Brengun Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 I found this in my canister last night. Is it the biggest planaria you've ever seen or something really bad? The nose bit could stretch out but without water it was too heavy in body to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebris Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 It is a Turbellarian- Flatworm I have been researching this for over an hour and haven't seen pics of this one in general. There is alot of info out there to suggest some flatworms are dangerous for humans and fish when ingested! Will keep on looking and add some links when I find something specific to the pic you posted. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brengun Posted February 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Thank you Steve. :kiss: A little more info: the canister was on a 6ft tank with L075 leopard plecos. Two of them mysteriously died after I've had them over 8mths. I thought it might have been from the heat as we were having 40+C days at the time. Just to be safe I wormed the remaining pair with Big L wormer and they have been fine. I moved the pair and their canister into a 4ft tank a few weeks ago and set up the 6ft as a frontosa tank with existing power filters and a new canister. Now I am worried what nasties may be lurking in the gravel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebris Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Hey Brengun, Go this link for the Qld museum upload your pic and they will identify it for you. http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/inquiry/contact/index.asp I can't find any specific info on this little critter but I think it might be a http://www.parasite.org.au/parasites/Tu ... rwicki.htm Just interested hth Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetpetz Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Piscicola sp. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussie123 Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 It just looks like a freshwater flatworm. Nothing to worry about fish wise if thats what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brengun Posted February 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 Heres the verdict: Dear Brenda, I think the creature may be some sort of freshwater leech. An alternative identification possibility is a turbellarian flatworm, but they lack body segments and I think I can make out numerous fine segments on your specimen. Some leeches prey on worms and molluscs while others (more famously) suck blood. Unless there was an infestation, I do not think they would harm the ecology of your fish tank. Queensland Museum PO Box 3300 South Brisbane BC Qld 4101 ph 07 38407640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebris Posted February 8, 2010 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 Good to hear Brenda! Aren't you glad you have a concise and definitive answer rather than speculation from the forum? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetpetz Posted February 8, 2010 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 Piscicola sp. ? Can't really be more concise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJ Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 Looks like a leech - does it move by attaching the back and stretching forward then attaching the front and moving the back forward (leech), or does it glide (flatworm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brengun Posted June 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Now I have these damned worms in two tanks! They are rough to touch, and exude something like the sticky a snail does when you pick them up. They can shrink from 1cm to pin head size by retracting themselves somehow. They seem to move by gliding rather than fixing the head to a point but its quite hard to tell. They are virtually impossible to squash and can survive in a moist water change bucket for days. They live under driftwood and in the gravel as I am finding them in the gravel vac now. I don't care what they are, just how the heck do ya kill em? I put some in a container and dosed BigL wormer at 4 times the dose and they drank it up and asked for more. Even hot water poured over them, while it doesn't do much good to their health, it doesn't actually kill them till its near boiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brengun Posted June 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Someone suggested I see if it was a leech by putting my finger in there. I was very brave but the worm didn't want to really sit on my finger at all and kept putting its head out to feel for somewhere else to go. On watching the movement more closely, the head fixes then pulls the rest of the body forward but it doesn't kink or anything like a caterpillar. Demonstration of size on my index finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebris Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 If you have some spare tanks pull the fish out. Pull the systems down and bleach everything! Bleach kills most if not all things..... That's a pain in the arse, but it will work Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJ Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 ^those^ are planaria, definitely harmless and usually indicate extra organics in the tank. Most fish eat em, salt and/or copper based stuff will do them but I wouldn't worry. Below appear to be leaches, probably harmless but could be bloodsuckers of fish (more likely snails though). If they were attacking fish it'd be pretty obvious. I've had some that looked like that come in on plants and the rainbows ate them all (you think I'd learn to quaranteen ). Not totally convinced about the last pick though - could be a curled up planarian as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutters187 Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Except for the last pic i would also say that it looks like a plant leech. I see them a lot in with live blackworm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brengun Posted June 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 I really wish they would come up out of the gravel so my rainbowfish could get a hold of em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
