Planaria vs. Detritus worms; how to tell the difference.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ย. 2024
- In this video I discuss harmful Planarian versus harmless Detritus Worms. More importantly, I tell you how to tell the difference between them. Most people are going to realize that they do not in fact have Planaria in their tanks.
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Detritus worms live in most aquariums, but almost never come out of the substrate. If there's an overabundance of nutrients in the water, you'll start seeing them floating around in the water, or on glass and other decor.
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I have them . I also put a liqiud fertilizer as well . I guess thats why the climb out of the substrate .
I think my 5 gal has detritus worms. Figured it's no biggie, I was trying to not touch the tank too much while my shrimp adjust and just noticed them while cleaning today. Glad to know they won't hurt me or the shrimp just gotta control waste better.
I had this problem (even thousands of them) then I tried checking for solutions online when I came across your video. I was about to medicate my tank but I wanted to do it as naturally as possible. Medicine will be my last option. I wondered why I didn't have any worm with my previous smaller tank when I only had a betta and 2 Corydorys. Unfortunately, my Corys died in the process of transfering/transplanting them to a bigger tank without isolating my fishes (big mistake!!!). Only the betta fish survived. Long story short, I tried maturing/cycling my new tank for a month with just 1 female betta. That's because I also wanted to wait and grow my plants from seeds and a couple of plants bought from the pet shop, etc before I iintroduce more fishes. To my surprise three weeks after, there were thousands of them all over the glass and like you said, they were very disgusting it bothers me knowing there are worms on my tank! So I went to the pet shop, bought me 6 guppies, 12 tetras, 3 corydorys. After 1 day, problem solved! I couldn't see a single worm on the glass! I have a 25 gallons tank. 80cmx40cmx30cm dimension. Just incase someone out there has the same problem and looking for a better solution. Enjoy your Tank!
UGG, looks like I have planaria in my tank. Just today transfered plants from another tank i have. Thanks for showing the difference between the two type of worms.
I gotta say this video helped me, reading all these articles with these poor pictures this helped me determine that I had Detritus worms instead. Taking the proper measures to get them more under control. Only noticed them this evening when doing a WC. Thanks for your videos!
+Bluir I'm happy it helped.
I recently was relieved that detritus worms were harmless and even beneficial, only to realize that I have planaria in my tank as well. The only logical conclusion I could come to was that it was from cleaning my tank after leaving my gravel vacuum outside.
Thank you for making this video. Tomorrow I’m gonna upload a video of the worms that appeared out of no where in my daphnia culture. Hoping they are the “good worms”. Working on building a natural ecosystem for my tanks. Great video!
Rhabdocoela are most likely compared to planaria. They look almost identical, but they don't have triangular heads.
Thanks for the useful guide. I had noticed what I now recognise as definitely detritus worms. It's a 2nd hand tank I bought and put new substrate in, and noticed 4 or 5 floating around when I put the water in and began the process of cycling the tank and filter ready to add a few female Bettas and a couple of congo frogs after a few days. I was concerned they may be harmful, but can rest easy that they will be fine if I keep up with water changes etc, and may actually be beneficial kept in small numbers with a well-kept tank
Just consider them part of your clean-up crew.
I just found them this morning, FREEKED OUT.....found yr vid. Thank you. My plecos have just had close to 30 babies. I will use my turkey baster ( dedicated fish tank only 😜) and suck them up and move them to the outdoor pond that has my rocky mountain minnows and rosy reds. Thanks for posting🇨🇦
Isn't there a way to kill the planaria without tearing the whole tank down? I've got the same problem in one of my tanks and want to get rid of them too. I don't know where they came from because everything in that tank is store bought rocks and plastic plants. Will salt kill them?
I had detritus worms, in my shrimp tanks, I put 3 guppy fry in them and overnight, the worms were gone.
I might have to do that! Because i have it on my shrimp tank. Love the comment section we can just learn more and more
I have tons of different tiny organsisms my glofish tetra fry are eating, setting up a 55 soil clay sand tank fully planted with tons of elodea and some platys, hoping the fry will eat the worms and such
Fish That Eat Planaria
In some cases though, you can get fish that like to eat planaria. Since it is a worm, most fish that eat live foods do not mind eating them.
They can also help to keep the planaria numbers low in your tank.
