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FAQs on Freshwater Flatworms (e.g. Genus Planaria)

Related Articles: Nematodes, Flatworms, Anchor Worms and Other Worm Parasites of Freshwater Fish by Neale Monks Invertebrates for Freshwater Aquariums by Neale Monks,

Related FAQs:  Freshwater Worms, Worm Parasites 2, Freshwater Worms, (Freshwater Worms of All Kinds) & FAQs on: FW Worm Disease Diagnosis/Identification, FW Worm Disease Treatments, & FAQs on Parasitic Worms by Group:  Platyhelminths/Flatworms: ( Flukes, Planaria, Tapeworms and Leeches), Acanthocephalans, Nematodes/Roundworms (e.g. Camallanus),... FW Invert.s 1, Aquatic Insects, Crustaceans ShrimpsTerrestrial Hermit Crabs,

Planaria Troubles      7/28/18
Hello WetWebMedia,
<Suzanne,>
Because I am not sure where to turn and there's no good reliable information on Planaria anywhere, you are my last hope.
<Oh!>
I've been having a long lengthy battle with Planaria for a long time. But most recently in a tank that housed my Apple snails. I never really understood Planaria until I came upon an article that explained where it comes from and what it does. And now I know. Well I am guessing that when my friend gave me some plants, that's where it came from.
<Likely so.>
I had a colony of almost 100 apple snails in a tank and they were producing eggs so prolifically that I started removing the eggs before they would hatch out. Then they stopped laying altogether. And then they started dying.
<Ah, does tend to happen with Apple Snails; keeping them and breeding them is often easier than trying to get adults to last more than 1-2 years. My pet theory is that without some sort of dry season aestivation, adults 'burn out' before long.>
I finally moved them to a smaller tank and only had a small amount of snails left. I did a treatment to kill the Planaria in their original tank and thought I would wait a while and then eventually put them back. In the mean time, they seemed to be doing better in the smaller tank and I even found a small clutch of eggs. But then I started finding dead snails again. And yesterday I found 4 that were dead and had Planaria coming out of them. So I know that Planaria was transferred to that tank.
<Possibly. Or via any wet surface, including filter media, gravel, nets, etc.>
Here's my question. I'd like to save these remaining 10 snails, but how can I make sure that the Planaria is riding on them if I move them to another tank, so I can treat the tank they're in now?
<While an antihelminthic should work (such as Prazi Pro) there's no certainty it won't harm invertebrates too. So there's a risk. Keep aside a few juvenile snails in one container, while medicating the rest in the main tank.>
I don't want to kill them, and so I'm unsure what I can use to kill the Planaria but won't kill the apple snails? Is there even a way to do it?
Otherwise, I'm looking at losing every single snail I have if I do nothing.
<Surely the Planaria aren't killing the snails? Most free-living Planaria are harmless. While they will consume organic material on flat surfaces (and multiply rapidly where such foods are abundant) they aren't normally implicated in fish health issues. Why do you think the Planaria are killing your snails?>
I really hope you can help. Thank you for reading my message.
<Most welcome.>
Kindest Regards,
Suzanne
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Planaria Troubles      7/28/18

Hiya Neale,
After having issues with Planaria for many years, I've always had a theory that they are carnivorous.
<May well be, but lacking mouthparts, most of the free-living ones are limited to whatever they can suck up. Some can suck fluids out of larger prey. Those might be borderline parasites if the host doesn't die at
once.>
I've seen my snails die from the inside out,
<As Aaron Sorkin once reminded us on 'The West Wing', "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" is not always true.>
plus I've seen Planaria wear away the ends of Tylomelania snails shells.
<I'm mystified how they might do that. If you're talking about the 'apex' of the Tylomelania shells, those become abraded and lost with time anyway, and that's absolutely normal for these snails. Planarians might gather there, I suppose, for some reason or another, but they certainly don't cause the shell loss. How could they? The shell is some form of aragonite, which requires either acid or abrasion to break down, neither of which planarians could provide.>
For a long time people have been saying that Planaria are harmless and I've disagreed.
<Planarians aren't that common in fish tanks, and the old school remedy of keeping fish such as Paradisefish used to be quite commonly mentioned in aquarium books well into the 1980s. But nowadays they just aren't seen that often, outside of marine tanks anyway. For sure there are parasitic flatworms (called Flukes) that do infest some fish, but the free-living Turbellaria (what you're probably thinking of when you mention planarians) aren't normally considered anything other than small scale predators.
There's not much for them to eat in a clean aquarium, so while you will find them in ponds, they're just not that common in freshwater systems.>
Have a read of this article.
http://www.fish-as-pets.com/2007/11/planaria-detritus-internet-answers.html
<Some interesting ideas there, and yes, confusing nematodes with planarians would be silly. I think the rather dramatic, even extreme tone of some of the article is overkill, but hey, I'm probably not the target audience.
Encouraging people to read and think about what they find online is certainly fine by me!>
I agree with their position on Planaria totally and completely.
<Not clear to me where the author suggests planarians can kill snails, but s/he's right, they might take fish eggs or immobile fry -- though a proper breeding tank should be kept clear of anything other than the eggs and possibly the parent fish anyway. Snails, shrimps, and especially companion fish species are FAR more of a risk to your breeding projects than flatworms.>
Thank you again.
<Welcome.>
Kind Regards
Suzanne
Re: Planaria Troubles     7/31/18

