# Another planaria problem



## geisterwald (Jul 18, 2016)

About how big is it? Did you measure it with a ruler? I can't really tell the scale here. Planaria are rather large, about 1cm long. I'm not sure what baby planaria look like, this could still be one I guess.

As for treatment, look into fenbendazole (dog dewormer). Search it on the forum here for more info. It's pretty safe, but can kill snails, so you'd probably want to relocate any snails before using it. It will eventually clear out of your water column, it's not like copper meds where it'll ruin your tank for snails permanently (and it is safe for shrimp).


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

With shrimp in the tank, I would use No Planaria. Just make sure to remove any snails/worms that you would like to keep as it will most likely kill them.

It is shrimp and fish safe when used as per the instructions.

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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

geisterwald said:


> About how big is it? Did you measure it with a ruler? I can't really tell the scale here. Planaria are rather large, about 1cm long. I'm not sure what baby planaria look like, this could still be one I guess.
> 
> As for treatment, look into fenbendazole (dog dewormer). Search it on the forum here for more info. It's pretty safe, but can kill snails, so you'd probably want to relocate any snails before using it. It will eventually clear out of your water column, it's not like copper meds where it'll ruin your tank for snails permanently (and it is safe for shrimp).


 Thank you geisterwald for the suggestion, I didn't measure it. but off the top of my head I would say its in the "microscopic category" since I only saw it when I was taking pictures of "microscopic things on the tank glass" with my camera. So no exact measure. Now on this I didn't see a triangular head?



natemcnutty said:


> With shrimp in the tank, I would use No Planaria. Just make sure to remove any snails/worms that you would like to keep as it will most likely kill them.
> 
> It is shrimp and fish safe when used as per the instructions.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus+6 using Tapatalk


 do they sell this at Petco you think or would I have to get it from amazon? (either way is fine) And I have heard this medicine before, sounds pretty 9/10 trusty.
is this it? https://www.amazon.com/Genchem-Plan...F8&qid=1489503387&sr=8-1&keywords=no+planaria
But this one has better reviews? https://www.amazon.com/Benibachi-Pl...F8&qid=1489503387&sr=8-2&keywords=no+planaria


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

Funken_A said:


> Killing Planaria and Hydra .:. Information on killing Planaria & Hydra with Fenbendazole
> 
> according to this guy no removal of shrimp was necessary


 I wasn't going to remove the shrimp...




I am currently leaning towards Planaria-Zero due to the great reviews.


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## geisterwald (Jul 18, 2016)

Yeah, I'm not really convinced that this is planaria since it doesn't have the characteristic triangle-shaped head and is so small. It could just be some run-of-the-mill detritus worm, nothing to worry about. You might get some no-planaria product just to have on hand, but I personally wouldn't go about dosing the tank until you have something that's more assuredly planaria.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

geisterwald said:


> Yeah, I'm not really convinced that this is planaria since it doesn't have the characteristic triangle-shaped head and is so small. It could just be some run-of-the-mill detritus worm, nothing to worry about. You might get some no-planaria product just to have on hand, but I personally wouldn't go about dosing the tank until you have something that's more assuredly planaria.


 Thanks again, I ordered on amazon some Planaria Zero, like I said product was 4 1/2 stars and had good customer questions/reviews. 
Glad its not a major outbreak cause its being shipped from Thailand and will be here may 1st. lmfao


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

BettaBettas said:


> Thank you geisterwald for the suggestion, I didn't measure it. but off the top of my head I would say its in the "microscopic category" since I only saw it when I was taking pictures of "microscopic things on the tank glass" with my camera. So no exact measure. Now on this I didn't see a triangular head?
> 
> 
> do they sell this at Petco you think or would I have to get it from amazon? (either way is fine) And I have heard this medicine before, sounds pretty 9/10 trusty.
> ...


As far as I understand, they both use the same batel nut palm extract. I haven't needed it yet, but I think No Planaria is cheaper based on quantity for whatever that's worth.

I'd have to say that you either found a baby or it is probably just a detritus worm. I agree with @geisterwald that the lack of triangular head and smaller size say it might not be Planaria.

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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

natemcnutty said:


> As far as I understand, they both use the same batel nut palm extract. I haven't needed it yet, but I think No Planaria is cheaper based on quantity for whatever that's worth.
> 
> I'd have to say that you either found a baby or it is probably just a detritus worm. I agree with @*geisterwald* that the lack of triangular head and smaller size say it might not be Planaria.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus+6 using Tapatalk


 Thank you natemcnutty for your input, I honestly really need it still. Even if this isn't planaria, glad ill have that stuff on hand. I have seen many of these today on the glass now that im looking for them (many being 20 or so, might be counting the same ones over again to). I will have to look up some images of detritus worms, I know I have worms in there two that are long and string like, do no harm. But these are new, will admit I upped the feed count but now I guess ill have to lower it again lol. No problem doing that. Have yet to see one of these with a triangular head or one that is pink or red. 
Thanks
Nate

Update, this isn't a deitrus worm. I have seen deitrus worms (didn't know the name of the things, well I did but I didn't know that was them. confusing) in my tank and they are long and stringy as I said. This is small, bulky, resembling the shape of a miniature worm or short snake. Still haven't seen one with a triangular head or being the coloration red/pink. 
If anyone has anymore info they can provide I will happily accept it as im stumped. also this zero planaria apparently wont come tell may 1st, guess its shipping from Thailand or something. So if this is planaria im going to have to wait it out a while.


