planaria and shrimp

[succinctfish]

I confess I have planaria in my invert tank.  Overfeeding, I know.    I have stopped feeding the tank for the time being, and I am oh so carefully vacuuming the area in which they are concentrated.
To answer the question I have found in my research wandering through various shrimp/invert sites, do planaria attack healthy living shrimp?  The answer is yes.  A nice sized cherry shrimp going about its daily business in the java moss suddenly darted upward, then down in the tank, and I saw a planaria attached to its side.  It was clearly trying to get away from it, with no success. Last seen dashing around the tank with its planaria tormentor, still alive, but clearly in distress. 
So much for my peaceful tank.

[zapisto]

firts of all
are you sure they are planaria ?
here is a planaria (see the form of the head):


here is a snail leech (who is usually by mistakle call planaria)



not the same animal , and not the same effect
planaria in my opinion is a danger for shriomp keeper , snail leech not.
snail leech is a danger for snail keeper
the two are pest

[succinctfish]

Yes, I am sure it's planaria.

I spent a productive, albeit unpleasant half hour with a spoon and an empty yoghurt container, removing planaria by hand to give the shrimp a better chance. 

I'm familiar with their shape, although I've never seen a snail leech.  Something else to look out for in my tanks. 

[zapisto]

Yes, I am sure it's planaria.

I spent a productive, albeit unpleasant half hour with a spoon and an empty yoghurt container, removing planaria by hand to give the shrimp a better chance. 

I'm familiar with their shape, although I've never seen a snail leech.  Something else to look out for in my tanks. 

ok if you are sure
you can get rid of them with Flubendazole.
however  i recommend you to read this : Planaria in shrimp tank

good luck

[succinctfish]

Thanks Zap.

Now, flubendazole is hard to get, right?  And toxic to snails?  So I would need to remove my bumblebee nerites first.

Is it possible to just keep removing the planaria manually, or is that like Sisyphus and the rock, something I will be painfully repeating forever with nothing to show for it?

[zapisto]

Thanks Zap.

Now, flubendazole is hard to get, right?  And toxic to snails?  So I would need to remove my bumblebee nerites first.

Is it possible to just keep removing the planaria manually, or is that like Sisyphus and the rock, something I will be painfully repeating forever with nothing to show for it?

when you see one , you have 1000 so.....

[succinctfish]

So that means I have 100,000 planaria. 
I see your point.  So where can I get  flubendazole?
Will it harm gammarus?  I now have some in the tank, which I would like to keep alive,in fact everything was lovely in my little invert tank, until the planaria plague.

[zapisto]

So that means I have 100,000 planaria. 
I see your point.  So where can I get  flubendazole?
Will it harm gammarus?  I now have some in the tank, which I would like to keep alive,in fact everything was lovely in my little invert tank, until the planaria plague.

well i never test it on gammares
but i know it will not harm the shrimp.
so the best way is to quarantine you snail and gammares (all you cna found, it is not difficult to start over with 20)
treat you tank , be sure to syphon the body well ,  because you wil have a nice nitrite pick.

PS: i have something for you (pivate plz)

[dan2x38]

Succintfish if you want i got some Fluke Tabs. They kill flatworms. Should only take a few doses I'd guess.

[zapisto]

Succintfish if you want i got some Fluke Tabs. They kill flatworms. Should only take a few doses I'd guess.

yes and it will kill all her shrimp or any invert.

[Melody]

I didn't know they would go after Shrimp.  They can drive Applesnails to distraction too.  I found Planaria in a high tank that I can't see very well... apparently I couldn't see how much food I was putting in either and vacuuming was blind too.     I don't keep tanks up there anymore.

Anyways, I took the tank down & bleached it as its just as easy to do that as treat it.  I did treat the container that the snails were in from that tank, just to make sure none were hiding under their shells (they were, so watch for that).  I used Prazipro, which killed the worms but not the snails.  I have no idea if its Shrimp-safe or not though.

Good luck!

[dan2x38]

Yes I used Fluke tabs on Hydra & Praxipro on Planaria. There were no inverts in these tanks. I am not sure if it will harm shrimp & other inverts?

[babblefish1960]

yes and it will kill all her shrimp or any invert.

Yes I used Fluke tabs on Hydra & Praxipro on Planaria. There were no inverts in these tanks. I am not sure if it will harm shrimp & other inverts?

Seems to me that this has already been covered a few times, it will kill the shrimp and the invertabrates other than shrimp too.  Flubendazole is the answer.