red planaria, a 6 line wrasse and another mandarin

[dadstank]

due to improper "neglect" ive got an issue with red plenaria.
things have been pretty crazy since the new year....

in the past 6-8 weeks i have added several small fish which has left me with 2 green chromis, 2 domino damsels, 2 blue damsels, 1 firefish, 1 mandarin, at least 3 convict blennies, and my big baby Isabelle (sailfin tang).

i am going to pull any rock that is "easily" accessible do a fresh water dip and siphon out whatever i can....

i want to add a 6 line and maybe another mandarin, but will the mandarins have issues with each other? i am fairly certain the 6 line will be just fine so long as the sailfin is well fed prior to it going in the tank....
(she didn't have any issues with the small fish - i did have to put her in time out once when i introduced a Foxface)

i really want to avoid using the eXit. i know its "reef" safe, but if i can rid the tank naturally i'd prefer......

 

[MartinE]

Might try water flow toward them, Thought I read somewhere they dont like current. I had luck a few years ago with a six line and syphoning. Good luck with them, they can be a pain.

 

[Anonymous]

How big is the tank? I'd be worried about not only the six line's fabled aggression, but also as a competitor for pods with the mandarin/s.

 

[D.W.L.]

Agreed with the above on the six line & mandarin. If they decide the mandarin is eating their food, the sixlines will pick its eyes out. Of course this is not in all cases, but be wary.

The mandarins, need to be a male, {higher long point and larger dorsal fin} and a female. Two males will usually fight until ones gone or dead.

Perhaps instead of a sixline and if you have a sandbed, s yellow coris wrasse may be better.

Also, some of the damsels in your tank have been know to eat flatworms. However most fish cant keep up to planaria reproduction but with the other things you are planning on, perhaps.

 

[dadstank]

thanks y'all.
about to start the hand cleaning now.

i stopped into one of the locals today and no luck on the wrasse or the mandarin... we'll see what happens....


i dont know if i have a male or female mandarin though. hopefully i'll get to see soon! but i know its there!!

How big is the tank? I'd be worried about not only the six line's fabled aggression, but also as a competitor for pods with the mandarin/s.

the tank is a 120 with a 40 sump.

 

[D.W.L.]

The female has almost no spike on the front of the dorsal. The males is long and very noticeable when they open it up.

 

[Anonymous]

With that size, I'm not sure about a pair of mandarins. You might well be alright, but I'd avoid the six-line like the plague.

 

[Ben1]

Generally those common flatworms will just crash and die off once the tank is in better shape. That said I know you don't want to go the "exit" way but it might be the fastest and easiest way to solve your issue.

 

[D.W.L.]

Generally those common flatworms will just crash and die off once the tank is in better shape. That said I know you don't want to go the "exit" way but it might be the fastest and easiest way to solve your issue.

There are a few I have read about Ben, that waited for that. They crashed and died off and the toxins took a good part of the tanks inhabitants with them.

So although not common, it can happen if the population is large enough.

 

[dadstank]

i thought about just letting it take a natural course.

here is a new plan. since day one of setting up this tank i have wanted it on the other side of the room. (not the first time this has happened :wink: )

i may get my chance. someone now agrees with me that the tank should be where i want it....

if i move the tank - here would be my plan.
1. move fish into a saltwater holding vessel
2. corals into their own saltwater holding vessel after quick freshwater dip for coral rocks
3. put base live rock into a fresh water dip then a rinse into a separate saltwater holding vessel.
3a. leave base rock in the tank and do a "flatworm exit" then into a batch of saltwater to rinse the dead flat worms off.
4. put everything back in the tank with 75% new sand and 100% new water
5. hopefully done within a 12-24 hour period

i tried to suck up as many as i could last night. i was in the tank for long enough to get super frustrated and to realize there are tons of these little suckers....

it sounds like alot, but i think it could kill two birds with one stone....

and i can also lift the sump tank so i can get suction, put a proper vent hole or two in the bottom of the stand, and also put a rubber mat under the stand to cut out the vibrations and hopefully some of the acoustic distortion that drives me crazy....

 

[Anonymous]

Good luck.

At least the tank will be where you want it now. :wink:

 

[dadstank]

theoretically -
how much time will elapse between dosing the tank with eXit, and the potential for toxic overload?

my cousin makes a good point, why not do the eXit THEN remove everything to a saltwater bath, THEN everything into the tank with 100% new water? same theory, less steps. i just know that it will take sometime to empty the tank and remove the little fish....

 

[Ben1]

There are a few I have read about Ben, that waited for that. They crashed and died off and the toxins took a good part of the tanks inhabitants with them.

So although not common, it can happen if the population is large enough.

I have heard of this too, so it's a good point. Although I have never seen this actually happen, I assume not to let the population grow that out of hand.

Dadstank, the plan sounds like a good one. Hopefully if a few make it through they wont become a problem again. FWIW I flatworm exited my tank twice with no issues, the fish SPS, LPS, clams and other inverts had no issues.