The following are our top picks for aquarium fish that will eat planaria:
Freshwater Angelfish
Elegant and eye-catching, the angelfish is known to eat planaria.
They can help to get rid of it in tanks very easily. The delicate fins of the fish have earned them their name and they’re known for their beauty.
The freshwater angelfish is known to be an omnivore but enjoy a more carnivorous diet. Because of this, they tend to eat worms, including planaria.
Sparkling Gourami
A fish that is known for its beautiful sparkling appearance, the sparkling gourami is a unique fish.
It has a peaceful disposition which makes it perfect for community aquariums.
Apart from its appearance, the gourami is also known to make croaking sounds, especially when it is happy.
It has an omnivorous diet and will eat planaria when given the opportunity.
Other variants of the Gourami family such as the pearl gouramis are also known to eat planaria.
Guppies
A popular aquarium fish, guppies are attractive and easy to keep fish.
Unfortunately, years of poor breeding practices have ruined the hardiness of the species so they do need some extra care.
They are not very high maintenance and do well in a community tank as long as they are kept in small schools.
Known for having voracious appetites, guppies will eat planaria if they are particularly hungry.
They will not consistently eat them but will help to keep the planaria population in check.
Also read: Can Guppy Live with Goldfish?
Goldfish
While common goldfish are best for outdoor ponds, the fancy variations require too much care to keep them outdoors.
Since all goldfish are born with genetic mutations, they have an unnaturally short digestive tract.
This means that they get hungry very soon too. The goldfish is also known to eat planaria, as it is an omnivore and will appreciate a source of healthy protein.
They are not known for eating worms much but the tiny size of planaria makes them a tasty meal.
Mollies
Coming from the same group as guppies, mollies are hardy, beautiful fish that are livebearers.
Due to interbreeding with guppies, you can find mollies in almost any color and in different breed types.
Mollies are also able to hold their own ground when in a school so they are great for community tanks.
They are known to eat the eggs of planaria and will keep the numbers low.
Also read: How Many Mollies Should Be Kept Together?
Tiger Barbs
Known for their striking appearance, Tiger barbs have unique stripes much like a tiger.
They have voracious appetites and are known to eat almost anything.
If left to their own devices, they will eat their own eggs too.
They do best when they have high protein in their diets and will make short work of any planaria in the tank.
Tiger barbs are known to nip fins so they are not the best for community tanks with slow-moving fish.
Betta fish
Stunning Betta fish are favorites of many aquarium fans because of their beautiful fins.
Available in various sizes, fin types, and colors, Betta fish are also intelligent.
This has cemented their status among the top choices for aquarists. Additionally, betta fish are carnivorous and love live food.
This means that they will make short work of planaria worms in their tank in no time at all.
These are some of the most common fish that you can find who will actively eat planaria and help to keep the infestation under control.
If you’re not a fan of de-wormer solutions and would prefer the organic method, these fish are a must-have for you.
Oh thank God. I was so scared for my turtles. I thought it was planaria. Thank you for sharing this ^^
Glad it helped!
i added 4, 2 and a half inch trapdoor snails from local pond and they have had like 100 baby's and i have a bunch of goop egg things. and my tanks i think has thoes white worms and my 2 plattys are eating them. they were in the filter. i had it off and when i turned it back on like 50 came out.
Yeah, finding them in the filter is pretty common.
Very helpful thank you
I was worried since i got some plants from a lady that i noticed her water was kinda green and i rince my plants carefully but i realized after maybe a hour their was this little worm (detritus worms) i was so discusted and ashamed because i do water Change and move my gravel all the time and seeing them swimming around in my tank made me sad as a fish owner.since i haven't had any until i introduce her plants into my tanks. But this video made me feel less bad i guess it will just take more cleaning until i get them out
picked up a betta and an apple snail from a shady pet store down the street, ended up bringing home a few planaria as well, ugh... luckily I decided to throw them in a hospital tank instead, I was able to scoop the worms out before they could do any damage. Thanks for this video, I couldnt find out exactly what they were before, but this really helped out a lot!
I have little wiggly white ones, very thin. My concern is I put my hand in the tank and am wondering if they are harmful to humans.
Not to my knowledge. I never cama across anything saying they were dangerous. (I'd still wash my hands after putting them in the tank. That's just a good habit to get into)
Dan Hiteshew thanks!
