Simple DIY planaria trap

[Jynn]

So.. Ive got dwarf puffers so I am raising scuds in a small tank to feed them...

 

There's duckweed on top of that tank, so catching the little bastards is a nightmare.

I thought id try to catch them in a trap instead.

 

Made this little trap, and after 6 hours it was about 1/2 full of planaria.   Turns out my scud tank has lots of planaria too.

 

So, thought id share my design as it appears to be a very effective planaria trap.

 

 

 

So.. I started with These http://www.amazon.com/SEOH-100mm-Plastic-Test-Tubes/dp/B002JA5NMY/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1457914283&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=test+tubes+with+caps&psc=1

and these http://www.amazon.com/G2Plus%C2%AE-Disposable-Graduated-Transfer-Pipettes/dp/B00W4QJNYW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457914478&sr=8-3&keywords=pipettes

 

I already had these because I use em for testing water, and feeding fry/shrimplets but both are cheap and usefull

 

 

So.... the tubes have these little caps

 

 

 

 

Cut the very tip off so you've got a tube, I just used scissors.

 

 

 

 

Shove a pipette in there and push until it's snug.

 

 

 

 

Trim the excess off the long end and cut the short end just where it starts to taper out, and pop the cap back on.

 

 

Fill it with water, drop a food pellet inside, and stick it in the tank.

[Nuthatch]

If one of these were to be used in a shrimp tank, would you end up catching baby shrimp?  Or is it too small for them?  Would the planaria kill any shrimp that got trapped in there with them?

[Jynn]

Incredibly small shrimplets might be able to get in there, but the opening is very small.

 

No bigger than commercial planaria traps.  

 

Ive never had planaria in a shrimp tank, so I couldn't say if shrimplets ever wander in,  I asked here once but got no valid responses (just a bunch of people suggesting panacure for the planaria I didn't have).

[Pokeshrimp]

Very cool. Do you have to bait the planaria or do they just find their way in there?

[Jynn]

Very cool. Do you have to bait the planaria or do they just find their way in there?

 

 

I just stuck a lil chunk of an algae wafer in there.

 

Since it's a straight tube, it was super easy to clean out and re-use as well.

 

Anyone know if its safe to feed the planaria to my puffers?

[svetilda]

Very cool idea!

 

I don't have planaria in my tanks but sometimes some scuds or nematodes. So I tried a commercial planaria trap to catch those and never had a baby shrimp inside.

[Soothing Shrimp]

Ingenious DIY!  Fish eat planaria all the time.  Don't know about puffers though.

[Vpier]

 

Anyone know if its safe to feed the planaria to my puffers?

Puffers will love you for that.

[Louie]

So.. Ive got dwarf puffers so I am raising scuds in a small tank to feed them...

 

There's duckweed on top of that tank, so catching the little bastards is a nightmare.

I thought id try to catch them in a trap instead.

 

Made this little trap, and after 6 hours it was about 1/2 full of planaria.   Turns out my scud tank has lots of planaria too.

 

So, thought id share my design as it appears to be a very effective planaria trap.

 

 

 

So.. I started with These http://www.amazon.com/SEOH-100mm-Plastic-Test-Tubes/dp/B002JA5NMY/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1457914283&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=test+tubes+with+caps&psc=1

and these http://www.amazon.com/G2Plus%C2%AE-Disposable-Graduated-Transfer-Pipettes/dp/B00W4QJNYW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457914478&sr=8-3&keywords=pipettes

 

I already had these because I use em for testing water, and feeding fry/shrimplets but both are cheap and usefull

 

 

So.... the tubes have these little caps

 

 

 

 

Cut the very tip off so you've got a tube, I just used scissors.

 

 

 

 

Shove a pipette in there and push until it's snug.

 

 

 

 

Trim the excess off the long end and cut the short end just where it starts to taper out, and pop the cap back on.

 

 

Fill it with water, drop a food pellet inside, and stick it in the tank.

Scuds will colonize driftwood but real driftwood not that rock hard African wood .

 

You remove it from water and they come out like ants , than you shake it in a container of water or in your puffer tank .

 

You could use a few little pieces of driftwood .

 

Granted now with your trap there is no need but if you ever add little pieces of driftwood IMO they breed faster .

 

I have planaria in my shrimp tanks which do not have mini moth catfish but now I'm going to try your trap idea instead of ignoring them .

 

I'd give you a 'like' but the Shrimp Spot ''man'' limits how many I can give and I've reached my limit till later .

[Jynn]

Scuds will colonize driftwood but real driftwood not that rock hard African wood .

 

You remove it from water and they come out like ants , than you shake it in a container of water or in your puffer tank .

 

You could use a few little pieces of driftwood .

 

Granted now with your trap there is no need but if you ever add little pieces of driftwood IMO they breed faster .

 

I have planaria in my shrimp tanks which do not have mini moth catfish but now I'm going to try your trap idea instead of ignoring them .

 

I'd give you a 'like' but the Shrimp Spot ''man'' limits how many I can give and I've reached my limit till later .

 

 

Ive got drift wood in there,  I have just been siphoning them up into a net lately, it works well enough.

[McMerwe Farms]

Hi. I like your idea! Any feedback on how it works? I also made one, allot faster and also works great!