Can fish eat planaria worms?

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can fish eat planaria worms?” We will also discuss the causes of planarian worm infestation and how to eradicate them from aquariums.

Can fish eat planaria worms?

Free-living flatworms, planarians are not generally recommended as fish feed, but few aquarium fish that eat live food (insects, bloodworms, daphnia, earthworms and sludge worms) can eat planaria worms too.

Planarians will not harm healthy fish, but they will attack fish that are sick and have a weakened immune system. They have been known to eat fish eggs, so if you keep egg-laying fish in your aquarium, they will likely eat those eggs.

Planarians are tiny creatures that have triangular heads with a pointed tip on the front. They can often be a nuisance and difficult to control.

These planarians are known as shrimp and snail killers, so if you have these creatures in your aquarium, they will most likely get killed by them. Remove shrimp and snails from the planarian worm-infested tank to prevent them from getting killed.

What kind of fish can eat a planaria worm?

Not all fish eat planaria worms, some fish that are fond of eating live food may eat planaria worms.There are a few fish that can eat planaria worms are:

  • Betta fish
  • Freshwater Angelfish 
  • Molly fish
  • Goldfish (Fancy goldfish) 
  • Plecos
  • Loaches 
  • Sparkling gouramis

What could cause planaria worms to start appearing in your fish aquarium?

  • Live plants
  • Tank accessories (caves, rock works)
  • Uneaten food in the tank

Fish tanks are often decorated with plants and other aquatic accessories to give the same feel as their natural habitat. This can provide both mental stimulation and a sense of familiarity for the fish. 

If plants and other tank accessories are not washed properly before being added to the tank will cause a flatworm infestation in the tank.

One of the main problems aquarium owners see is that uneaten food accumulates at the bottom of the tank because the fish are overfed. Planarians flourish in an environment with lots of uneaten food; they love to eat the food leftovers from other fish.

It is essential to wash plants and other tank accessories before adding them to your fish aquarium and to remove uneaten food regularly using a gravel siphon to avoid planaria worms infestation.

How can you get rid of planarian worms from your aquarium?

If a planaria worm has taken over the entire aquarium of your fish, you need to take action as quickly as possible to get it out of the tank. There are different ways to get rid of flatworms from your aquarium:

Less feeding, more vacuuming and cleaning

Reduce the amount of food you feed your fish and clean their aquariums more often. Use a gravel siphon to remove uneaten food from the gravel regularly. 

Make sure you vacuum the gravel regularly to keep it clean, healthy, and free of food waste.

Use planaria trap to remove planaria worms

The planaria trap is a glass tube with a lid that captures planarian worms. To catch planarians, place bait in the trap and close the lid. Place the trap on the substrate so the planaria can crawl into it.This natural way of trapping planaria worms will work within 24 hours.

The trap method will take weeks to rid a tank of planarian worms. This method is effective against planaria, but it may take some time to remove them entirely.

Add fish that eat planaria to your aquarium

Adding fish that eat planarians to the aquarium will help keep planarian populations in check.

Some fish that can be great additions to an aquarium full of planaria worms include betta fish, goldfish, loaches, catfish, and angelfish. Do not group different types of fish in the same tank as the water parameter settings may vary. 

It is also important to isolate new fish before adding them to the aquarium to prevent infection.

Deworming method to remove planaria worms

If adding planaria-eating fish to the tank doesn’t work, you can try the deworming method to get rid of planaria worms from your fish tank. Deworming is an effective chemical method to control planarian populations.

No-planaria dosage to remove planaria worms

No-planaria is a plant product that is non-toxic and biodegradable. This product keeps the number of planaria worms low without harming shrimp, snails, and tank plants.

Dosage

Spoonful per 50 liters will be effective
0-24 hours1 spoonful
25-48 hours0.5 spoonful
49-72 hours0.25 spoonful

Other FAQs about Fish that you may be interested in.

Can fish eat basil?

Can fish eat bloodworms?

Can fish eat blueberries?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can fish eat planaria worms?” We have also discussed the reasons why these worms may be present in an aquarium and how to remove them from your fish aquarium.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you found it helpful. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Citations

https://www.cuteness.com/article/aquarium-fish-eat-planaria

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