I have the very thin ones too, and they dont move nearly as fast as the planaria in this video. It looks similar, but thinner and slower.
Dan, thanks again for making this video. shortly after pulling a newly deceased Cory cat, out of my tank, I saw a white squiggle in the water and paniced. stopped myself short of doing anything crazy, and remembered this video. I feel better knowing it isn't anything dangerous to the tank. so, going to do a water change, and sleep semi-soundly since now I need a new reason why a newly purchased Cory cat would expire.
It could be a lot of things. it is difficult to tell if they are new. it could've been on the way out when you brought it home. it could have come from very different water and the shock was too much for it. it may be that your water isn't right for Cories. it really could be a wide variety of reasons.
If a tank is infested with worms’. Do I need to worry about putting my hand in the tank?
No, but I'd wash my hands afterwards.
Wish you had a comparison picture of both. Thxs.
You will see planaria on the glass, arrow head long body
Very informative video! I was wondering what the small round white worms were swimming in my betta tanks! I am glad I found out what type of worms they were!
I'm surprised a betta doesn't eat them. (sounds like detritus worms to me)
Goodmorning Dan! I didn't take notice of those tiny white things till about four weeks ago. They are detritus worms. My bettas do not take notice of them! Lol I do at least 30 to 50 % water change every other day on the two ten gallon tanks and one five gallon tank and use the siphon to gravel clean the tanks of waste weekly.
@@gailcousins3693 You're doing that much water changes and still have worms? How much are you feeding?
Hello Daniel! I know! I might skip a day. I feed them twice a day; morning and evening. I give them at leat four Northfin pellets and a few fluva bites
@@gailcousins3693 That doesn't sound like a lot. I wonder why you've got the detritus worms in the tank.
Hello! I haven't tried it myself, but for your video you might want to try using a red light in the tank instead of that white one. It might help.
there's nothing in my tank beside plants, my cardinal plant leaves melted when I first placed them in and there was some melted leaves left over that I couldn't get to. and I see there's thin long worm like things on my glass, they move like a normal worm would, so which would that be? a worm or planaria?
Sounds like detritus worm. Your water may be too soft for the plants. (just a guess)
Maybe, the plant over all is doing fine though its actually already grow baby plants of itself already which I'm excited about, but seeing the worms freaked me out a bit because I had recently got a whole lot of them out of my bigger tank for my Oscar. I didn't really knew what it was then, I just wanted it out of there
But just to comfirm the melted leaves of the plant is probably the cause of them showing up correct? It's something that they're eating?
michael nguyen I'm not sure where they came from, but I'd say all the added detritus is causing a population explosion. So yes, for the most part.
Thank you have a good night Dan
so, I have these little white worms on my tank walls, and a small amount of white algae has grown on my plants. before any of these started popping up my fish all got red gills. Any help?
I’ve got a LOT of 1” worms that are like a thin thread that undulates through the water, and I have seen them attached to the underside of some of my shrimp. I’ve lost several shrimp lately, so I don’t think it’s detritus worms. I moved all my shrimp to another tank and treated the tank something a shrimp store owner told me he uses, but after 2 days, these worms are still there. Gonna just do a tank reset.
The lighting on the tank makes your puffer look like something evil that's plotting your death.
Awesome tanks! And great video,BTW did you know that you can actually use a dog wormer called Panacur C to get rid of planaria.
My supposed same sex albino corydora catfish have spawned around 150 eggs,tomorrow’s the third day for some of them (spawning overnight) so hoping to see some fry soon,you don’t by any chance know if detritus worms can harm my Cory eggs do you? I put the eggs into a egg tumbler and treated with anti-fungal to prevent fungus for the first 48hrs,now I’ve set up a little 10 litre tank for them ready for hatching,and added a bit of pimafix,luckily I keep a few air sponge filters in my main tanks just in case but it’s transferred a few detritus worms into the Cory egg tank so I’m just a little concerned as they’re crawling around the glass bottom tank with the eggs :s
Again,awesome video,you’ve got yourself a new subscriber here! :)
Like a beginning of a zombie virus movie. I have dried my tank completely yesterday evening and will let it stand there for a few days until the sand is dry. I hope this will work as well because the bottle didnt work. Thats problaby because I fed my axolotls with fish caught from the outdoors. The worms has probably emerged from a leftover that was undiscovered in their cave.
