# White worm with antennas in my tank



## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

I was just looking in my tank wondering why the shrimp were freaking out when they landed on some plants. I took out the magnifying glass and found tons of worms with antennas. I pulled the plants and put in a bucket. How do I get rid of these? They are only in one tank unfortunately the tank they are in has numerous berried blue pearls. I also have a skin irritation after touching the plants. 
Can I catch the shrimp and put them in a different container and dose the dickens out of that tank then do a water change after a few days? Right now the plants are soaking in a big dose of Fenbendazole 

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## Dou (Dec 4, 2015)

I think a tank reset is in order. That would freak me out...

The best way I would think is to clean the filter, retain as much of the same water and clean/toss everything else. This way you wont have any chances of the worms re-appearing...


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Dou said:


> I think a tank reset is in order. That would freak me out...
> 
> The best way I would think is to clean the filter, retain as much of the same water and clean/toss everything else. This way you wont have any chances of the worms re-appearing...


Thank you. I'm scared they are in the water. I agree...I think everything is going to get tossed. The skin irritation did it for me. I'm going to put the plants in a jar with the wormer to see if it kills them. (Curiosity sake) I will try and take a pic of them too. If any of you have these, don't let them touch your skin!

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## mollyb (May 18, 2010)

It sounds like Hydra to me, kinda a relative to an salt water anemone, copper kills em, but that would do the shrimp in as well.


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## Dou (Dec 4, 2015)

Gaia said:


> Thank you. I'm scared they are in the water. I agree...I think everything is going to get tossed. The skin irritation did it for me. I'm going to put the plants in a jar with the wormer to see if it kills them. (Curiosity sake) I will try and take a pic of them too. If any of you have these, don't let them touch your skin!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


I've never had anything like that but I do know in my most successful tank yet that there are tons of white worms in the soil - that occasionally swim to the top or around to leaves (and I pluck them out) along with daphnia flying around... I'm curious now how they look like.


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

mollyb said:


> It sounds like Hydra to me, kinda a relative to an salt water anemone, copper kills em, but that would do the shrimp in as well.


Thank you. Yes definitely looks like it

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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Dou said:


> I've never had anything like that but I do know in my most successful tank yet that there are tons of white worms in the soil - that occasionally swim to the top or around to leaves (and I pluck them out) along with daphnia flying around... I'm curious now how they look like.












Definitely them I think.

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## Plumberboy (Jun 2, 2014)

Canadian Aquatics has that No-Planaria, that is shrimp safe. That way you could leave your tank. Not sure if it kills hydra too.....


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Plumberboy said:


> Canadian Aquatics has that No-Planaria, that is shrimp safe. That way you could leave your tank. Not sure if it kills hydra too.....


Thank you. I will look into that

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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Well that turned into a nightmare. Cracked my one and only rimless tank while cleaning it.  Raced to the LFS and grabbed a cheap 5 gallon. Boo! 

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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Too bad about your tank. 

Your picture is of hydra. I have rarely had it in tanks except for ones that I heavily feeding fry in, especially brine shrimp nauplii. Often if you are feeding natural green water / infusium you will have them as they are naturally occurring Protozoa. 

Hydra are mainly plankton eaters but I am sure some have symbiotic algae growing with them that is why they can appear green. They are very like an salt water anemone and use stinging cells in their pseudopods (tentacles) to paralyse and grasp food. Their main food is very small plankton and small food particals so they would not be welcome in tanks with very small fry, i.e. tetra type or small crusteans like baby shrimp. 

At present I only have one tank where they are obvious - juvenile Africans where they are not causing an issue. I have never seen them in a well cleaned tank with great water filtration, that's how deal with them. My guess is there are even some predatory fish that would eat them but their stinging cells are for prey capture and defence. 

Others may see them as a major threat, I see them as a nuisance and in indicator that I have some tank maintenance to attend to.


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## Mick2016 (Jun 16, 2016)

Never heard of this critter in FRESHwater tanks. I am on the lookout for hatching snails, but never give HYDRA a thought. How common are these?


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## aprilsaquarium (Aug 22, 2016)

Hydra kill shrimp quite often comes in on plants. Levimasole kills them and not the shrimp. 
Also gouramis eat hydra. 
We got levimasole
From
A
Vet once when we had hydra in a shrimp tank at home. 



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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

VElderton said:


> Too bad about your tank.
> 
> Your picture is of hydra. I have rarely had it in tanks except for ones that I heavily feeding fry in, especially brine shrimp nauplii. Often if you are feeding natural green water / infusium you will have them as they are naturally occurring Protozoa.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. The tank was set up 3 months ago. The shrimp were added Black Friday. I barely fed because I had algae growth on a plant I bought. I think it was hitchikers. I could be wrong but everything was new. I'm definitely going to read up on it more tonight now that I have time

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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

aprilsaquarium said:


> Hydra kill shrimp quite often comes in on plants. Levimasole kills them and not the shrimp.
> Also gouramis eat hydra.
> We got levimasole
> From
> ...


Thank you April.  I'm petrified to buy plants now. What can I do to treat any further plants before adding in the tanks? The last time I had an issue was another new tank a few months ago. Same thing. ..bought some plants and next thing I see was planaria on the glass.

The blue pearls and a carbon rili I got from you are berried. I hope all this moving around and new home doesn't cause any casualties.

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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Mick2016 said:


> Never heard of this critter in FRESHwater tanks. I am on the lookout for hatching snails, but never give HYDRA a thought. How common are these?


They are nasty! The skin irritation only lasted about 3 hrs so I was happy about that. Hopefully they aren't that common.