Hi Neale,
<Suzanne,>
I know there's not much more to say on the Planaria situation, but something I observed tonight I wanted to relate to you.
<Sure!>
I went up to feed my puffers and other fish, and also to check on my Apple snails. Well, now I'm down to just 5 snails because the Planaria have eaten them. I also found a snail that was still alive, however it had quite a few Planaria on the outside of the shell and where they were, the shell was chewed down quite a lot and it was very thin.
<Yuck. But specifically: what's the pH of your water? Apple snail shells become eroded in soft water, especially soft and acidic water. Once that happens, it might well be that flatworms would opportunistically congregate there, feeding on whatever organic materials or body fluids were released.
This might weaken the snail (Apple snails do seem to have a pretty weak immune system) and overtime cause death. Not exactly saying the flatworms are at fault, but they could exacerbate things. Apple snails are quite sensitive animals, and really do need moderately to very hard water to do well -- under aquarium conditions at least. They also do not seem to commonly live more than 1-2 years without a 'resting' stage, and if they're exhausted by being kept in tropical temperature water indefinitely, they do
start to weaken and die.>
So I went and rinsed them under running water and took a toothbrush and made sure to get all the Planaria off. I've transferred those last 5 snails into a tank that I am sure does not have Planaria, and I am hoping I rinsed them well enough that no Planaria are inside the snails because I believe they do get inside the shell and they eat them from inside out.
<I'm still unsure about whether the planarians are consuming sick/dead snails, or doing something to healthy snails that's causing them to die. For years and years aquarists would blame snails for killing their plants, but we're now more subtle about the snail/plant relationship, and recognise that most of the time small snails are simply eating dying plants, and the question aquarists needed to ask was not "how to kill snails" but "how to grow plants better".>
Now, I realise I'm just an average freshwater aquarium keeper with no qualifications in regards to Planaria or any other aquatic worms, but I've been having issues with Planaria for the past 9 years easily (if not longer). At first they were in my cherry shrimp tanks but then later in tanks with snails, and I've seen through the years what damage they can do and I've come to understand them a little bit better than most hobbyists.
<Understood.>
You may be completely right about Planaria not being able to penetrate through a Tylomelania snail's shell ... but in all honesty, I'm not totally convinced.
<The apex of Tylomelania shells absolutely does wear away with age. I've kept them many years, and all the big specimens have missing apices. Wild Tylomelania are similar, so I don't think this is an aquarium pathology.
There's simply no way a planarian could dig through solid aragonite and pierce the shell of an adult Tylomelania, and really, why would such a technique evolve? If these snail-eating planarians exist, they'd surely go the easy way into a snail, from the front!>
I really think that most people don't believe me when I discuss my experiences with Planaria, and I am sick to death of hearing people say it's from over-feeding or keeping a dirty tank because for me, that's just not true.
<Understood.>
Anyway, I won't keep bothering you about Planaria, but I do believe more research needs to go into how these nasty little worms affect freshwater tanks and snails in particular. I had 90+ snails and now only 5 survive and I can say that Planaria played a direct role in the decimation of those snails.
<Don't get me wrong on this. There certainly are flatworms known to predate on snails, including some "garden" flatworms such as Caenoplana coerulea that naturally come from Australia and New Zealand, but have been introduced elsewhere (including the US) and may be dangerous pests on useful garden animals such as earthworms. Some of these can kill snails, and on tropical islands may pose a real danger to small, native snails already under pressure from habitat change, exotics, etc. But the vast
majority of flatworms seen in aquaria are things like Polycelis and Dugesia species, which are demonstrably harmless -- you can have lots of these, and lots of small snails such as Physa and Planorbis spp., without any obvious interactions between them. It might well be that you have been unlucky and have some sort of hitherto unknown species that kills Apple Snails. Let me suggest that you contact your local university or natural history museum, and find a biologist there able to identify the flatworms and find out if they really are something new and different. This isn't completely impossible -- some unknown or little known flatworm may exist in South America or somewhere, hitchhiked its way into your aquaria via a plant, and unfortunately for you, it's taking down your Apple Snails. Furthermore,
snails, like most large animals, can be infected with parasitic flatworms, and these absolutely can do serious harm, even causing death at high parasite loads. Identifying these is difficult because they're usually inside the host, and you'd need a parasitologist to help you out here. But to restate once more: for most people, most of the time, flatworms such as Dugesia spp. aren't really a problem. They consume micro-invertebrates, and while a pest in a breeding tank, are otherwise easily controlled. Many fish
will eat them, most notoriously perhaps the Paradisefish, but most predatory fish will eat them when hungry.>
There is no good reliable information on the internet or anywhere else that I can find to help people with Planaria in freshwater aquariums. It shall be interesting to see if those 5 that I removed from the infected tank survive or if I've inadvertently transferred Planaria with those snails.
<Larvae or eggs could easily survive, so if you want to eliminate the flatworms, you really do need to be using an antihelminthic and hoping the snails are unharmed.>
Thank you for hearing me out.
<I understand your frustration! But honestly, my fish vet books all state free-living flatworms are harmless, towards fish at least. This isn't to say that your flatworms are harmless and you're totally imagining things -- but you do seem to have a very exceptional situation that bears further investigation, though probably by qualified scientists rather than other fishkeepers.>
Kind Regards,
Suzanne
<One last thought. Don't confuse flatworms with leeches. Leeches are equipped with biting teeth, and would be well able to suck the 'juices' out of an Apple snail. Leeches are not common in fish tanks, but they do occur in ponds quite frequently. Leeches look a lot like flatworms, but they have suckers at each end, and when released into the water, having a powerful, rather beautiful undulating swimming motion rather like that of a sidewinder snake, albeit vertically rather than horizontally. Some flatworms can swim, of course, but at best they ruffle the edges of their bodies and their swimming is much less purposeful. Cheers, Neale.>

