Manadarin eating flatworms

[Bryan Thompson]

I had a flatworm outbreak in my grow out system but never found any in my main tank. They are both connected by a common sump and I move corals back and forth so I knew someting was eating them in the main tank but did not know what until last week.

Last week I moved a few corals from the grow out to the main tank. When I set down to watch the tank I saw the manadarin swim up and eat every one of the flatworms. I thought this may be a fluke so I did the samething the next day with the same results. It ate everyone.

Has anyone else seen a manadarin do this?

Bryan

 

[danmhippo]

Which mandarin you have and what type of flat worm you have?

 

[Micky]

I have had a large break out of flat worms also. I have had many people tell me that a mandarin would eat them. I put one in my reef four week ago and I haven't seen him eating them, but the number of them looks to be going down....

 

[Bryan Thompson]

Well I would add photos but the wife just took off with the dig cam so I will have to post some later. It is the standard blue manadarin and the flatworms are green with a red dot in the center. I can get a good photo of the flatworms tonight.

Bryan

 

[Anonymous]

From what I have read, only the spotted Mandarinfish will eat flatworms, although I'm sure there are exceptions. When I acclimated and released my spotted Mandarinfish, I saw her immediately eat three brown flatworms before my eyes. Then she started scouting around the tank for other things. I think she prefers the copepods, but I have a good supply of both, and she seems to be happy and well fed and in no danger of starving.

 

[reefland]

Pretty lucky. Looking forward to the pictures.

I don't recall green with a red dot flatworms nor blue mandarins. I've seeen brown and I've seen red flatworms don't recall any two tone worms. And mandarins are usually green with lighter green and orange and a little bit of blue highlights -- not sure what a standard blue mandarin is.

Synchiropus splendidus

Like this one?

 

[Bryan Thompson]

That is the manadarin I am talking about. I will get the flatworm photos in a few hours when the wife gets home.

Bryan

 

[AWD]

With some jealousy, I congradulate you. I put a mandarin in over a year ago. He hasn't touched the flatworms. I've heard it is because of the HUGE pod population, the verdict is still out on that one. Everyone loves my mandarine though. I would be still interested in finding out how to rid the flatworm.

 

[Anonymous]

My psychidelic mandarin and my 6-line wrasses as well as 12-line love to eat those orangish/brown pest falt worms. I haven't had any in my tanks in 3 years since I siphoned and added the fish.

 

[AWD]

Dr. Reef,
Did you put them all in at the same time? How big is your tank? Do they have plenty to eat?

 

[Anonymous]

The female mandarin was a year long captive about 1.5" long living in a 38 gallon heavily rocked tank. She was moved into a 55 gallon that started having flatworms show up. They disappeared within about 3-4 days. The mandarin is still with us in the 55 for 2 more years now although it is fat as can be, it is showing signs of aging, losing colors. She has always remained a hugely fat bumble bee looking fish.

Some time later, flatworms started appearing in my 38 after hitchhiking in on a store-bought coral. I siphoned as many as I could, then added a 6-line wrasse. The worms disappeared in about 3-4 days. The 6 line eats pellet food and flakes now.

A 30 gallon prop tank was setup and flatworms appeared in it after adding a new coral. They were siphoned off, then a 6-line wrasse was added into this tank as well. They disappeared in about 3-4 days. 6-line now eats prepared foods.

I'd advise against mandarins since they seem to run out of food in most tanks.


6-lines are an absolute pleasure, but impossible to get captive reared. So you are contributing to wild catch. Not to imply that that is a bad thing.