Bugs and shrimp tank

[ath3ist]

Why is it that only my shrimps tank always infected with various kinds of aquarium bugs like flatworms, nematodes and coepods? Out of the 3 tanks that I have, the shrimp tank has my highest priority in maintenance.

I change 30% of water every 2-3 days and vacuum the gravel once a week. I feed the shrimps very sparingly too, maybe one Shirakura pellet every few days ( or maybe once a week when I have almond leaves in there). Yet the population of coepods and nematodes don't seem to reduce at all.

I tried the siphon method using a plastic straw stuck to an air tube to suck out these little bugs every water change, but they never cease to reproduce back in large number in just a couple days. Help please!!!

[FrostyNYC]

I assume it's because fish would eat those critters in most tanks.

[PROLINKer]

Add some tiger barbs or better yet clown loaches for a while until they kill these bugs.

[customdrumfinishes]

you need to use the dog deworner treatment to kill all bugs!
its the only known safe killer for shrimp heres a link, theres more info here on it i think.do a search for planeria and youll find it.

heres the link to dog dewormer info

sorry there site is down, its on planetinverts ill post it later when its available

[ZID ZULANDER]

I added some scarlet Badis to the tank and they seem to be taking care of my problem with them.

[Ebichua]

Originally Posted by PROLINKer

Add some tiger barbs or better yet clown loaches for a while until they kill these bugs.

That's also asking for the eradication of shrimp...

Dewormers work, but I don't know if it works on ALL pests. These small pests don't do too much harm to your shrimp though, unless they're large hydras or planaria. So it's kind of something most of us shrimp keepers learn to deal with.

[customdrumfinishes]

i know the addition of some small fish like guppys and other little fishys will eat the worms and bad guys but they will eat smalllll shrimp juvis to. theres alot of talk about bugs in your shrimp tank here. alot of them wont hurt the shrimp there just ugly to see.
i often go to my tanks and stare for 5 minutes at the small buggers in my cherry tank. the shrimp are fine! no deaths, 5 pregos and tons of juvis! the bugs are just annoying is all! ive wanted to NUKE the tank more than once. but only shrimp safe nuke is the dewormer!
if anyone else has a cure for copeopods,worms,hydra in shrimp tanks that kills them and wont kill or eat shrimp i wanna hear it lol. and dont say over feeding or sucking them out
i only have little copeopods and little white worms. no planeria or hydra!

heres a link to planeria,hydra in shrimp tanks
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ria-hydra.html

[PROLINKer]

Originally Posted by Ebichua

That's also asking for the eradication of shrimp...

Dewormers work, but I don't know if it works on ALL pests. These small pests don't do too much harm to your shrimp though, unless they're large hydras or planaria. So it's kind of something most of us shrimp keepers learn to deal with.

Oh GOD sorry about that, how stupid of me, I didn't notice that it's a shrimp tank. I should have read the subject.

[ath3ist]

Today when I siphoned the bugs out, I caught 2 large flatworms about the size of a grain of rice. I have goosebumps just thinking about them now. I think I might try that dog dewormer but it's a bit pricy for just a few tabs

[Ebichua]

It is indeed expensive. You don't even need all the tabs. Maybe just one, depending on how many tanks you want to treat and how many gals. I believe you split each tab into 10 portions (very tiny amount is all it takes!) and each portion is enough for 10G.
Perhaps you can find someone in SnS who already bought these dewormers and has spare sitting around.
It'll be a lot cheaper than buying the packet. I believe the smallest size packet can go for 13-15 dollars? Someone will have to correct me if I'm wrong.

[bulrush]

I have so many RCS in each tank, that my clown loach doesn't seem to eat too many. He really prefers snails first. I move my clown loach from tank to tank just to eat the snails in there. If you have really expensive shrimp then i wouldn't risk it. If you have shrimp, like RCS, which breed constantly, don't worry about it.

I also have had guppies and danios when I had copepods (cyclops) and flatworms. The fish took a while but eventually the copepods and flatworms went away.

[ramawo]

Try Prozipro, it might works for you !
I used a lot when I had goldfish.

[bsmith]

I used to have "bugs" everywhere in my shrimp tank. After many failed attempts to kill them by smashing them on the glass or trying to catch them with tweezers I just gave up. Recently I have noticed that there ae none in the tank. I still feed the same (not much) and havent changed anything else. It might just be a step in the progression of a tank with shrimp, I am not certian. If there is no adverse effect by having them I would just wait it out and keep doing what your doing.

[fishsandwitch]

Oops!

[praxis5624]

Are you losing shrimp because of the "bugs" in your tank ? If not you might consider cohabitation, your shrimp probably benefit in some way due to their existence.