Planaria or similar in freshwater tank       8/29/15
Hello, I am writing due to an issue I am having in my freshwater tanks. I have several, including one community, one invertebrate, one snail only and one Corydoras only. The issue with the worms began in my invertebrate tank.
Honestly, this freshwater home is what I call a "mercy tank". I started it to save the uninvited guests that I would often find in newly purchased plants, driftwood, etc.
<It sounds a really neat idea.>
This small tank now inhabits few species of dwarf shrimp, "pest" snails and most recently Planaria.
<Planarians are safe and common inhabitants of fish-free aquaria.>
I assume these problematic worms to be Planaria based on what I have read in prior posts on your site. They are tiny, skinny, white worms that seem to do no harm to those around them.
<Correct. They're fascinating animals under a microscope too, with all sorts of weird biological quirks to read up on.>
Plus I have to admit I often neglect the mercy tank since it isn't something I enjoy having.
<Benign neglect isn't a bad thing.>
Regardless, it is not filthy at all..and because of the dwarf (grass) shrimp I take better care of it than I normally would. After spotting the small worms, I began to clean the mercy tank more frequently. I have seen an improvement.
<Correct. Planarians like these will be feeding on organic detritus, and the more you clean the tank, the less food for them.>
Now, to the problem! I always rinse my tools in hit tap water before switching tanks, but today I suddenly saw a few of these white worms in my snail tank. This tank is not neglected or overfed. I am confident that the worms were transferred due to lack of proper sterilization of my equipment.
Am I possibly correct?
<Likely so, but could just as easily got there via aquarium plants or the snails themselves. Most aquaria (probably all) have at least some planarians in them, but being very small and often nocturnal we rarely see them.>
I have read about fluke tabs on your site. Are these safe for snails?
<Almost certainly not. It's a pretty obsolete medication that's not widely recommended anymore. Lots of horror stories on the Internet if you can to peruse. GeoChem "No Planaria" is a much better alternative.>
I would like to end this issue before it spreads to the tanks in which my fish inhabit. Plus, I am grossed out!
<Dipping shared equipment in aquarium steriliser will prevent cross-contamination, but bear in mind numerous fish will eat flatworms when hungry, so it's pretty rare for them to become a problem in FW aquaria unless that tank is seriously neglected/dirty.>
Please help.
Thank you,
Felicity
<Cheers, Neale.>
Want to add toy original email: plarania or something similar       8/29/15

I just noticed that my snails seem to be bothered by something I can't see.
Two of my Malaysian trumpet snails were climbing the glass to the surface, then appeared to be shaking.
<MTS will rise to the top of the tank to get to the oxygenated water if the tank conditions aren't good. If you see them climbing the glass during the day, as if abandoning the gravel, that can be a bad sign (at night its normal for them to climb on the glass).>
I have a mystery snail as well that looks as if it is biting or scratching it's body directly under it's shell. They all look irritated.
<Possibly so. Check water quality and pH.>
Is this a vicious species of Planaria or am I dealing with something much worse??????!!!!
<There is indeed a predatory flatworm called Procotyla that will attack small prey, even baby shrimps (though not fish). Cheers, Neale.>

Planaria snail control ?     5/29/13
I'm ashamed to admit it but carelessly let some pond snails into the tank with a plant introduction. It's not a huge problem, just occasionally get some baby pond snails on the glass which I scrunch out by hand. It's never become as much of a problem as I feared and maybe this is the reason, but I've never read about this anywhere else? While watching the tank through a magnifying glass the other day, I saw a planarian. I know at least one lives in there but as long as it's just a couple I can live with that. In fact, it turns out to be good, maybe …
<Maybe…>
Anyway, watching it and suddenly zoom ! this guy/girl kicks into overdrive and rushes across the tank and throws a boa-constrictor hold on a tiny incipient pond snail pest. They can actually move pretty fast. Why it chose that one is another mystery, there were a few others in between that he/she ignored. I watched while it wrapped around and around the baby pond snail, then eventually the snail was gone. The juvenile pond snail looked to be bigger than the planarian but eventually it vanished. Then I went to the reference shelf of the world and found that the mouth of a planarian is in the middle of its body. That explains the wraparound.
<Indeed it does.>
I don't imagine most people would want to introduce Planaria into the aquarium to keep down the snail population but I found it fascinating, and now like the Planaria more than previously :) The world is pretty interesting, yes ?
<Quite so, and I've never seen this behaviour nor heard of it. As you rightly point out, people who dislike snails probably won't want to add a bunch of flatworms, but it's good that your aquarium seems to have some sort of ecological balance. This is something marine aquarists strive for, but freshwater aquarists rarely consider. Thanks for writing in with this interesting observation. Cheers, Neale.>

"Slash" our Oscar, concerns w/ "worms" in the tank    8/12/08 we got an Oscar about 4 months ago, and he has come around pretty quick! he is an amazing fish, as he is our first Oscar. he has had these little "worm" looking things on the inside of the tank, they are extremely small, and move around. they have not attached to him, and don't seem to be bugging him, but they are driving me absolutely crazy!! we feed him a high grade pellet food, and about 1-2 times a week he gets frozen treats like meal worms, or brine shrimp. he is in a 55gal tank, with a power filter for 50-60 gal (up grading to a canister filter), we also do about a 30 % water change weekly. I know its hard without seeing it, but what could these "worms" be? and how the heck to we get raid of them!? thanks for the help!! Desiree, Todd and "slash" <The "worms" are most likely Planarians, in other words flatworms. They feed on the food you've given the Oscar. As you know, Oscars are very messy fish. The fine particles they produce get everywhere, especially if the tank is inadequate and water changes are infrequent. In both regards, you're at fault here: cichlids need BIG filters, and you should be using a filter offering NOT LESS than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Forget about the rating on the box telling you X filter is for Y sized tank... these estimates are based on best-case situations where a tank contains few, small fish, Neons for example -- not Oscars! You also should be doing AT LEAST 50% water change per week, with the gravel cleaned on a regular basis. It's the stuff you're not removing that the Planarians are eating. While harmless in themselves, they're a "wake up call" telling you of an underlying problem. Long term, excessive nitrate in the water will lead to issues such as Hole in the Head that are a real bother to treat. So please, upgrade your tank (too small for adult Oscars), upgrade your filter, and step up the water changes. Do this and the Planarians should fade away in time. Do see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/oscars.htm Cheers, Neale.>

