planaria

Question
i have a tank with mollies and guppies, i admit i have been guilty of overfeeding them and now have planaria. i am looking at various ways to be rid of them. my question is will the planaria bother butterfly loaches, albino cory cats, or kuli loaches?

Answer
Hi Samantha,

Planaria are harmless, just a sign of excess nutrients - probably due to overfeeding. In tanks where vacuuming the gravel is difficult (such as tanks with fry, or shrimp) it is a common problem.

Planaria are very distinctive, but detritus worms are common as well. Sometimes you get both, or just one or the other, and it's helpful to ID which you have. It's difficult to read this article because of the background, but here's a good comparison of the two species:
http://www.fish-as-pets.com/2007/11/planaria-detritus-internet-answers.html

Neither detritus worms nor planaria are harmful, even to tiny fish. The only problem is the waste load that they add to the tank as they reproduce, as both species reproduce very rapidly.

The first article mentions some medication you might try, the only one I would feel comfortable using would be the Jungle Parasite Clear or API General Cure. This article suggests using a dog dewormer:
http://www.arizonainverts.com/articles/UseofDewormer%28Fenbendazole%29.html

I would ONLY recommend using medication if reduced feedings, increased gravel vacuuming, and water changes did not remedy the problem! Sometimes they can be very stubborn to clear up, but with a couple of weeks after increasing the hygiene on the tank, you should see a noticeable difference.

You might try using "sludge removing" products such as Waste Control, Liquid Gravel Vac, and my personal favorite - because it's cheap and effective - Big Al's Bio Clean. Dr. Tim's Waste Away has gotten excellent reviews, but it's a little pricey and difficult to find.

All of these products give your tank a "boost" by adding an infusion of heterotrophic bacteria, which help in eliminating waste. They are not a solution to the problem or a substitute for cleanliness, but they do make cleaning more effective.

I hope that helps, have a good weekend!
Nicole