Wow great info...I always thought planaria were harmless!
nope. Detritus worms are, and that's what most people think are Planaria. Real Planaria are a threat to your tank.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly how do you get rid of planaria?
@@jeffsaysmeow There's products that you an get that will kill them, but I don't know their names.
So when you dump your tank with the worms to clean it out where do you dump the water at?
Down the shower drain in the bathroom.
Thanks for the great info! Are ditritus worms the little white worms that wiggle in the water. For instance, I unplugged my hob filter. When I plugged it back in little white worms flowed straight out of the filter. They do not look like planeria.
sounds like them. filter boxes are common location to find them. change your filters more frequently.
Planaria is a Flatworm and the Detritus Worms are tube worms. They look like little tiny white noodles.
you get them from too much waste in your tank. vac more and do more frequent water changes and filter changes, and you'll see less of them.
but getting rid of them can be a bad thing as they do break down nitrates and nitrites.... just check your chemical including ammonia, PH, Nitrites, Nitrates and Redox levels but worms can help to balance the tank and make it more fish friendly of course they have to be fish friendly worms...
I can’t really tell if it’s planaria in my tank I see the other worms but I see the same looking worm inching across the tank not like a snail but inching like an inch worm and it’s worrying me that it planaria I have two baby musk turtles in it and 3 platy fish and 2 snails. I want to clean it is it safe to put my hands in to get my pets out and clean?
Yes, even if it is planaria, it won't harm your hands. (always wash your hand after putting them in your tanks)
don't know if you'll respond to this, but I have a tank that's just been growing plants with zero fish in it. I used dirt in this tank like I do with all of them. but today when I turned on the light there were a million little hair thin worms all on the glass. I have no filter in it, because I was just letting the plants grow before setting it up. they look like they have round heads and have segmented bodies with some yellow I guess. can't really tell if they're detritus or planaria could you help
Sounds like common detritus worms. If you can see them up close (magnified or take a good pic and blow it up) then look at the head. the detritus worms are segmented round worms, very similar to earthworms.
The planaria are flat worms that have arrowhead shaped heads.
Detritus worms are super common. If you have plants in a dirted tank, it could be either, so look closely, but it sounds like no big deal.
The worms will congregate at or near the surface if the tank is low in oxygen, but if they are just on all sides that is a population explosion and can be controlled by adding natural predators
@@martinaltria5863 this is helpful. I've noticed teeny tiny worms in my tank today. Simple tank, two fish. A cori catfish and a recently added Blood Parrot Ciclid. I noticed the worms today. Most were on the glass but I noticed a few larger (maybe .25 inch) floating in the current. I'm worried, not sure which kind they are and hope they can't get me sick. I really don't want to have to scrap the tank or my fish. The parrot has finally warmed up to me and is super cute.
Why no close up of detritus worms?
There is a product called 'No Planaria' and it works to kill planaria, but it also kills snails. It WILL NOT kill shrimp fortunately. I've had to use it more than once because those little suckers wiped out an entire colony of snails I had, and they also seem to eat shrimplettes. Horrible things to have in your tank. If you have planaria, be careful of using nets and other tools between tanks because if you cut a planaria in half, those 2 halves will grow into another planaria. You can cross contaminate easily, so be careful if you've got them (planaria).
Got a white type of warm in my tank. It sticks to the glass but moves like an inch worm. Puts his butt up to its head and then stretch it out what is that.
If it has a triangle shaped head, it's planaria.
Detritus worms don't slither along the glass as this one appears to be doing.
I have these kind of worm in my tank. Im breeding shrimp and My tank got so many worms. Is there any solution to remove the worm? Because if i put guppy or goldfish inside Im afraid theyll gonna eat my baby shrimp. Any suggestion
Vac the tank, and do more water changes. Feed a bit less too.
Hopefully you got it taken care of, but I've learned SOBAKEN Genchem No Planaria (supposedly shrimp and plant safe) will kill the worms and snails.
Also, I have discovered something completely new to me. They look like tiny dandelion seed balls but half the arms are pulling stuff in, the other half are spitting stuff out. If you tap on the glass, it shrinks in on itself before resuming original behavior.
No clue what they are
Sounds like Hydra.
I thought Hydra were individual... This is a batch of things
Is planaria dangerous to humans? If say a drop of water with these would enter mouth / eyes area from splashing water?