Are these baby algae eaters? Or What? Perhaps Gyrinocheilus...  -12/14/07 Hello. Thank you for reading this.. <Welcome Karen> A while ago I replaced our algae eater (I am not sure of type -sorry) that had died. The store gave me two of them. The smaller of these two also died 3-4 weeks ago. The remaining algae eater has gotten longer and larger. Tonight, I noticed that there were a lot (like 100 or so) of little tiny (less than 2/10 of a centimeter) whitish-cream moving creatures all along the sides of the tank. They are long and thin. They are sort of ovalish -long oval. The edges are clear. <Interesting> I am assuming that they are baby algae eaters. I have spent the last 2 hours looking and looking online for info on this. And, no luck, no photos. <Mmm, maybe on Fishbase.org... through some of their specialized links... IF we can first discern the species here> Okay, I keep taking a second look at the tank....But, now I am not sure, there were a few crawling up the side -outside of the water. Ugh, there are hundreds of teeny tiny - like 1/100th of a centimeter in there. What the heck are these? I don't even think I could take a photo to send it, they are so small. I am ready to open my kids Eye Clops, that is waiting for Christmas, just to get a better look at them. <Need a pic... Cyclops? No worries re placing these> Here is my tank info. I have one nice red Betta fish (who did not eat its food today-maybe eating these little things?) It is in a non heated tank. <Needs a heater... to be heated consistently... To be/stay healthy... IS a tropical fish> It is a 5 gallon tank with a few fake plants and one fake piece of coral rock. The Betta has been with us for nearly 2 years. But since the algae was getting a bit much to clean each month, I brought in an algae eater. I feed the Betta Wardley's Essentials Betta premium food (2-3 pieces per day) and since I had just cleaned the tank before putting in the two new algae eaters there was not a lot of algae growing and I purchased Aquarian sinking algae chips -which the remaining algae eater eats one chip in one day. What do I do if this is some sort of infestation - from what? Or is it really baby fish? <Do see the Net re the word: Gyrinocheilus... is this the fish? I would do nothing overt here... but would read re Betta Systems: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm, get that heater... Bob Fenner> Thank you again. Karen

Re: Are these baby algae eaters? Or What? Flatworms   12/18/07 Thank you for your input. From one of your referenced sites, I found that these little white things are Planaria. I remember dissecting these in Biology in college. Neat, but not so neat in the fish tank. The fish seem to be eating them. Since there are a lot less now. Thank you again. Very helpful. Merry Christmas! Karen <Neat! Thank you for this follow-up. Bob Fenner>

Spawning worms 11/28/07 Hi, Hope you can help me with a 'wormy' problem. My fish (goldfish) spawn and I remove the eggs and put them in a separate tank for hatching. Within two weeks of them hatching I notice that I have red baby worms as well, I think they are called nematodes. How do I get rid of them. I have tried various means in the past even boiling the gravel etc but they just come back. I only have them when I have babies, I have had no luck with internet search thus far. If I leave the worms they grow into long spine shuddering wriggly things, the adults don't have worms in their tanks so where do they come from. I really want to get rid of them. I tried a 'commercial' fish de-wormer (for the adults) available from my local but that obviously has not worked either, any suggestions you can make I would be very grateful. Best Regards, Gillian <Hello Gillian. The good news is these worms almost certainly aren't nematodes but probably insect larvae (chironomids) given their red colouration. Even if they were nematodes, the free-living sorts that appear in aquaria don't do any harm. Anyway, assuming their insect larvae, they're getting in by insects laying eggs on the water or with live food or plants. They don't cause any problems, and adult fish will readily eat them. After a few weeks they turn into a pupa (looks like a pod with a tail that hangs at the surface) and then the adult midge appears and flies away. The easiest way to fix the problem is to stop them getting in. There are no medications useful for killing insects that are safe to use, so trying to kill them isn't going to happen. Scoop them out and dispose of them, and then ensure adults can't lay their eggs in the tank by covering the tank with a lid. I personally wouldn't worry about them, and would recommend you use them as live food for surface-feeders like halfbeaks and Hatchetfish. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Spawning worms 11/28/07 Hi, Thanks for replying. I must admit I'm not convinced about the insect angle as I only ever have these worms when the fish have spawned and I have fry, certainly have not seen anything like the pupae you described. It would seem the only way to get rid of them is to dump the gravel and replace all filter material once the young fish go to new homes etc. I don't think they do harm the fish but there are just so many, they get into everything and they grow rather long and the 'stick' to the tank sides and the bucket when I do a water change. They are just revolting. Once again Thanks for advice. Gillian <Ah, you didn't say they were stuck to the glass. This suggests they are Planarians. Again, harmless, but planarians are almost always connected to overfeeding and bad aquarium maintenance. They consume detritus and the micro-organisms that live in messy tanks. They are typically around 10-20 mm long, rarely much bigger, very flat, and often some shade of reddish-brown. Removal is tricky, but certain fish, most famously gouramis and Paradisefish, will eat them. Basically you need to manually remove them with each water change, and then make sure you keep the tank clean so the remainder can't reproduce rapidly. Eventually the population will die back. Changing the gravel and filter media would work too. They are rather neat animals and worth appreciating, though in vast numbers they to indicate deeper problems with the tank that should be addressed. Planarians will eat fish eggs and fry, so you don't want them in a breeding tank. Cheers, Neale.>

