Infection help

[gm72]

Betta tank has very small, maybe 1/8" white things all over the glass. They are moving. Didn't notice them during the water change yesterday. No idea what this is or how to treat it. Please help Fancy Wancy the betta!

[Rue]

...hah! I think you gots what I gots...

Planaria!!!

[gm72]

...and so we treat it how?

[Rue]

...not worth treating...they won't hurt anything in my tank...although they might irritate the snails a bit...

...I'll keep cleaning the tank, and sucking some of them up...and underfeeding the crew a bit...hopefully that will clean up the tank and they'll run their course soon enough...

[gm72]

I am sitting here reading about it and it seems like salt may be a good addition?

[Rue]

...you could try salt...

[gm72]

Thanks for the quick help. You know, so funny that I went years with an aquarium with no problems at all. Now I have just recently had some problems, but I guess that comes with the territory when you start having multiple tanks and more fish.

[Rue]

I think you're right...

...25 years, give or take, of having a tank...

...first time I've ever had planaria...

[SkarloeysMom]

I've had them off and on in both my betta tanks. They seem to sometimes inch up the side of the tank out of the water and hang out there so I just wipe them off with a papertowel every so often. Don't know if I'll ever get rid of them. I've tried salt and it doesn't seem to be working.

[Drumachine09]

Sounds interesting. Can anyone get a pic? I am curious to see what all of the hubub is about.

[Lady Hobbs]

http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Planaria.htm

Doesn't sound to me like what you have but whatever it is, I'm sure the salt will help but the betta may not tolerate it. You may have to move him out for a few days then change the water.

[gm72]

Drum, they are very hard to see, I tried to take a pic but they really didn't show up. You'd need a high res shot and a good camera, I think.

Lady, I did add some salt, about half a tablespoon. Fancy Wancy is okay for now, I am doing small water changes daily. There seem to be fewer of them on the glass tonight.

[Rue]

...my camera can't capture them either...

...might be this one:

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.una.edu/microaquarium/images/Flatworms/Planaria_1cm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www2.una.edu/microaquarium/flatworms.htm&h=342&w=629&sz=43&hl=en&start=53&sig2=ynSg0kQOnNy-yJI4SgQpSA&tbnid=8u_Zgp0kRn3zNM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=137&ei=KwNeRsH8KIOkhgTimsj8Bg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanaria%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26nds p%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

...or not...

[gm72]

No clue. They have radically decreased in number and Fancy Wancy is no worse for the wear with some salt in with him.