Charcoal after No Planaria?

[Chez_]

• 45l tank
• Double sponge filter with a biomedia compartment with ceramic balls.
• HOB trickle filter with a parlour palm and a peace lily.
• 10 ember tetras
• 4 lamp eyes
• 5 Amanos

I'm after a bit of reassurance if anyone has a moment? I had very noticeable planaria and hydra in a 45l tank I want to put cherry shrimp in, so I decided to dose.

I've finished the three day course and I understand I'm now supposed to use charcoal?

I have done a 40% water change. I have a little canister filter I have filled with charcoal and added in. I was planning on doing another 40% change tomorrow and leaving the extra filter in there for a few days.

I've never used charcoal before -- do I just leave it in there and forget about it? Or do I change it for fresh stuff in a day or two? How long should I leave it for? How many water changes should I do?

I've got a few snails I missed before I dosed that still seem active and I'm keeping an eye on ammonia levels.

 

[Zeus.]

I had same issue did the treatment that worked a treat, but never used charcoal afterwards, just fid some big consecutive water changes. It was only in my 50litre with plants RCS and snails, so probably drained it to lowest level for livestock 80 -90%

 

[Chez_]

Thank you! I've done another two 40% changes today and the planaria and hydra seem to be gone. Most of the bigger ramshorns I missed are still trucking, but from what I've read there can be a delayed reaction.

One of my juvenile lamp-eyes has developed some red spots and is a bit lethargic, which I'm hoping is stress rather than infection. He's still eating.

 

[Chez_]

Just updating after another week. I left the charcoal filter in for 48 hours and did another couple of big water changes. The lampeye died but the ramshorns are still around and appear healthy.