Sick fish and some sort of parasites 10/25/07 Hello. How is everything? I am once again, in need of your guidance. I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 great filters. I have 3 adult mollies, (5) 3 month old mollies, 2 dwarf gouramis (male and female), and 7 adult mm platies and (2) 3 month mm platies. My tank is 6 months old and is well established. On Saturday 10/20/07 I cleaned the tank out and scrubbed the walls of it. There was some sort of white almost microscopic worms all over it. Where could this come from??? I use algae tablets and clean the walls every Saturday. I noticed last night my molly with a beautiful tail has fin rot, so I began treatment last night with some medicine. Maracyn. I removed carbon from filters. This morning the white skurmmyworm things are BACK....and are everywhere. Any advise. and 2 of my mm platies are covered in slime...so they going to die Melissa <Hi Melissa. The worms are either free-living nematodes (thread worms) or free-living planarians (flatworms). In either case, they're harmless. But they are an indication that your tank has a lot of organic material lying about, because that's what they eat. In a clean tank, these worms are simply not a problem. So, given your other problems, I'd worry less about the worms and more about the water quality. Mollies and Platys are both sensitive to water quality, and Finrot and Fungus, the problems you have, are caused directly by poor water quality. Have you checked the nitrite and ammonia levels in your aquarium? These need to be zero. Furthermore, Mollies have very little tolerance for nitrate, so nitrate needs to be less than 20 mg/l. Regardless, "cleaning" an aquarium has very little to do with scrubbing the glass. Indeed, tanks that are covered in algae and look messy can have superb water quality. Conversely, plenty of superficially clean aquaria have terrible water quality. So, make sure you are doing all the basics: Don't clean the filter too often, and when you do (maybe once every 2-3 months) do no more than rinse the media in a bucket of aquarium water. Don't waste your filter space with carbon; instead, fill it with biological media. Sponge, filter wool and ceramic media all work great. Make sure you do regular water changes. 25-50% per week is a good amount. You tank isn't heavily stocked, so you should be fine keeping these fish. One last thing: Mollies do much better in brackish or salt water than they do in freshwater. Adding 4-6 grammes of marine salt mix per litre makes all the difference. If you absolutely must keep your Mollies in freshwater, it is ESSENTIAL that the water is spotlessly clean (zero ammonia and nitrite, and minimal nitrate) and that the carbonate hardness is very high (at least 8-10 degrees KH). Otherwise, keeping Mollies becomes an uphill struggle against disease. Platies tolerate slightly brackish water very well, as will most other livebearers. But Dwarf Gouramis not so much. For now, you need to treat your fish with a combination Finrot/Fungus medication; Maracyn should do the trick. Do make sure you remove carbon before using it though. Lots of people forget this critical step, and wonder why their fish medications never work! Once you're done, remember: Fish are basically very healthy and trouble-free animals -- provided you give them the water conditions they want! Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Sick fish and some sort of parasites 10/25/07 I should have mentioned that everything is reading PERFECT. Zero ammonia and zero nitrate. The pH is 7.0....I really don't know what is wrong. I am using Maracyn powder packets with carbon removed. How do I get rid of these little white worm things. They are really grossin' me out and are very unattractive. They have multiplied very fast. Also.....my mollies had a ton of babies......they are doing well it seems.....and have been in the tank for about 4 days. Thank you so so much for all your time <Well, for a start, pH 7 is way too low for livebearers, so that's likely a problem. What this pH says is that your water likely lacks mineral content. When keeping livebearers, the general hardness (dH) and carbonate hardness (KH) are the keys to good health. Test the water and find out. You want at least 5 degrees KH, 12 degrees dH, and ideally above 10 degrees KH, 20 degrees dH if you want your Mollies to do well. Nice and hard water should have a pH around 7.5-8.0. There are two approaches here. Firstly, you can add Malawi salts to the water each time you do a water change. Malawi salts are NOT tonic salts. Malawi salts are added to the water like tonic salts though, and once dissolved into the bucket of water will raise the hardness very effectively. A 50% dose relative to what you need for Malawi cichlids should be fine, so if the box says it'll treat 100 litres, it'll do 200 litres in your aquarium. Alternatively, you add crushed coral to a filter. As the water washes past the crushed coral it will absorb hardness minerals. Likely every month you'll need to clean this crushed coral because bacterial slime makes it ineffective over time. So compared with adding Malawi salts this is "cheap and cheerful" but a little more work. It goes without saying that while all livebearers like "rock hard" water, not all other tropical fish do, so you need to choose tankmates with care. This is why you have to research fish before buying them. But please understand this: if your water chemistry is too soft and acidic for livebearers (which it seems to be) they will never stay healthy. Simple as that. Do you know anything about gardening? It's like trying to grow heather in an alkaline soil: the plant wants an acid soil, so however much you try to help the heather, it'll just die. As for the worms -- their numbers are directly proportional to the food in the tank available to eat. Cut back on the food you give your fish, and remove uneaten food at once, and Mother Nature will take care of their numbers! They'll die back gradually. Really, these worms aren't a problem, and in a stable, properly maintained aquarium you hardly ever see them. Cheers, Neale>

Thin Clear - Whitish Worms - Nematodes/Planaria  7/21/07 Dear WWM, <Andrea with you tonight, Jean> Today I had noticed a several thin, clear, whitish worms crawling up the side walls of my 6.6 gallon freshwater aquarium tank (visible by a bright aquarium light). <Planarians or nematodes, most likely. Sign of overfeeding. Cut back to once every other day, only what your fish can eat in about two minutes. Net out any uneaten food remaining.> Once a week, I maintain my tank by vacuuming the gravel and performing a 20 percent water change. I always premixed my water with aquarium salt and stress coat, a night or two before I perform my tank maintenance. <Fantastic regimen. You can dump the salt, it is worthless as a tonic, and can actually harm some fish. I prefer Prime as a water conditioner. Less used per water change, and no additives other than what is needed for neutralizing chloramines/chlorine from tap water. Prime is a great product. I highly suggest it.> Recently, I treated my Betta with Jungle Parasite Clear because he had contracted a parasite. This parasite problem was due to me feeding him live black worms, which I stopped feeding him. <Shame. I bet he loved the live feeders. Don't discount them in the future as a treat. Bettas love them. Perhaps another live feeder provider?> My question is, can those thin, clear, whitish worms crawling up the side walls of my tank be a parasite? <Not likely.> Is this dangerous to my Betta? <He will likely eat them. Not a danger.> If so, how can I get rid of them? <Reduce feedings, water changes, deep gravel vacuum.> Treat my tank with Jungle Parasite Clear again? <No, unless the fish is sick.> Please give advice. Thanks again for all your help; your site is the greatest. <Anytime, we are here to help!> Jean

