I made this planaria trap by using a glass vial and a cut ballpoint pen tip. By inserting the ballpoint tip, it creates an inverted funnel with a small opening. I placed the trap with a food pellet bait at the bottom of my shrimp bowl, and almost immediately, I saw planaria, snails and shrimp follow the scent and migrate to and congregate at the entrance of the trap. But only planaria could get through the small opening, so it is working.
By next day, I saw a few planaria trapped, but they were not moving, fat and appeared dead. I touched them with a toothpick with no response. So what is causing their demise: 1) Run out of oxygen as the opening is too small for circulation, 2) They secrete toxin that poison themselves, or 3) They overfed themselves to death, or 4) They are not really dead, just incapacitated from over feeding.
What do you think?
By next day, I saw a few planaria trapped, but they were not moving, fat and appeared dead. I touched them with a toothpick with no response. So what is causing their demise: 1) Run out of oxygen as the opening is too small for circulation, 2) They secrete toxin that poison themselves, or 3) They overfed themselves to death, or 4) They are not really dead, just incapacitated from over feeding.
What do you think?