I don't believe so. I've never heard of anyone being harmed by them.
i have something flat on my tank, but they move really slow and much smaller like a dot. Not sure if that just means they havnt grown up yet.
adrianchen19888 I know this is old, but probably a baby snail. I had exact same description of what I had and let it stay in my tank. About a month later I saw it formed a shell. I think what I got is a bladder snail.
I’ve only spotted one or two Planaria in my tank which consists of a fifteen year old Amano Shrimp. Should I be concerned?
If they've been in there 15 years, I wouldn't worry about it. If the planaria are new, then I'd get them out. Any eggs may be eaten by the planaria too.
I don't think Amano can be bred in freshwater though. I haven't seen any more Planaria since I plucked the first few out that I saw. I added a few guppies, and increased water changes as a substitute for the No Planaria. I just don't think a shrimp of that age could take a chemical water change.
Mine were not in substrate, there were freely swimming and climbing glass but also doesnt look like planaria.. help
Probably detritus worms. They "swim" around in the water when there's a population explosion. Feed less, and do more vaccing. They'll go away. At least they go back into the substrate where you'll never see them.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thanks for replying, but my tank is just 2 weeks old, no fish. Only 1 nerite snails, that's why I don't know why it happened. Can planaria be appeared quite thin? I look closely and most of the longer worm looks kinda have a "head" but not really appeared cleary as "triangle head" and they glide like snails and retract when touch, but since it's too thin and small I don't know if its planaria or detritus. Also recently I found 1 hydra this stress me too much.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly weirdly this is happening after I did my first 50% water changes, a week ago
I can send u a video if u want to see
cherry shrimp can tolerate salty water?
I don't think they can go to actual "brackish", but can tolerate salt up 1.003 (specific gravity) in their water.
What are the stringy hair like worms? I had those once and there was thousands of them. I done a complete cleanup on a 10 gallon betta tank about 3 months ago, they haven't came back.
That sounds like detritus worms.
I need help!! I do weekly water tests and water changes for my new 3 gallon tank for my betta and an otocinclus that I actually introduced 3 days ago. Today, I started my water change by lifting my decoration and suddenly HUNDREDS of white hair like threads (
It sounds like common detritus worms. I'm not familiar with keeping Betta fish, but six little pellets a day doesn't sound like you're over feeding.
If they really bother you, there are meds out there that kill them. I'm sure if you read through some of the comments here, you'll see the name of it.
I have these strange little stringy white worms on my sand .. i have NEVER had them in any tank before but im having a hard time identifying them... they are never on the glass and i first saw one floating around but they seem to reside on the aquarium bottom. i have not a clue where they came from and i dont think they are carnivorous because the pond snails are fine... i am not sure if i can get a photo of one but i did take a small video
Sounds like detritus worms. Vac more and feed less. You'll stop seeing them soon enough. They live in the substrate in most tanks and help clean it, but only become noticable if the population explodes due to excess detritus.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly ahhh okay thank you for the info. Currently nothing is in the tank and before that i had some triops in there.
this is my first time ever seeing them, safe to say i freaked out. i went on vacation for 3-4 days and my axolotls tank was left untouched. came back and i saw these… what !!
Are corys a good idea to help keep detritus worms down? I have tons of these worms, but I'm not sure what they are. they're too small for me to see if they have a triangular head, and by what you said I'm assuming they're detritus. Great video by the way, keep it up!
I don't know if the Cory will eat the worms, but the Cory won't eat all the stuff that builds up that the worms eat. Cories need real food, not decaying waste.
Cut down on feeding and vac more often. Their numbers will drop all by themselves.
Dan Hiteshew Lol I never implied I wanted to make them eat decaying matter my friend...but alright. Thank you.
magnawaves Well, I'm just throwing info out there. lol
I've heard people that thought "bottom feeders" would eat the fish waste and keep the tank clean. Lol
Whenever I do a gravel cleaning, which I do about every 3 days, in my 10 gallon tank there are small little worms that are in the water. Very thin and when they get on the glass they move kind of like an inch worm. After everything settles down I don't see them, so I think they just live in the gravel most of the time. I have two gold mystery snails and tons of really small brown/black snails (that breed like crazy). The platys tend to eat them when they(the worms) are floating in the water. What are these worms?