What are these tiny brown worms in my 10 gallon aquarium? 7/21/07 Hi my name is Donna, I've had my 10 gallon fish tanks for about 3 yrs I was changing the filter tonight and I noticed a couple of little brown looking worms that are located on some of my artificial plants that I let float in the top of my tank for my baby guppies to hide in are they dangerous to my guppies and platies ? what are they ? and how do get rid of them ? should I completely break down my tank I was hoping to be able to wait a couple of weeks before breaking down my tanks until my new mobile home is set up so could put all my fish in my 55 gallon will my fish be ok till then ? <Hello Donna. These worms are almost certainly planarians. These are usually flat and liver-coloured, and around 5 mm long. The slide along things rather than wriggle. Sometimes they slide along the surface of the water. They are harmless, although they will eat fish eggs and are a nuisance in tanks where egg-laying fish are being bred (been there, done that!). Otherwise all they do is eat microscopic organisms and detritus. In a tank with guppies and other livebearers they are harmless. Besides, getting rid of them is difficult and only worthwhile if they cause a problem. Some fish will eat them (paradise fish are famous for this). They're interesting animals and worth reading up on when you get a chance. Cheers, Neale>

Re: what are these tiny brown worms in my 10 gallon aquarium? -- 07/23/07 thank you so much for replying to my email my guppies seem to like eating them and as long as they wont hurt my guppies or platys then I guess I can look at them like free fish food for my fish I'm glad to hear that they won't hurt fish cause I've never seen any creatures in my aquarium until I found these the other day my fish seem to have gobbled most of them up and I will take your advice and read up on these planarians I want to find out everything I can about them since it's my first time ever seeing them I don't know what I'd do if something happened to my fish I love them sooo much and my children do too thank you for such a fast reply to my email. <You're welcome, and yes, it sounds as if those worms are just free fish food! You'll enjoy reading about planarians. Among other things, they're famous for being able to regenerate from even the tiniest pieces. Cheers, Neale.>  

Dear Brandon, <Hello again Jason.> I know putting the BTA in my 180 gallon was a bit premature however its   previous 55 gallon tank had sprung a leak and I had to transfer it over. <You gotta do what you gotta do.  I was just illustrating that these animals need established systems that's all.  Further, I suggested that you read up on the care of these critters, because you seemed shocked by what is an ordinary occurrence.> Most of the fish I was able to store in my QT tank however I did not want to combine the  BTA in that small an environment as it is crowded already with the fish. <Likely a stressful event.> My  question is what should I be looking for in the anemone to see if it is doing O.K. or if it is in distress?   <Droopy mouth, staying closed all the time, turning to goo.> The water levels are normal 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, ph  8.4 <Nitrite, Calcium, Alkalinity?> The tank has 3- 250W MH with 2 rows of actinic bulbs, a 30 gallon trickle   sump and a 2- gallon mud refugium with mangroves. <Interesting setup.> Thanks again, <You are welcome.  Brandon.> Jason  

QA@aquaticeco.com Date:  Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:25:34 -0400 (EDT) Hello This is a Quality Assurance message to check on our level of customer service. On 03/17/2007 12:06:38 we received a message from you through our support center. This message is to make sure your question was answered to your satisfaction and give you an opportunity to let us know. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the future. Please reply to this message if you wish to comment on our level of service. Our Regards, AES Customer Support Staff <Mmm, still waiting for a call-back re your marketing... Bob Fenner>

Re: shark rehabilitation/release/placement Thank you Bob, I wasn't sure that you would be for such an undertaking. <Mmm, oh yes. To be clear, I am all in favor of what preserves life, the environment that allows such... Your efforts are confluent with mine, our philosophies match> You may use  my letter, but please remove Wildlife World Zoo and Brian Joseph's name, as I  have not asked his permission to have his name  on a chat site  just yet.  When we get this going, we will come up with some formal name  for your viewers who might be in need. <Ahh... would you please send along the original? Per your request I deleted our correspondence> I would like to contact those other organizations that you mentioned.   I guess that I should be able to find them on the internet? <Oh yes... they are as stated... place the info. in your search tool/s> Thanks again.  I have Scott's book.  It is fantastic. Will keep in touch. Sharmie <I look forward to this. BobF>

"Bruce Ulmer" <bruce_ulmer@casco-group.com> Date:  Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:09:14 -0700 Hey Bruce! Very nice piece... Do you have this in a format that we might post on our sites? And great to see at least the UK has an aquatics trade 'zine... Hope trust you enjoyed your stay in the UK... Brrrrr! And that all is well with you, your health. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Bruce Ulmer Senior Vice President CASCO Group, Inc. 17719 Valley View St, Cerritos, CA  90703 714-522-8373  ex 202 714-562-6502 Direct Line 800-537-3415 ex 202 714-690-9273 Personal Fax bruce_ulmer@casco-group.com <mailto:bruce_ulmer@casco-group.com> http://www.casco-group.com <http://www.casco-group.com> Hi Bob, I'll find out if we have something you may use. How have you been? <Fine my friend, thank you> I enjoyed my time in the UK but you are so right...too damn cold.  :) Bruce <Heeee! I do hope to see you about someday soon. Cheers, BobF> Bob, leave here: Call on

Omega Sea Marketing   3/20/07 Dear Bob Fenner,   I'm not sure if you're the person I need to speak with but I am the   new head of marketing at Omega Sea, Ltd (Omega One fish foods) and I   wanted to first off introduce myself as well as try and get in   contact with the appropriate person to discuss our advertising on   your site.  I believe we have done so in the past. If you could give me a proper contact it would be much appreciated. Thank you, Rachel Latina Graphic Designer/Head of Marketing Omega Sea, Ltd rachel@omegasea.net <Pleased to make your acquaintance Rachel... Tis I or Mike Kaechele you likely want to chat with. Have you seen the banner we made/placed for Omega Sea? Your time in advertising was pre-paid and ran out the middle of last year... We've continued it as a courtesy, promotion of our new Banner Ad program... Please see here if you'd like to continue in some capacity: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmsponsors.htm Cheers, Bob Fenner> Aquatic Eco-Systems  3/20/07 Hello Thank you for checking with Aquatic Eco-Systems. Your email has been forwarded to our marketing department. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Best regards Kevin Quinn M.S. Zoology Aquatic Eco-Systems 2395 Apopka Boulevard Apopka, FL 32703 <Thanks Kevin... I will wait a few days and give a call there. Bob Fenner> www.aquaticeco.com 407-886-3939 Fax 407-886-6787 Hello my name is Bruce you may direct your advertising inquiries to myself. Thanks, Bruce Vizueta <Oh! Bruce. Should I give you a call? Would you make known what time might be best? Have you perused our outline/offer, with links to our stats servers here?: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmsponsors.htm Am an old timey aquarist/lake management type... who used to buy from you folks way before your interest in more ornamental aquatics... Look forward to chatting with you, Bob Fenner> Market Analyst Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. 2395 Apopka Blvd. Apopka, FL 32703 Phone: 407-886-3939 Fax: 407-886-0800

