (just because they're my fav fish), too, in this worm tank and stir the substrate a little.
> 
> which other fish like to swim at the bottom? I think neons and tiger barbs both like to hang out in the middle water. I need them to go to the bottom as well to take care of those worms sticking out of substrate...


I agree about the color difference. My problem is I have over 100 shrimp in my tank and can't move them  I'm hoping to find something that will kill the worms without adding fish. I stopped feeding for like 2 weeks and more of them appeared. I don't know what's going on. Let me know how it goes for ya!


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

They are nematodes and are harmless. They will never go away, never, no matter what you do. They are a part of the Eco system of your tank. You want to see less of them? Feed your shrimp less.


----------

