Slugs Attack!

[cbong]

I have been getting these irritating 'slugs' crawling around my 2 feet planted tank for the last month. Reproducing quite fast and a total eye-sore. Tried salt, no-feeding and water changes but still could not get rid of them. The fishes and shrimps are not keen to snack on them, neither do these 'slugs' attack the fishes.

What are these irritants??? How to rid them, short of boiling them alive??? Pls advice.

http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/che...pg&.src=ph

[budak]

those are planarians (a type of flatworm)... they are harmless, but indicate an excess of uneaten food or dead things. Feed less and use a plate of bait (market prawn) to draw them out for disposal.

[cbong]

Thanks for identifying them. Wouldn't a plate of prawns attract fishes and shrimps as well?

Can I use medications to kill them? If so, what would be good? Thanks again

[Simon]

[quote:bc8a6520d3="cbong"]Thanks for identifying them. Wouldn't a plate of prawns attract fishes and shrimps as well?

Can I use medications to kill them? If so, what would be good? Thanks again[/quote:bc8a6520d3]

what budak suggest is place a market prawn on a sauce, to attract them.. remove and repeat procedure till you have removed them.

best thing, reduce your feed

[vinz]

What I've read says nothing eats them. But, my planaria problem dissappeared overnight with the introduction of 25 tiger barbs into a 6 foot tank.

To prevent shrimp and fish from moving the bait, cover it with mesh.

[cbong]

I've had it! Tore down my tank and did a 100% cleaning and started new... sand, fert, plants etc. There were more than 100 planaria crawling disgustingly around. To get rid of them from my cannister filter, poured boiling water into it to cook them

[foxxkat]

if this happens to me...

i got worm phobia
wen u see me post my tank up for grab FOC u kno wat happen liao

[cbong]

Btw, here's an article to manage planaria problem.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article1.html

[victri]

I've witnessed my new additions of Badis Burmanicus chomping on them. The tank was cleared of all planaria and snails visibly less within a week.

[cherietung]

Is this a particular species (Badis Burmanicus) that will eat them or just normal platy and guppy will dot he job?

[victri]

[quote:3d6c045d4c="cherietung"]Is this a particular species (Badis Burmanicus) that will eat them or just normal platy and guppy will dot he job?[/quote:3d6c045d4c]

I think some fish will feast on the planaria. It's just that I actually witnessed this particular Badis searching out and eating these slugs and snails. Really amazing. An excellent alternative for those considering snail-control crew.

[thwwx]

Aiyee!!! I think they're actively attacking my cherry shrimps!! Everyone has been telling me that they're harmless and I've left them to flourish in my cherry shrimp breeding tank. Lately, I have been finding one or two dead shrimps daily (in a tank of hundreds), and I thought it was just old age since the ones that died were the 1st gen shrimps. The flatworms make short work of the shrimp bodies (gone in 60mins) hence I rarely catch a glimpse of dead shrimps

Then 5 mins ago, I saw a juvenile shrimp, otherwise healthy looking, engulf by these damned flatworms! U know these flatworms exude something sticky, I suspects one will opportunistically glue a shrimp, then attach itself and eat it alive! Their buddies soon swarm around the ensnared shrimp and enjoy the sashimi.



a perfectly healthy looking shrimp, no mass death that may implicate water quality issue.



Sticky shrimp, slime of the flatworm.

[kyne]

I have this problem too. Pretty hard to get rid of the slugs without hurting the shrimps...

[Nicky]

According to Chan (NA), the medicine he sold can rid the slugs without affecting the shrimps. Personally I have not tried it. But I must say the packaging of the medicine looks damn convincing. Plus it is quite cheap. Go ask Chan about it. Chan told me he used it on his breeding tank and the baby-shrimps were not affected.

P.S. I am not in anyway related to Chan or NA.

[jt1]

[quote:a0d0621a6a="thwwx"]Aiyee!!! I think they're actively attacking my cherry shrimps!! Everyone has been telling me that they're harmless and I've left them to flourish in my cherry shrimp breeding tank. Lately, I have been finding one or two dead shrimps daily (in a tank of hundreds), and I thought it was just old age since the ones that died were the 1st gen shrimps. The flatworms make short work of the shrimp bodies (gone in 60mins) hence I rarely catch a glimpse of dead shrimps

Then 5 mins ago, I saw a juvenile shrimp, otherwise healthy looking, engulf by these damned flatworms! U know these flatworms exude something sticky, I suspects one will opportunistically glue a shrimp, then attach itself and eat it alive! Their buddies soon swarm around the ensnared shrimp and enjoy the sashimi.



a perfectly healthy looking shrimp, no mass death that may implicate water quality issue.



Sticky shrimp, slime of the flatworm.[/quote:a0d0621a6a]

Bro, I see you have snails in your shrimp tank. Any fish in the tank? If no fish, how do you get rid of the snails. I'm tired of crushing the snails as there are just too many in my tank and I can't intro fish/puffer as there are fries inside.

thanks

[thwwx]

I once had a snail problem, not anymore. I suspected the worms did them in and there but a few left. The worms are indeed carnivorous from an article I read. I think I prefer snails to carnivorous white worms in my shrimp tank