Those sound like simple detritus worms. Between the worms and your snails, it sounds like you're over-feeding your tank by quite a lot.Reduce the leftover food and you'll clear up the snails and worms. (fish can live on surprisingly little food)
I feed them twice a day. Guess I'll reduce that to one time a day.
Wow! Thanks Dan for the information 👍 I've had a 15 gallon "all natural" minnow tank made from the river in my backyard it has plants and rocks from the river inside with minnows from the river I've had the tank for about 2 years now and it looks beautiful but these little worms showed up out of no where when I was doing a water change I noticed them in the bucket of water from the tank I've come to a conclusion that they came on one of the plants that I put in my tank from the river haha thanks again for the information I was really worried about them but if they're harmless I'm fine with them 😊
What I just saw was 1 thread tiny wiggley thing swimming in the water column.. I clean 50% once a week or less depending on test kit outcome,so this is detritus worm? (I vacuum the entire tank every time I water change) ..
Probably. Don't ask me where they come from, but they seem to be in most peoples tanks, whether they see them or not.
Dan Hiteshew All I ever hear is “ you’re not doing enough water changes” it’s annoying considering I’m not being lazy with my fish keeping and if I clean any more than I already do I will kill my beneficial bacteria.. btw, the detritus worms come in on plants apparently but is a good indicator that the tank is healthy..
I keep reading and seeing pics of these worms on the glass, but what I have been seeing (which isn’t very much so far) is free floating in the water.. the size of a thread and tiny .. the only reason I can see it (my eyesight is bad) is because I put a black background on my tank lol.. otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed at all..
@@angieh4534 Yeah, that's just common detritus worms. Consider them part of your clean up crew and stop worrying about it. Too much water changes is far worse for your fish than a few harmless worms. (some fish even eat them)
Dan Hiteshew Thank you
will methylene blue kill internal worms, planaria and detritus?
I don't know. I've never looked into that stuff. I'm guessing it would. It seems to do just about everything. Lol
That's what I was wondering. I'm gonna try it.
I think I have planarian but then there is brown stuff in my lid does anyone know what they are?
I have a small little tank that i'm growing algae and moss in (I have a light on 24/7 and no aeration) for when my ghost shrimp have babies and I noticed just a minute ago there are thousands of these little worms all over the glass.. I've never had any fish/shrimp/snails in this tank, is this more than likely Detritus spawning due to no water changes/filter/aeration or is it possible it could be Planarian?
It's possible, but most likely they are detritus worms.
Look really closely and see if it's hear is "arrow-head" shaped. If it is, then it's planaria.
If it's just a little white tube, without a distinctly pointy head, then it's just a common detritus worm.
Dan Hiteshew Yup, looks like detritus worms. Thanks for making this video and replying to comments!
XeDragHD No problem. I'm glad it helped!
So i have very skinny white worms moving like a snake when in the water and and moving like worms when out of the water what should I do?
That sounds like common detritus worms. Clean the tank more, feed less, and vac the gravel more often. You should see less and less of them.
Dan Hiteshew thanks! For the info
I tried "no planaria", but it didn't work.
I've never tried it myself.
I have detritus plus my fish aren't eating. Any ideas?
Ugh, I definitely have planaria. I'm sure I got them from floating plants I purchased at auction from our local aquarium club. I ended up with unwanted snails as well. Bummer. I'm not terribly concerned about my two ghost shrimp, but I have two bamboo shrimp I'd really like to keep, and no secondary filtered tank. We shall see.
Good luck.
hi .. I have just set up my tank .. and right now I am cycling my tank with no fish just planted tanks ... today I added my snail .. and I just realised these small white worms on the glass tank .. but once I on my light ... they went down to the substrate so I couldn't see them anymore ... I am quite sure it is detritus worm instead of panalria ( I probably spell it wrongly) but I guess u understand it ...haha haha ... I change my water everyday for 30% and I still don't understand what I am doing wrong .. I have my filter on too... arghh.. so frustrating ahahhaha.. I am scare of worms so naturally I hate these worms .. it is so discouraging ..haha hahaha... I am planning to clean up my tank tmr with a sponge and see how ...
I'm pretty sure I have Planaria but I'm not positive and still having a problem figuring it out. I'm so stressed. My Betta tank and my snail tanks are loaded and idk what to do? Can anyone help me?
