# Planaria attacking shrimp!!!



## daniel19831123 (17 Mar 2008)

Did you guys know that planaria will attack dead shrimp??!! I was shock to find that today. Had my first batch of CRS delivered to me and wasn't too please with the quality of the shrimp not to mentioned the delivery time it takes and quality of the packaging. Opened the bag just to find 3 dead shrimp in there!!! Drop the whole thing in the tank and within 5 minutes after the dead shrimp hitting the bottom of the tank, a swarm of planaria started moving towards the dead shrimp. When I came back after 5 minutes, there was this clump of planaria measuring over 2 cm in diameter over that 3 dead shrimp!!! Within 10 minutes there was nothing left of the shrimp besides some clear coloured shell... Looks like some shrimp just molted... I was totally disgusted by the scene. Still creeps me out when I recall that image. Any idea how to get rid of them?? And where on earth did they come from in the first place?


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## GreenNeedle (17 Mar 2008)

More to the point, If you bought 3 shrimp and they were dead when you opened the bag.  why did you put them in the tank?

And if they are CRS why did you not go for a refund?

As for planaria I have no idea.

There are many different inhabitants in our aquariums that we never notice including some small tapeworms (I noticed one in my previous setup once.)

More often than not it is no cause for concern as it is a normal occurrence but a swarm of flesh eating parasites would worry me.

Andy


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## daniel19831123 (18 Mar 2008)

hmm they could be tape worm actually. Looks like it's got an arrow shaped head. I bought 40 shrimp. 3 appeared dead and the seller packed all 40 shrimp in the same bag with loads of moss in it. There is no way I can take a picture of the dead shrimp without opening the bag. Had quite a few debates about that with the seller and then just decided it's not worth the hassle. Bought A grade shrimp, got B grade instead. Told that the box can hold up to 4 bag so I assumed he will sent them in 4 bags with 10 in each bag. Nope it arrived in one bag which happens to be leaking. Paid for UPS express shipping, ended up getting fedex international economy shipping. Seller said he will shipped them in breather bag, the shrimp came in normal polystyrene bag with loads of air/oxygen splashing around. When asked the seller about this, he said what he meant by breather bag was normal bag with oxygen in the bag for the shrimp to breathe!!!!


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## beeky (19 Mar 2008)

Ages ago in PFK there was a question about tiny worms just a mm or two in length. They said it was probably planaria and they're in most mature tanks but usually in very small numbers, the only time you can swarms is due to overfeeding.


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## Ed Seeley (19 Mar 2008)

daniel19831123 said:
			
		

> Looks like it's got an arrow shaped head.



Some larger Planaria do have a pointed, almost arrow shaped head so it could be that.  Most tape worms are much larger, almost exclusively enteric parasites and have distinctly segmented bodies.


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## daniel19831123 (20 Mar 2008)

Well mine certainly are not overfed. I only keep CRS in the tank and I don't even feed them...


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## beeky (20 Mar 2008)

TBH, I didn't expect you to be, I was just reiterating what I'd heard.

What substrate are you using? Maybe they're living on something in the substrate, but I doubt you're using humus rich top soil are you?


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## Graeme Edwards (20 Mar 2008)

I had a massive invasion of planarian. I basically striped the whole tank, bleached everything, chucked all the plants and made sure I didn't cross contaminate the new tank with nets etc.
Made arrived when I decided to add wild pond plants to the tank. Your could of came in on some plants too, perhaps from a not very good source. Its usually a sign of poor tank tank maintenance, or poor water, but i don't think that is totally accurate. Ive heard that you can put a piece of meet in some old tights, lay it in the tank just before lights out, leave it for an hour or so, then lift it out with the planarian on it and throw it away, and keep doing that.

Horrible things.


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## daniel19831123 (20 Mar 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> TBH, I didn't expect you to be, I was just reiterating what I'd heard.
> 
> What substrate are you using? Maybe they're living on something in the substrate, but I doubt you're using humus rich top soil are you?



sorry didn't mean to accuse you of anything. yeah I'm actually using top soil for that setup but it's been going on for over 3 months now and only now that I realised the amount of planaria in the tank. They do look like ferocious meat eater to me. Arghhhh disgusting!


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## tanker (25 Apr 2008)

my aquarium also has occasional worms. its not planaria, but i dont know what is it. its very thin and white. usually 1cm or 2cm. i've spotted cm ones! disgusting. usually comes out from the filter. it doesnt crawl, but swim by wriggling. good thing is i've sseen my fish eating it.


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## Themuleous (26 Apr 2008)

Ewwwey!!  They sound nasty!


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## Ed Seeley (26 Apr 2008)

They sound like they may be Nematodes which are very widespread.  They can be a sign of overfeeding so make sure that the fish are eating all the food you're putting in.


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## tanker (28 Apr 2008)

can you explain how overfeeding will cause it? however nothing has ever been overfed in my aquarium before.   i even suspect some of my fish died from starvation. i had a tiny puffer that was starved to death coz i thought there was lots of snails for it and i didnt have to feed it. i also thought my siamese flying fox died of starvation, after it became slim 1 mth after i bought it. but there was more than enough algae for it! 
i'm now feeding my fish once a day. can i throw in some cucumbers as there's 10 shrimps and 2 otos in my 27 litre aquarium. no wriggling worms for the past few weeks, except once after i switched on the filter again and it came out together with the water. tetra ate it...


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## Ed Seeley (28 Apr 2008)

I didn't say they were definitely caused by overfeeding I said, "they _can_ be a sign of overfeeding".  If you're making sure you aren't then it's unlikely that that is the cause!

A few are probably present in every aquarium but lots would be sign of some extra amount of nutrition for them of some kind.


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## thebullit (18 Sep 2008)

if there is uneten food in the tank then they will populate to excessive numbers. more gravel vac's an lless feeding will make them dye off eventually.

although harmless to fish and shrimp i have seen these little crettens (on a few occasions) get under apple snails trapdoor making the snail to close it  over then stress and eat the snail alive.


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## tanker (19 Sep 2008)

that is so gross... does planaria look like thin worms, white and swim?
coz occasionally i do see them in my tank


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## thebullit (19 Sep 2008)

i have never seen them swim but white worm like things. can grow up to 2 cm in length and has a head shaped like an arrow.


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## tanker (22 Sep 2008)

i always see them swim, so i'm not sure if its planaria. especially i swtiched off my filter for tank maintenance, then turn it back on. they come out from the filter... fish eats them if they can see.
but its so thin i cant see whther it has arrow like head.


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## thebullit (22 Sep 2008)

they are very thin when young, but when they mature you will notice the arrow head, if it is planaria.


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