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Parasite ID and treatment help needed


Kearmstr

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Hi all,

I have a tank of blue dreams that I’ve had for a few weeks. I have a couple adults that have a worm attached to their head. I can’t tell if it is Scutariella or a leech of some kind. It looks too large for Scutariella. I have had these small worms in the tank for a few weeks but they don’t appear to be planeria (see attached photo).

 

I have Panacur c and Para cleanse available as treatments.

I have shrimplets and snails so I’m concerned about them.

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

 

 

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Did you check out the Disease and Diagnosis thread?

 

A salt bath should help remove those parasites.

 

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They look like leeches, over the years I have seen some in my tanks (never on a shrimp though) but they are usually larger. I haven't used a treatment but if they are on a shrimp you should try the treatment JayC recommends! If they are on thhe glass (mine were) just remove them with your finger! I don't think they are harmful to shrimp but look nasty and must be irritating  to the shrimps.

Simon

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17 hours ago, Kearmstr said:

Thanks for the help!

? You're welcome.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi anyone seen these in their shrimp tank before? It's really small. Smaller than a planaria. I don't know if it's a baby hydra. Worried that it may kill my shrimps. I do have some planaria infestations too. Waiting for my benibachi planaria order to arrive 466526a0d62f987f81289e9fe4d08c6e.jpgd885e3d6eee6f610847d2afcb090a3b7.jpg

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They are cyclops, a type of copepod and shouldn't be harmful to shrimps!

I don't know whether the planaria you are getting will kill them off, but would do that treatment first and see what happens? A few carefully chosen fish may get rid of them if there aren't shrimp in the tank butcome back to that after you have treated for the planaria?

Simon 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/25/2021 at 4:30 PM, sdlTBfanUK said:

They are cyclops, a type of copepod and shouldn't be harmful to shrimps!

I don't know whether the planaria you are getting will kill them off, but would do that treatment first and see what happens? A few carefully chosen fish may get rid of them if there aren't shrimp in the tank butcome back to that after you have treated for the planaria?

Simon 

Hi Simon, updates on the planaria and copepods. I tried using planaria trap and really screwed up the tank as I put raw chicken in the trap and when it wasn't trapping any planaria I took out the trap and left the chicken bits inside. I think they decomposed and caused a lot of ammonia as a few of my shrimps died(2-3). Then I used the benibachi planaria zero in the tank (did 2 water changes focusing on cleaning the substrate) and separated my snails and after two doses I don't see any more planarias. I also went to get 3 pygmy corydoras. That really made the copepods dissappear slowly but surely. Thank you so much for your help and advice!

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Great to hear that you are sorted! I wouldn't have thought Cordoras would eat copepods but as long as it is working stick with it?

Simon

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