It's probably detritus worms.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly I'm really hoping so but Idk either so I'm freaking and doing alot of cleaning.
@@amcgeckos Feed less, vac more, and you should stop seeing them.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly okay and I was told to put my platy fry in the tanks and they will eat them up.
Yeah I had to break mine down and start over in my shrimp tanks lucky is my 5 gallons came in with the snail I bought
Well how can u get rid of the planaria worms if you can’t empty the tank and everything in it?!
There are meds you can use, but I'm not personally familiar with them.
Thank you so much I’m no longer worried
I have hundreds of little white hair like worms. None of them are attached to the glass, they’re in the substrate. I think they’re detritus???
Probably. Try gravel vaccing and reduce how much you're feeding.
the one in my tank looks like none of them above...the ones in my tank in even smaller, oval shaped, & white. i don't want to kill it because i'm hoping it's snail babies
thanks. I have them in a HIGHLY planted tank right now I have been setting up. I have no fish in there because I was letting the plants grow but Im thinking of throwing a couple cheap fish in there to population control some of the critters in there.
Any suggestions.
Mollies or Platies. Gouramis will eat worms too, but will also munch on your plants.
Dan Hiteshew the first two opinions are a better choice then? I have the same case as this viewer
michael nguyen Yes. Gouramis are definitely tough on plants.
I got plants from a lake to start up a new tank about a month ago, and I've seen a couple wormy creatures in there showing up every once in a while, and I kept saying they were leeches, bc, well, that's what they looked like even though they're translucent and only about a centimeter long when fully stretched out, but I decided to look it up just now and see what they actually are, and for a moment, this video had me thinking they were planaria, but after comparing them to pictures of small leeches, yup. They're leeches. Just posting this as a heads up to people that leeches are a possibility too.
I'm not going to let them feed off of me and keep them as pets since they might have parasites of their own that could be transferred to me, but I'm happy to watch them wiggle around at least until they starve. Or do some species eat things other than blood from large creatures?
I think leaches are blood feeders exclusively.
What happened to the royal farlowela you had?
I found it dead after the last time I blacked out the tank.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly I'm sorry to hear that.
@@blesson87 Thanks. I was rather bummed out myself. It was a cool fish.
Can detritus/planaria worms hurt humans? Also can detritus/planaria survive outside of water?
I don't think so on either questions.
Ok, Thank you. I only ask because I always have alot of cuts on my hands from the work I do, and I was worried one of these scary guys could crawl up in me, and then turn me into their own personal buffet or something.
Lol, I think you're safe.
I was wondering, I heard that planarias actually can swim, differently from Detritus worms, who looks like a earthworm after being pocked... And I can't even change the water since there's many babies shrimps, my first shrimp babies...
I'm not sure to be honest. I'd assume they could swim, but have never heard it said specifically.
I have thin floating worms in my tank, what are they and are they dangerous to humans?
Most likely they're just harmless detritus worms. Cut back on feeding and try to gravel vac more. Also, guppies eat them.
Are they harmful to an axolotl?
I don't think so.
What about a little brown looking worm…???
Not sure what that is.
Can parasites be introduced through the food we use ?
If you use wild caught snails, then sure. Feeder fish are not know to be particularly hygienic either.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Can dried shrimp or any dried food cause that to happen ?
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thank you !
@@lito11111940 Not parasites (that I've ever heard of). You can feed fish the wrong kind of food, or too much of certain foods, but if it's a prepared food, it won't have parasites.
I know im late for this vid and i just saw this creatures yesterday i didn't mind and ithink it might just some dirt stuffs on the glass coz there were lots of rocks there gravels and what i really thought is its just an algae growing coz its becoming a rainforest looking now just letting the algaes grow naturally . And this morning when i checked closely i see it moving and concerned me . Cant really tell which is which coz theyre behaving differently? But all i want is to remove them rather risking
So on what i saw from your vid and on your other vid concerning this topic. Do fish eat them? I mean maybe some time? can salt do the magic? How about plecos ?? I want to put my plecos but its a flowerhorn tank so its kinda no no hehe
I just want to know your opinion :V thanks for this . GodBless
If the worms are floating around, then they're probably just harmless detritus worms. If they're crawling on the glass like a tiny slug or snail, then it's probably planaria. I think Guppies might eat the detritus worm, but I don't know what to tell you about the planaria.