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

This is where things get confusing, and I'm just an IT guy that has done way too much "Internet research"...

What we call detritus worms are a generic term for annelids that are commonly found in aquariums. There are literally thousands of variants, and pretty much every established tank that utilizes non RO water probably has them, even bare bottom tanks.

Annelids tend to wiggle and move like earth worms. Flat worms (like Planaria) glide across the glass. There are also nematodes of which there are literally a million variants (though not all are aquatic). 

The color of Planaria can be white, brown, pink, etc., so you can't really go by that, but the arrowhead is the best indication.

Also, be careful of ammonia spikes if you use Zero Planaria. It will kill lots of worms as well and could lead to a pretty significant spike. Make sure to do the follow up treatment as well if you do use it.

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## NickAu (Feb 24, 2017)

*WARNING*

The use of products like No Planaria will render your tank a no go zone for snails for months, 

I used it once about 6 months ago and still cant keep snails in the tank,

If you have fish such as Kuhli Loaches I would suggest you remove them first, the morning after I used no planaria I found 8 out of the 30 I owned dead. and yes I use an airstone. Till I used no planaria my Kuhlis were happily breading in the tank.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

For the record, years back I would get small outbreaks of little elongated cream whitish oval worms that looked exactly like the image Betta's posted. And the LFS expert called them 'detritus worms'. They usually showed up in my tanks with Dwarf ciclids being fed lots of LBBS. The Ciclids wouldn't touch 'em, even my non fussy Nannacaras.

I just recently cycled my 5 gallon to be used as a shrimp tank, which it had been in stasis as a holding tank for some of my Java Ferns. A few weeks before I cleaned it out, it had some very thin, (0.3mm or less), longish (10 mm) worms that glided somewhat like the oval detritus worms. Funny thing is I had stocked that tank with about 80 Daphnia to keep a slight algae outbreak in control, and one morning I'm watching the tank and one of those little skinny worms glides past a resting Daphnia and immediately turns and attacks it, paralyzing it. I'm beginning to think any flatworm is a risk not to be taken lightly in a tank with baby shrimp. I also have darker grey colored and slightly shorter but thicker flatworms that look a bit like the shape of the one Betta's posted, that have no triangles on their head, that I'm suspicious of. Considering that most terrestrial flatworms lay down a slime trail that has a neurotoxin compound, I'm thinking that this may be true of more than a few of the aquatic types.

So I'm getting some dog dewormer and doing my 5 gallon once the shrimp get acclimated.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

NickAu said:


> *WARNING*
> 
> The use of products like No Planaria will render your tank a no go zone for snails for months,
> 
> ...


 Thanks nick, im using Zero planaria, but im pretty sure its is still unsafe for snails. says on the pack of the package. I only have 2 old nerites in there so they should be fine being moved to the other tank. Now when can I put them back in is the question. lol, in my other tank my mystery snail is laying eggs every other day. May have to RAOK some future MS


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## NickAu (Feb 24, 2017)

If they are 'detritus worms'. leave them alone they are beneficial to the tank because they consume all the mullum and food that collects in the substrate


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

@BettaBettas because of this post I had to go check wife's 5 gallon shrimp tank.

Plenty of planaria and ditritus worms in their.
Last year I would sit with a 5ml pipette and grab them up.
Now I just watch them drift by.
Has never impacted shrimp reproduction that I can tell.
Although she started with 20 and there is now about 200.
But maybe without planaria there could be 500, I don't know.

Even while watching baby shrimp with the 10x magnifier.
When a worm comes near they tend to jet away right quick.

It is claimed that over feeding keeps the planaria population higher.
I mostly scrape glass with an old credit card, shrimp tear up the GSA when I do this.
I use a small sinking shrimp food about every two weeks, 8-10 1mm pieces.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

@Maryland Guppy I never can get my shrimp to eat GSA, (I have cherrys and amano currently) so I manually remove it...


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## NickAu (Feb 24, 2017)

Great news, I have finally seen a baby Malaysian Trumpet Snail on the glass on the 2 footer.


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

That's not planaria. You're seeing a regular flatworm like noted above a few times. Most likely a rhabdocoela. It's harmless. You'll see the population boom with overfeeding and go down when you feed less. Don't continue to treat the tank to get rid of them you're just hurting the water quality for no reason. 

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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

bsantucci said:


> That's not planaria. You're seeing a regular flatworm like noted above a few times. Most likely a rhabdocoela. It's harmless. You'll see the population boom with overfeeding and go down when you feed less. Don't continue to treat the tank to get rid of them you're just hurting the water quality for no reason.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


 Thanks!!


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## tankobsession (Apr 13, 2018)

OMG so glad I read this thread - I have been freaking out thinking I had planaria in my 6 week old cycling 65 litre planted tank - treated the water with trichlorfon ( from Aqua master - Para -cide )- not having much effect on these at all?? Worms still there after 2 x treatments??? At least you say they are harmless but yes I don't really like the look of them on the glass. Wanting to put Cardinal Tetra's in my tank - Geez it would be good if they ate them - but I doubt it...sigh Snails are all still fine btw - have rams horns and pond snails. The worms came from a hair grass plant from pet barn..Thanks a bloody lot Pet barn ... tissue cultures for me only from now on. To be fair I think I overfed the tank ( fish food cycling.) Parameters all good now - just have these damn worms... sigh


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