White little critters in tank!

[phengx]

Most fish don't eat planaria very readily, or unless desperate for food. Putting more fish in will necessitate more feeding, which will likely increase your planaria problem rather than combat it. They don't seem to harm fish but they will do severe damage to fish eggs.

Somebody (not sure, but I think it might have been Trouser Cough ) recently mentioned a product that apparently works well to get rid of these critters. I can't remember the name of the stuff, something goofy like Planaria-Be-Gone or an equally unimaginative moniker.

im look that up

 

[Trouser Cough]

It's a powder and the "spoonful" referred to in the directions is tiny.

 

[phengx]

I totally agree. Planaria are parasites and not a popular food source for any fish that recall having kept. They're common hitchhikers on shrimp but they're also really easy to control to the point that though you may still have them in the tank you'll not see them. I've got a lot of shrimp and a few mexican dwarf crayfish that I'd bet a nickel might be harboring some of these little cretins but I haven't seen one since I last treated the tank a year or more ago. The product is called No-Planaria and it has one ingredient; Betel nut palm extract. I have no clue what that is but I've never noticed it bothering any other fish in any of the tanks I've treated in years past. It's a three day regimen that in my experience has completely killed all planaria in three days.

I wouldn't encourage anyone else to toss the instructions out but I have doubled the dosage before and the only thing in the tank that seems to be bummed about it was the planaria.

There are two things about planaria that I like to bear in mind:

- They'll kill your shrimp for sure and

- Though I've never seen it I have a buddy that I occasionally trade fish back and forth with. He gave me a pile of shrimp and they had a planaria infestation that he didn't think was an issue even when I suggested that they were. He changed his mind when later his wife said that she'd seen one outside the tank wandering across the kitchen counter. I don't keep an aquarium in the kitchen but I agree w/ mamma; can't have that.

Revolting, parasitic and easy to control w/ no downside that I'm aware of. Cheap too. The unusual comment on the package is:

"Keep Planaria away without harming shrimp and plants".

That makes me wonder if it's killing them or what exactly it's doing but you don't need to break down your tank as the fix is cheap, easy, and the med is available at the typical independent LFS. Gimme a sec and I'll post a pic.

man wish i knew more about this before hand as i already got the tank to the bare minium lol. I just got worried it was some sort of harmful infestatioj to my fish. Thank you for the info be getting some of that Planaria be gone and try it out.

 

[Trouser Cough]

man wish i knew more about this before hand as i already got the tank to the bare minium lol. I just got worried it was some sort of harmful infestatioj to my fish. Thank you for the info be getting some of that Planaria be gone and try it out.

I hear you! I think all of us may be inclined to hit an infestation of anything we don't recognize with all we've got and aside from a little extra work there's nothing wrong w/ that. Because even the adults are small (like maybe 1/2" long or so) there's a high likelihood that unless you've really been fastidious something may survive. Once the cleaning is done I'd still recommend a three day dosing of No-Planaria. It's as cheap as a pancake, won't hurt a thing and it might allow you to stop cleaning, set the tank back up and let that betel nut palm extract nuke your new visitors.

 

[phengx]

I hear you! I think all of us may be inclined to hit an infestation of anything we don't recognize with all we've got and aside from a little extra work there's nothing wrong w/ that. Because even the adults are small (like maybe 1/2" long or so) there's a high likelihood that unless you've really been fastidious something may survive. Once the cleaning is done I'd still recommend a three day dosing of No-Planaria. It's as cheap as a pancake, won't hurt a thing and it might allow you to stop cleaning, set the tank back up and let that betel nut palm extract nuke your new visitors.

sounds like a plan. Thanks again

 

[Trouser Cough]

Did you put either shrimp in the tank or new plants in the tank (from someone that had shrimp) in the last month or so by chance?

 

[Trouser Cough]

Yo @phangx ...did that turn out to have solved the parasite issue?