Re: Ben, Ken? About your Overall Marketing, your Website, It's Promotional/Advertising Potential Hi Bob, Can you tell me the stats of the site? Can you forward the weblogs? <All posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmsponsors.htm> Also, would you be interested in an affiliate set-up? <Mmm, don't see the particulars of this proposal on your site> What number can I call you at to discuss? <858 549 XXXX. Bob Fenner> Wayland

"US Tetra Consumer" <Consumer@tetra.net> Date:  Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:55:06 -0400 Hello Bob, I am going to forward your email to Linda Staley, but I'm not sure if she is the right person or not.  If so, she will contact you. Otherwise, she will forward you on to the correct person in marketing. Regards, Tetra <Thanks much. Bob Fenner> -----Original Message----- From: Bob@WetWebMedia.com [mailto:Bob@WetWebMedia.com] Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 12:52 PM To: US Tetra Consumer Subject: TW -- General Contact Us Request A Contact Us email has been sent from the Tetra Site.  Here is the information. Email: Bob@WetWebMedia.com Message: Whom might I contact there re your Website advertising?

"Euro-Reef, Inc. Marketing Group" <er.marketing@euro-reef.com> Reply-To: <er.marketing@euro-reef.com> To: "'Robert Fenner'" <By Bob Fenner> Subject: RE: The Big Island... Notes to Bob and Jeff Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:40:15 -0700 Hi Bob, I passed the Kona info to Robert and Jeff for their vacation, thanks very much. Looks like a go from this end on our ad deal, yeehaw! Please invoice us and fax or email it to Jennifer Macare er.admin@euro-reef.com <Yay! You can use PayPal, or I'll bill you folks in arrears... The addy?> Also, Jeff will get you our banner and static logo to place on your site. <Am looking forward to it!> The Kona house looks awesome and I will contact Pete to get an idea of rental fees and calendar for available time. If I can afford it I would rather give the money to someone I know than the Hilton Hotel!!! <Am in total agreement... My principal raison d'etre for buying such places... Makes me go there... and I am "forced" to enjoy myself!> Thanks for the free stay offer and I might take you up on that if I come up alone or with my lady friend sometime. Let's get this ad campaign reelin' and a-rockin"! <I'll say! Bob Fenner> Sincerely, Rene Macare Dir.of Marketing Euro-Reef ph:(949)770-9913 x16 fx: (949)770-3099 www.euro-reef.com

From: "Euro-Reef, Inc. Marketing Group" <er.marketing@euro-reef.com> Subject: RE: The Big Island... Notes to Bob and Jeff Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:42:40 -0700 Bob thanks again for your time on the phone today. I mistakenly called your Kona home number thinking I would reach you in San Diego....OOPS! I do not have your local home number but here is what I need form you for us to make a decision today on the ad: <Oh, our SD number is 858 549 XXXX for your records> You mentioned a two for one deal but no specific cost related to that. To be up front it may be easier to let you know what our budget is that we have to work with and we can get for that. We are looking at $300 max per month at this time. We will monitor the success (ROI) from this and decide if it makes sense to throw more $$$ at it as we grow our business. <The offer I make is the right shared border (the "static" ad space of 100 by X pixels...) PLUS the Rotating Banner Ad (468 by 60)... For the low, low price of... what you're offering... the Three Hundred U.S. per mo.> Thanks again for your help with this and for the great Kona info as well! <I do hope we can/will all make it out there sometime soon. Oh, forgot Pete's email last time... He's cc'ed above...> P.S. - Bob, when you have a moment can you provide me with the contact name/phone number or email address to get info on your house rental fees etc. <Ah yes... the Jabulani addr. there above... and his phone: 858 722 XXXX... FWIW, you're welcome to come out sometime when I'm there (go out every few months, generally for a month or so at a time, more if folks will be coming to visit/stay) for free... Do keep in touch re times...> I am planning to head out to Hawaii sometime later this year with my girls and my girlfriend (the plein air painter) and son may join. Is there is web site with info on the house or can you tell me a little about the location, number of bedrooms, sleeping room, etc., have any pictures? Thanks a bunch! <Oh, the house, addr. can be seen here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/holualoaproperty.htm BobF> Sincerely, Rene Macare Dir.of Marketing Euro-Reef, IncT ph:(949)770-9913 x16 fx: (949)770-3099 www.euro-reef.com
Subject: The Big Island... Notes to Bob and Jeff
Hey Rene! Thank you for taking the time to chat this AM... For your kin's upcoming visit: Do make sure to pick up a cooler either at the King's Shops or Costco, Kmart, Wal-Mart... these are great places on the Big Island... for packing sodas et al. during your stay... going to, from the hotel... Though is a haul over the rough hallways there at the Hilton in Waikoloa... Maybe two coolers. While you're there, do call on Gerald Heslinga (if he'll see you... he's more than a bit of a recluse) at Indo-Pacific Sea Farms... and Carol and Craig at Ocean Rider (they're listed in the local phone books)... down at NELHA (just south of the airport/Keohole... Make sure and get in a "pizza night" down at Kona Brewing Company... in town (Kailua Old Industrial)... And the usual pitches for nice beaches... Hapuna (public) and Mauna Kea's (private, go early to get a parking placard... it's free otherwise)... Up for adventure? Got to make a run down to Kilauea Volcano Park... a day or so at Hilo's waterfalls et al... (do bring some lightweight rain gear if you have it... and flashlights if you're going to stay till dark to see the lava... And Waipio... a haul but real fun... And Parker Ranch has many attractions for young folks... Do look in "101 Things to do on the Big Island"... a circular at the Airport... esp. for the coupons for discounts, two-fors... And don't be shy re asking the locals what they do, where they eat et al... there are many great things to experience there... I will be out (at "A" Bay just south of where you're staying) for the Lavaman tri, but leaving unfortunately a day ahead of your arrival... Do send along your cell numbers (I don't have one...) and I'll call you if I extend. Our house number there is 808 331 0889. Cheers, Bob Fenner Dear Brandon, <Hello again Jason.> I know putting the BTA in my 180 gallon was a bit premature however its   previous 55 gallon tank had sprung a leak and I had to transfer it over. <You gotta do what you gotta do.  I was just illustrating that these animals need established systems that's all.  Further, I suggested that you read up on the care of these critters, because you seemed shocked by what is an ordinary occurrence.> Most of the fish I was able to store in my QT tank however I did not want to combine the  BTA in that small an environment as it is crowded already with the fish. <Likely a stressful event.> My  question is what should I be looking for in the anemone to see if it is doing O.K. or if it is in distress?   <Droopy mouth, staying closed all the time, turning to goo.> The water levels are normal 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, ph  8.4 <Nitrite, Calcium, Alkalinity?> The tank has 3- 250W MH with 2 rows of actinic bulbs, a 30 gallon trickle   sump and a 2- gallon mud refugium with mangroves. <Interesting setup.> Thanks again, <You are welcome.  Brandon.> Jason

