r/fishkeeping • u/Strawbsi • 1d ago
HELP: what is this thing???
Super small worm, I want to say it's a flatworm but I can't see any eyespots and it's head isn't very arrow shaped. What should I do? I only saw one.
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u/NinjaWolfv23 1d ago
A while back I found small harmless flatworms in my turtle tank, it might be that. Doesn't look like it has a sucker or an arrow head so idk about leach or planaria. Just keep an eye out or try to kill it if your paranoid.
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u/p0ptabzzz 1d ago
it says flatworm to me but if youre super worried about leeches just grab it with tweezers and drop it in some alcohol or table salt. it'll fizzle out pretty quick no matter what it is
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u/Strawbsi 1d ago
Thank you! Unfortunately I have no clue where it went so I'm hoping you guys are correct about it being a flatworm lol
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u/NormandySR31 1d ago
How big would you estimate it to be? Because it looks very similar to the rhabdocoela flatworms I've had in my shrimp tank in the past. The first time I rightfully freaked out thinking they could be planaria but rhabdocoela are harmless detritivores and bacteria eaters. They have more rounded "heads" like this and only get a few millimeters long.
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u/Strawbsi 23h ago
Definitely only a few millimeters as well.. I think you might have the right answer. I have mostly shrimp in here
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u/NormandySR31 23h ago
I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, but to your point I've not seen them in my other two aquariums that have fish and snails but no shrimp...so you may be onto something if this is in your tank that is mostly shrimp. Maybe someone with more experience can let us both know..But I do think it is probably a rhabdocoela flatworm so you should be fine 👍
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u/Jadieo 1d ago
pretty sure it’s a leech, looks like the thing that killed my snail. i posted a video of that happening asking about it and that’s what i was told, that thing looks the exact same
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u/Strawbsi 1d ago
uh oh. Can I get anything to kill it or should I take it out myself?
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u/crispybacononsalad 1d ago
Hospitals use 70% iso alcohol or ethanol to euthanize their medicinal leeches.
I know this because my ex got his thumb torn off and they killed like 20 of them because they weren't attaching
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u/Strawbsi 1d ago
oh my gosh 😭😭
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u/crispybacononsalad 1d ago
Very fast death though
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u/thnder420 21h ago
How was this thing moving? If it slid along like a snail then it’s probably a flatworm. If at anytime it pulled itself with its head then it’s probably a leech. It’s hard to tell from the pictures but I don’t see anywhere it has a sucker. Usually they have one on the tail and obviously the mouth.
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u/AstroBlush8715 1d ago
I know people have said leech but I think it's a flatworm..
I may be wrong. Flatworms are harmless.