I dont think the above mention slugs are actuallty "slugs". Try to do a search on some parasite name ni-mer-toad. I dont really know the spelling but they feed on moulting shrimps and shrimplets.
I dont think the above mention slugs are actuallty "slugs". Try to do a search on some parasite name ni-mer-toad. I dont really know the spelling but they feed on moulting shrimps and shrimplets.
try to identify the slugs first, do they look like anything from here:
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=34333
thanks bros. i checked the www and the name is Planaria, flatworms. it crawls along the glass - some ugly slime moving around. anyone experience clearing them with baby crs inside?
reduced feeding will help to keep these pest under control. Not to frighten you but someone in AQ recently found one of these pest feeding on his shrimp......
I had managed to exterminate all the planaria by stop feeding at the tank for 2-3 months.
CRS survived solely on algae feeding.
Search the forum, there is a post about getting rid of them. It's stickied if I'm not wrong. If I remember correctly, you just have to set up bait for them in a shallow dish/container. The shrimp will also got for that bait, but the shrimp will dart away pretty fast when you try to lift the trap, but the planaria will be too "sluggish" to get away in time. This will get rid or many of them really fast.
Planaria need not come from plants. If you go to the NewWater Plant tours, they will show you that our water is full of microscopic stuff, and it includes planaria young/eggs.
You just need the right conditions for them to flourish and they will infest your tank. Usually overfeeding is the cause. I suggest you feed the shrimp "organic" food like moss and algae. No processed foods like algae tablets, etc.
In my experience, a squadron of tiger barbs ate them up overnight... but you have shrimp, so no go.
Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
With bait You will never get all planaria out of the tank.
You can try garlic. Press one clove of garlic per ten litres in the tank, put it in a permeable bag and let it in there for some hours. Hang the bag in front of the outlet of Your filter so the garlic essence is in the flow. Normally the shrimp don't care the garlic (even like it) – watch them carefully. If they behave unnormal put out the garlic and make a water change. More O2 in the water may help either.
You can catch one planaria and test it with garlic – not all species of planaria seem to react on garlic.
Another method is to salt up Your tank. Many dwarf shrimps are more or less salt tolerant. Red cherrys tolerate upt to 25 grams per litre (but that much isn't necessary to kill the planaria). CRS also tolerate at least a few grams per litre. Again: Catch one planaria (with a pipette) and test it with brackish water, let's say with a dilution of 5 grams per litre. If it dies (You can watch the effect immediatly, it writhes and squirms and becomes still) You can try the procedue in Your tank.
Important: If You salt up Your tank do it in small steps. Don't change freshwater against 10 gr/L in one step! Salt it up in steps of two or three gr/L to give all shrimp the time to adapt.
Both methods should be tested before usage in the tank. There are many many species of planaria and not all react intolerant to salt or garlic.
Last edited by BEASTIEPENDENT; 15th Dec 2008 at 07:28. Reason: Supplement
Cheerio, BEASTIE ;-)
CRABS, Crayfish, Shrimp, Land hermits, Mussels & Snails, Dragons, Snakes and more in some 40 tanks
Good one, BEASTIE. I've copied your post to our Planaria Remedies sticky thread.
Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
thanks for all the advice
You're welcome. ;-) Another method of course is the in the planaria sticky thread mentioned flubendazol. If not overdosed the shrimp have no problem with that – but I would be careful if so many younglings are in the tank (although reports state they are not harmed either). The flubendazol though kills most snails.
Cheerio, BEASTIE ;-)
CRABS, Crayfish, Shrimp, Land hermits, Mussels & Snails, Dragons, Snakes and more in some 40 tanks
flubendazol sounds like some anti-biotics. dosage again may be tricky. and also i have red ramshorn in the tank but thanks anyway. the idea of using bait is good
Like someone mentioned bait will not get rid of all the planaria. It will work to get the majority out, but you'll miss some. The other treatments, like starvation, etc, will help you get rid of the remnants.
Flubendazole is used to kill intestinal worms (in humans) and other internal parasites. You could probably find it some of the de-worming products in the pharmacy. Just read the ingredients. Read the sticky thread and Google for more details.
Last edited by vinz; 16th Dec 2008 at 23:47.
Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
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