# Planaria Worms



## robert69 (Jul 16, 2005)

Hello all. I once again have Planaria(spelling?) Worms in my tank. They are little white worms about 2 - 3 centimeters long. I got some advice awhile ago on how to get rid of them but they keep coming back. I have done constant water changes, etc. but they are still there. I would like more recommendations on how to get rid of them please. I am looking for a medication that I can buy at my LFS. Any suggestions?

thanks all!


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

The white worm come from uneaten food...you should take the food out after feeding them, don't leave in your tank more the 30min..It can also mess up your water quality and you parameter. the worm will keep coming back if you don't clean your tank well..

The most common and easiest way to get rid of worm are do lots of water change...do 20-30% of water change every 3 day and add some aquarium salt..also raise up your temp high. But important thing you MUST do is vacuum your gravel...that is where uneaten food, poop, dirt, etc...at. Do lots of vacuum and water change, repeat the step until you don't see worm any more.

However if you feed your piranha and leave food in there for long time the worm will keep coming back. so try not to leave any left over food in there.

If your piranha don't eat the food, just take it out and try it again next day.


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## mass aggression (Apr 13, 2006)

good info outh.


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## robert69 (Jul 16, 2005)

thanks for the advice. I never leave food in the tank after the feeding. I am very meticulous about scooping up any wasted food left over. I also vacuum the gravel twice a week in order to get as much of the waste up as I can. However, the stupid worms are still there! Is there a medication I can use to kill the worms?

thanks


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## Leasure1 (Jul 24, 2006)

water changes... they do no harm, so water changes will take care of them.


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## dwono (Jan 27, 2007)

I had that prob too.
Do you feed your P with frozen food, like frozen beefheart?
Apparently they can come from your frozen food.
I vacuumed the gravel real well, did 70-80% water changes for 3 days in a row, & it's all gone.
These gross stuff like still water, so if you have a powerhead, you can increase it.
You can also try to lower water level a little so that there's a bigger water splash hitting against water surface (they like to float around too).


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

It really doesn't matter what you or other feed their piranha..the point is when feed them just watch them eat or walk away..come back with in 30min no longer. Eat or not take the food out and try it again the next day..

if you leave food in there it will mess up your water parameter and that will cause matter issue not just the white worm..just an FYI.


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## robert69 (Jul 16, 2005)

Great feedback from all you, appreciate it. However, no matter how many water changes and gravel vac's I do, these worms still come back. I have changed the water 2 times(and gravel vac) this week. I still have some of the worms. Can anyone answer this question: IS THERE ANY MEDICATION I CAN ADD TO THE WATER TO KILL THE WORMS? I was in my LFS and saw a variety of medications for parasites, bacteria, etc.. Do any of these work for Planaria worms?

thanks


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## RAZOR_TOOTH (Jun 22, 2006)

Man Im supprised with all those water changes you still have a problem..
Did happen to clean out your filter too ? If there is food that got sucked up into the filter and is decaying in there you will still have a planaria issue.. Double check in the filter to be safe..

My cichlid tank had planaria and I just increased the temp and added salt and it cleared up.. This was along with a good cleaning and small water changes..

Good luck with it and keep us posted.

R.T.


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## robert69 (Jul 16, 2005)

Yep, filters cleaned as well. I didn't try salt and raising the temp yet. My Reds are very aggressive and didn't want to increase the aggression by raising the temp. I will try anything at this point.

thanks again to all


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## RAZOR_TOOTH (Jun 22, 2006)

You should add salt, that will help kill off the planaria...And the temp increase is temparary just until the planaria is gone..

R.T.


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## BoOCh_nse (Feb 17, 2007)

adding the salt will help to lower their aggression also, to somewhat compensate for the temp raise. i had planaria in my 55 gal when my reds were about 3 in. i got rid of them by vacuuming, doing a 60% or so water change, and adding some rosy red minnows which ate any of the planaria that were floating around. the piranha then ate the rosies, and i made sure to remove any leftovers as soon as i found them. i also quarantined the rosies for a week before adding them. just a suggestion. i never saw planaria again.

good luck


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## LRM (Mar 15, 2007)

2-3cm? Thats pretty big, did you mean 2-3mm? If the worms are detritivores then wouldn't they be beneficial to have in the tank?


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

if you did all the water change, clean out your filter, add salt, etc...and still have worm then I suggest you do a full tank water change and recycle your tank again. that is impossible that you can not get rid of the worm.

But it can take time, if do correctly it should take about couple water maybe less. make sure you add the salt and raise up the temp, only water change don't help and also clean your filter.

Good Luck


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## Wussola (Jan 25, 2006)

Thanks for the awesome replies. I just noticed that I had the same little white worms floating around. I'm going to try more frequent water changes for the next couple weeks (normally do once a week). The P's never leave any food in the tank ... however sometimes little pieces get caught in the filter inlet. I have sand substrate and I vac it the best I can weekly (sometimes I miss gravel ... it was much easier to clean).

wish me luck ....


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

LRM said:


> 2-3cm? Thats pretty big, did you mean 2-3mm? If the worms are detritivores then wouldn't they be beneficial to have in the tank?


i have them in my gravel i dont even waste my time anymore getting them out they help i guess eating any food i dont see







my opinion


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

Prazi pro is the other solution.


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## P-Dee (Jun 1, 2007)

> i have them in my gravel i dont even waste my time anymore getting them out they help i guess eating any food i dont see my opinion


I have to agree. Why bother medicating the tank when you don't need too? They're harmless. I have some in my tank as well. Every other week I'll do a thorough gravel vac and they are gone (most of them) and I'll start to notice them the week after next. They're like my own water change reminder lol. (And my water params are right on)


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

true they are harmless. they are actually a good indication that you have a healthy tank. Its own little ecosystem. But they can be unsightly when they get high in numbers. salt and heat help keep them away. Prazi kills them and alot of other parasites.


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

RAZOR_TOOTH said:


> You should add salt, that will help kill off the planaria...And the temp increase is temparary just until the planaria is gone..
> 
> R.T.


how much salt would you recommend to add? i havent treated with salt in ages


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