When planarians appear in the aquarium, this becomes a cause for concern, and these worms look somehow completely unattractive. Is it really worth worrying about this, and are these creatures really that dangerous? Today we will get to know them better, learn how to deal with planarians in an aquarium, as well as what preventive measures exist.
Description
Planarians are flatworms covered with hair that looks like small cilia. Their main habitat is freshwater. However, some varieties of planarians can also be found in sea water, less often on land. In nature, many species of these worms are known, which are distributed throughout the world. Adults of some worms living in the wild can reach a length of 40 cm.
In home aquariums, white-milk, brown and mourning planarians are most often found. The peculiarity of parasites is that they prefer to lead a nocturnalLifestyle. Planarians in an aquarium hide behind stones, in the midst of plants. That is why it is not easy to detect them, especially if they are brown or mourning worms.
Fish do not eat them, because their skin contains poisonous glands that produce toxic substances that are dangerous to others. The only exceptions are labyrinth fish (cockerel, gourami), which live in a freshwater aquarium. Here they willingly eat parasites and their eggs. In the marine aquarium, these worms are preferred by various types of wrasses.
The main food for planarians is protein food. The basis of their diet is made up of small invertebrates, in particular shrimps and crustaceans. They love to feast on fish, snail and crustacean caviar, as well as their food. Often, planarians in an aquarium (see photo below) attack adults. They are able to penetrate under their shell and clog the gills, causing suffocation. After that, the worms eat the victim.
No less damage is caused by planarians in a marine aquarium. Due to the colossal speed of reproduction, parasites are able to cover live stones, corals, glasses and soil in a matter of months with a continuous crust. Corals covered in planarian secretions begin to suffocate and eventually die. Among other things, in the presence of parasites, the walls of the aquarium become unaesthetic.
Where do planarians come from
There can be several reasons for the appearance of eyelash worms. They are often brought along with untreated soil or plants. Also, planarians can get along with toys and interior items from the oldaquarium. The source of infection may be live food or newly introduced inhabitants.
When they get into the aquarium, the worms begin to multiply at a very high rate, laying eggs under stones, plant leaves or in the ground. Active reproduction of planarians is facilitated by irregular cleaning of the aquarium and changes in temperature indicators.
How to detect parasites
In order to determine the presence of planaria in the aquarium, you need to show some observation.
Firstly, carefully monitor the behavior of the fish. If among them there are individuals who shake their heads from time to time, it can be assumed that their gills were attacked by flatworms.
Secondly, the absence of fry may indicate the presence of parasites, although it was previously noted that fish laid eggs.
You can also find planarians on glasses if you suddenly turn on the lighting in the aquarium.
Fight against planarians in the aquarium
Getting rid of parasites is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that the planaria is very tenacious and tends to self-produce. In other words, if you cut it into pieces, each of them subsequently grows a tail and a head. According to some reports, only 1/279 of the body part of the planarian is enough to renew the whole organism. Moreover, these worms easily go to "suicide": in the event of a threat to life, their body breaks into pieces. This ability in medicine is called "autotomy". In addition, these parasites are capable ofsustain a long enough hunger strike.
And yet, with some effort, you can not only reduce their numbers, but even remove them altogether.
It is worth noting that in aquariums where fish live, it is much easier to cope with the task. Some types of fish, such as fairly hungry cichlids and macropods, will help get rid of worms quickly and for sure. After all, it is these fish that are resistant to the poisonous mucus of ciliary worms. But to do this in a shrimp is very problematic. This will require a lot of hard work.
Physical fighting methods
If there are planarians in the aquarium, how to get rid of these parasites? Aquarists have come up with a number of ways to help kill planaria.
Of course, you can mechanically clean and wash stones, plants, filters, aquarium walls and various objects daily, thereby washing away the planaria.
To destroy the eggs of parasites, the soil must be removed and boiled. However, such manipulations are quite lengthy, and the expected effect is not always guaranteed, since the eggs of the parasite are so resistant that they can even withstand boiling. Yes, and soon all this may simply get bored.
One of the most popular ways to kill planarians is to use mechanical traps. To do this, put scraped beef or squid meat in a gauze bag and hang the bait overnight near the ground or among plants. The aquarium should not be lit at this time. In the morning, in low light, carefully remove the bag ofworms caught, after which the trap is immediately immersed in boiling water.
Also, a special glass or plastic vessel with holes is often used to catch worms. Such a trap can be purchased at the store or made independently. The holes in the vessel are made in such a way that, getting inside on the bait food, the planaria can no longer get out.
It is worth noting that this technique requires patience. Lure fishing must be carried out for several days in a row to remove the young that have emerged from the eggs.
Chemicals
How to get a planarian out of an aquarium? This question worries many aquarists.
Today, the simplest and most reliable method of getting rid of planarians is the use of drugs that contain fenbendazole. These include Flubendazole, Fluvermal, Flubenol or Panakur. The main active ingredient does not harm the permanent inhabitants of the aquarium, but is effective in the fight against planarians.
The recommended dose of fenbendazole is 0.2-0.4 g per 100 liters of water. A day or two after the use of the drug, all planarians die. Moreover, fenbendazole in the form of a suspension gives a faster effect than its analogue in powder, since the latter is poorly soluble in water. Dead worms are found stuck to the walls of the aquarium. Therefore, the final step in the fight against parasites will be mechanical cleaning and water replacement.
Home remedies
If planarians appear in an aquarium, a concentrated solution of table s alt in the ratio of 1 g per 1 liter of water is used as a simple and good way to destroy them. True, in this case it is important to take into account one nuance: it is better to remove plants for which the saline solution can become fatal for a while.
No less effective is a 0.5% or 0.25% solution of table vinegar. Of course, an acetic solution at a concentration of 0.25% will be more effective. But if there is no need for extreme measures, it is better to prefer a more gentle option.
After vinegar or s alt treatment, all items present in the aquarium must be thoroughly rinsed in clean water so as not to cause even more harm to fish and shrimps. After that, you should change the water in the aquarium.
Also, if planarians appeared in the aquarium, you can get rid of them with the help of various pesticides, passing a current charge (12 V) through the water, and heating the water. However, all these methods are dangerous for shrimps and snails. They need to be applied with a clear understanding of the risk and possible consequences.
Preventive measures
To prevent the appearance of intruders in the form of planarians, it is necessary to regularly clean the aquarium and prevent it from becoming dirty. The corpses of dead fish and leftover food should not be left in the aquarium for a long time, as the process of decay will occur.
Due attention should be paid to filters - wash and clean them in a timely manner.
Transfer plants and elementsinterior to the aquarium is better after pre-treatment with vinegar solution and thorough rinsing with water.