Dan Hiteshew i just remove all of the stuffs inside and dry it to the sun . Remove my FH and place my guppies and plecos . They seem to show what they were suppose to do . I love them seeing fiesting there (on the bottom of the tank tho this worms are not visible now) just concerned that this worms will like grow inside my guppies :v u get the idea . When squished or wrecked apart :V hoping not so
Thank you very much for your reply :)
I’m still very confused cuz I read that Planaria came from uneaten food, is that true if not wat is it then?
Hope you see this and reply. I saw a worm on the glass of my aquarium that was slithering just like the one you showed at the start of the video only it's SMALL, like smaller than an arm hair, smaller than a lower eyelash. Do you think it's still planaria?
Yes, they start out pretty tiny and get larger. If it undulates across the glass, it's most likely planaria. I'd treat for them if I were you. They can be problematic. Good luck.
Dan Hiteshew thank you for replying. After I saw the first one I sat and stared at my tank for probably 15 minutes looking for more but I never saw any. I'll be dosing my tank probably today, luckily I have some cat dewormer on hand. What can I do/not do in the future to keep them from coming back?
Are detritus wormworms red?
No, they're white (ish)
You probably have freshwater bristle worms. They are mostly harmless, but there are a lot of species of them, so start by looking up "Freshwater Bristleworms" and go from there.
Good luck!
Bristleworms can apparently grow to 24" in length ! have fun
How many aquariums do you have, woah?
I think I have 16 at the moment.
My little white worms are hair thin. I am still waiting on my fish to arrive so I don't have anything in there but plants. My question: The roots are so long on the plants that they are actually poking up through the substrate. The exposed roots look like crap, so is it the roots that are creating the worms? I can't tell if they are planeria or not because they are so small.
No, roots won't "cause" worms. If you don't like the look of the roots, you can trim them.
More than likely, your worms are harmless detritus worms. if you can get a good clear pic, then blow the image up, you should be able to tell the difference. Planaria will have an arrowhead shaped head, and detruitus worms will be little tubes.
Planaria are flatworms, not tube worms.
Thanks Dan, Ill do that!
Any tank care tips. Im new at owning a fresh water tank
If I had to say something (other than watching my videos) I'd say get a freshwater master test kit. I firmly believe that testing your water regularly is important. And after my recent episode with Ick, I'd also recommend properly Quarantining your incoming animals.
+Dan Hiteshew sounds good, thanks
Dan Hiteshew sounds good, thank you
Your the man. I greatly appreciate your expertise
thanks! I'm happy to help.
what color is the planeria?
white, or off white.
Does anything eat plantarians?
you should keep an eye on the brackish tank if your gonna put the shrimp into the brackish tank because planaria can tolerate brackish enviornments
good to know. thanks.
Damnit. I have planeria in my tank I'm breeding Mystery Snails and Gamerus Shrimp (scuds) in. I'll quarantine what I can. There are hundreds on the glass, and I've seen few and fewer of my scuds.
Update: It wasn't planaria. Turned out to be midge flies. A bunch of midges ended up caught under the glass lid. I put 2 and 2 together after that. I stripped down the tank and moved everything into a spare one. I'm going to keep baby Black Mollies in with my Gamerus Shrimp. They're too small to eat the Gamerus, but can eat any future midge larva before they begin nesting.
Does aquarium salt kill planaria?
I saw one worm being blown around it was wiggling around it looked like a few (5) millimetre long dancing bit of hair
What eats Planaria?
I'm honestly not sure.
GUYS I NEED HELP, there are tiny little white dots around my fish tank but they are on the gravel and I don't know what they are please help me!!!!
Princess_Izzy33 do you per chance have a nerite snail or any other snails
How do they get there
Lol I still haven't figured that one out. They seem to just appear, although they obviously come from somewhere.
do you have to move the fish?????
+aaron francis No. These Detritus worms in my Angelfish tank are harmless. If I had Planeria in the fish tank, and not the snail tank, I'd have to treat for them, but not move any fish.
Wow I've never seen these before? How common are these? I've never seen or heard of either of these.....🤔
What are the cone shape small snail looking things
nice video and nice fish room.
Thanks!
Your tanks look nice 👍
Size difference?
Not really. At least I don't think so.
The one I saw in my tank look like tiny black leeches. Didn't have a triangle head though. They are super duper tiny.