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## Sean's Ponds (Dec 3, 2015)

Gaia said:


> They are nasty! The skin irritation only lasted about 3 hrs so I was happy about that. Hopefully they aren't that common.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


I had them in a small 5 gallon tank I used for my Painted Fire Red Cherries and after buying plants from a local member here I ended up with both Hydra and Planaria. I bought some No Planaria from Patrick and it took two doses but killed them all but not the shrimp. I still have that same colony of breeding Painted Fire Red Neos but not Hydra nor Planaria. I did not buy the big package of No Planaria, Just enough for three doses from Patrick and that was more than enough. Still have a backup dose in case some come in on plants I purchase in the future from members. I don't universally quarantine but one tank that does have shrimp also accepts all newly introduced plants.

Cheers,
Sean


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## aprilsaquarium (Aug 22, 2016)

Tropica bio secure
Plants .
Another thing thst can happen which I learnt the hard way is plants from
Asia have
Been treated with something like copper or
Something and if you add them
To shrimp
Tanks it kills them
All.
Even some
Tiny sensitive micro
Fish. 


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

aprilsaquarium said:


> Tropica bio secure
> Plants .
> Another thing thst can happen which I learnt the hard way is plants from
> Asia have
> ...


Thanks for the info! That's scary as well!

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## davefrombc (Apr 21, 2010)

Hydra are harmless to all but the tiniest of fish fry and shrimp nauplii. Some fish , like guppies will eat them , and hydra will naturally die off in aquariums if food is scarce for them . They can feed on some "infusoria" and tiny particles of uneaten fish food. They'll die off in aquariums if there isn't food for them there. 
Most never notice them , but hydra are very common in our lakes, streams and ponds.


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## Cammyle (Oct 24, 2016)

Gaia - where did you buy Fenbendazole? I was reading that Fenbendazole will get rid of planaria, hydra and other pests better than no planaria.

Newbie error of overfeeding - my shrimp tank has planaria, hydra and some tiny white critters that jump around. There were two dead shrimps out of 11 . I can see lots of baby shrimps. I'm not sure how to treat it and I cant find Fenbendazole in store.


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## davefrombc (Apr 21, 2010)

Planaria won't hurt anything, and the hydra may get a few of the shrimp nauplii if they're small enough , but really shouldn't be a big problem. Cut way back on the feeding and all three... planaria, hydra and the other bugs will die out without using any medications that have the potential to do more harm than good .


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Cammyle said:


> Gaia - where did you buy Fenbendazole? I was reading that Fenbendazole will get rid of planaria, hydra and other pests better than no planaria.
> 
> Newbie error of overfeeding - my shrimp tank has planaria, hydra and some tiny white critters that jump around. There were two dead shrimps out of 11 . I can see lots of baby shrimps. I'm not sure how to treat it and I cant find Fenbendazole in store.


I bought it at pharmasave in Cloverdale. They sell vet supplies and some meds there. Excellent place! If you don't want to buy a bottle I have some you can have. 

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## Cammyle (Oct 24, 2016)

Thank you for your generous offer.  I won't be going to Langley anytime soon though. Is it a prescription or off the counter? I don't have any pet beside fishes and shrimps.


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

Cammyle said:


> Thank you for your generous offer.  I won't be going to Langley anytime soon though. Is it a prescription or off the counter? I don't have any pet beside fishes and shrimps.


You can just go in and ask for it. They will look at you funny if you say it's for a fish tank so if you want to save yourself a long conversation then just say you have a dog or cat lol.

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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

Gaia said:


> You can just go in and ask for it. They will look at you funny if you say it's for a fish tank so if you want to save yourself a long conversation then just say you have a dog or cat lol.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


 Like a dogfish or catfish  :lol: HaHa !!! 
Sorry Janice couldn't resist


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## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

No planeria from Canadian aquatics took care of my planeria and hydra explosion when I over fed. Didn't harm any shrimp.


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## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

I think Dave from BC advice is important. Stay away from medications if you can. Using chemicals that take out hydra & planeria will have other effects on Protozoa that actually work to benefit a well balanced tank. 

FYI: That African juvenile tank 2 days ago that had hydra ... did a regular water change, increased water flow with a cycled HOB filter and cut back on napalii feedings no obvious hydra.


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

The Guy said:


> Like a dogfish or catfish   HaHa !!!
> Sorry Janice couldn't resist


Ha ha!   

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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

VElderton said:


> I think Dave from BC advice is important. Stay away from medications if you can. Using chemicals that take out hydra & planeria will have other effects on Protozoa that actually work to benefit a well balanced tank.
> 
> FYI: That African juvenile tank 2 days ago that had hydra ... did a regular water change, increased water flow with a cycled HOB filter and cut back on napalii feedings no obvious hydra.


How did you get them to let go of what they were holding on to? I put a rock that had them outside in a bucket of water. I was experimenting. The cold, then frozen, then thawed again water did not kill them. I do agree...I don't like putting medications in my tanks either but with limited funds I get scared especially when it comes to my shrimp tanks. 

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## davefrombc (Apr 21, 2010)

The hydra will die off if they are not getting any food..same with the planaria. Cutting back on the feedings for the shrimp so there is none left over fafter their feeding and the planaria and hydra will be eliminated, or at least redused to un noticeable numbers .


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## Gaia (Jun 20, 2016)

davefrombc said:


> The hydra will die off if they are not getting any food..same with the planaria. Cutting back on the feedings for the shrimp so there is none left over fafter their feeding and the planaria and hydra will be eliminated, or at least redused to un noticeable numbers .


Thank you . If/when they come back I will try that.

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