FW Plant Leech   03/23/07 Hi Crew! Hope all is well with you, you've helped me so much in the past.  To make a long story short, I have a 10 gallon tank that has been used as a plant refuge for when I thin plants out of the aquariums.  I throw them into this tank.  At one time the tank was a failed attempt to raise daphnia, I never cleaned it out after that, just started throwing plants into it.  After a few months I was given some cherry shrimp that were too small to go into the main tanks, so I put those in there.  When I added the shrimp I put in a sponge filter and heater.  I don't perform routine water changes on this tank.  This tank has been a fascinating biological experiment of sorts because it has a blanket of live blackworms now that must have accidentally come in there on plants.  (I feed the fish live blackworms a couple of times a week.) The tank is full of shrimp that have bred like crazy and hitchhiker snails.  The water is green, and amazingly there is no algae in the tank, whatsoever. However, it is time for me to transform it into a usable tank and I was thinking of putting a couple of Killies and a group of sidthmunkis in there, of course making sure the parameters are good first.  I really wouldn't want to see all of this "food" go to waste.  Sound like a good idea?  Probably not...  But anyhow, I also have these in my tank.  Do you have any idea what they are?  Are they good slugs/flatworms?  Or bad slugs/flatworms?  Should I just forget my dream of giving some lucky fish the feast of their lives and clean the tank out before I introduce any fish into it?  Thanks! Take care, Mary. < This is a typical FW plant leech. Fish don't eat them but they really aren't much of a problem.-Chuck>
FW Plant Leech   03/23/07 Hi Crew! <Hello Mary!> Hope all is well with you, you've helped me so much in the past.  To make a long story short, I have a 10 gallon tank that has been used as a plant refuge for when I thin plants out of the aquariums.  I throw them into this tank.  At one time the tank was a failed attempt to raise daphnia, I never cleaned it out after that, just started throwing plants into it.  After a few months I was given some cherry shrimp that were too small to go into the main tanks, so I put those in there.  When I added the shrimp I put in a sponge filter and heater.  I don't perform routine water changes on this tank.  This tank has been a fascinating biological experiment of sorts because it has a blanket of live blackworms now that must have accidentally come in there on plants.  (I feed the fish live blackworms a couple of times a week.) The tank is full of shrimp that have bred like crazy and hitchhiker snails.  The water is green, and amazingly there is no algae in the tank, whatsoever. <Because it's balanced. In balanced tanks, the rate of algal growth is checked by the growth of plants and predation by algae-eating animals. In aquaria (and ponds, and eutrophic waters in the wild) the balance is lost, and often the algae prosper because their natural limiting factors are taken away.> However, it is time for me to transform it into a usable tank and I was thinking of putting a couple of Killies and a group of sidthmunkis in there, of course making sure the parameters are good first. <You'll lose almost all the fun, I suspect. To reach a balance with fish, you need a *lot* of water volume per fish. Look for a copy of the excellent book "Dynamic Aquaria" for a scientific (and highly detailed) investigation of balanced aquaria with complete ecosystems. Certainly possible, but very challenging if you include fishes, miles easier with just inverts.> I really wouldn't want to see all of this "food" go to waste.  Sound like a good idea?  Probably not...  But anyhow, I also have these in my tank.  Do you have any idea what they are?  Are they good slugs/flatworms?  Or bad slugs/flatworms?  Should I just forget my dream of giving some lucky fish the feast of their lives and clean the tank out before I introduce any fish into it?   <Those are small leeches, annelid subclass Hirudinea. Now, the vast majority of leeches are predators on invertebrates. Very, very few are bloodsuckers. But obviously those that are can be very damaging to fish, particularly very small fish. Identifying leeches to species level is difficult, and definitely a job for your friendly neighbourhood freshwater ecologist or parasitologist. Identification beyond subclass level is below me, I'm afraid! In the meantime though, don't kill it out of hand. Leeches are lovely animals, and if you can encourage it to go swimming you will be treated to one of the most beautiful little spectacles in the animal kingdom. They also have a very cute "inchworm" mode of walking. The sucker at the front (blunt end) is armed with teeth with which it catches its prey, and most species suck up the "juices" of whatever they've caught either directly or through a neat little stylet. You can also see the digestive system quite nicely in your photo, too. All in all, charming, if weird, animals.> Thanks! <No problem.> Mary.

Planaria - On The Menu for Plecostomus? - 10/19/2006 <<Tom here.>> Do Plecos eat Planaria? <<Not without mustard and ketchup. Actually, I suppose they will but Planaria sure wouldn't be a Pleco's first choice off the menu. If you're experiencing a Planaria "outbreak", better to give your aquarium a good cleaning, particularly the substrate, and keep nitrate levels to a minimum, i.e. below 20 ppm. Tom>>  

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