Flat Worms :\

[MatthewScars]

So i got Flat Worms from the swap. I dont know who, but who cares at this point.

I only see them on a small three headed hammer coral. They are not on the soft tissue, just on the base. I counted about 12 of them on it at any given moment. I have a TWV of 100G, and really can only see them on this coral. This lead me to assume it was small infestation (more supporting evidence, read on)

TREATMENT ONE:
Spent $20 on Salferts Flat Worm eXit. Had a WC and Carbon ready. Dosed 75 drops. (4x Drops per 5 gallons).
By VERY ball park estimates, i got about 75% of them. Followed the directions, carbon was on after 1 hour.

Next day, they returned to the one coral in fewer numbers.

TREATMENT TWO:
Three days later put 90 drops in. Flatworms didnt squirm or anything after 30 minutes. At the 45m mark i put in ANOTHER 40 drops and waited another 30 minutes. Still they were on the coral, not stressed just sitting there. I turkey based them off and carboned.

Next day i still see a few on the coral. im assuming 80% death of them.

So within an hour (treatment two) I put in 130 drops for a 100g TWV tank. I dont get it, how do you kill these things?

 

[jrobbins]

i think they have a method of determining how much you need to use. siphon a few of them out and into a container with one gallon of tank water. slowly add a drop at a time of fwe until you see them dying. use this amountxTWV to treat.

(thats mostly from memory, but im pretty sure thats what they suggest)

 

[aznt1217]

You're going to need a fish that will eat them. Try the Coris Wrasses or that Springeri Damsel (I think that's the name)

 

[Josh]

Get a melanarus wrasse.

 

[prattreef]

get a melanarus wrasse.

+1

 

[Chongpark27]

+1

+2. get rid of them without using chemicals.

 

[jrobbins]

melanarus wrasses eat a lot more than just flatworms...

 

[prattreef]

melanarus wrasses eat a lot more than just flatworms...

Have you had a bad experience with them Jon? I've had several over the years and they have all been model reef citizens. I can't recall anyone else having issues either.

 

[jrobbins]

yeah, it ate all my little brittle stars, worms, feather dusters, hermits, pretty much anything. I wasn't exactly heartbroken when it disappeared from my reef.

anyway, i have flatworms in my tank, which is why i got the wrasse. after he went MIA i bought fwe and gave it one dose. it was too much of a pain in the a$$, so I just live with them. at this point (probably had them for a couple years now) the populations seem to wax and wane, and they dont appear to be bothering anything so I have adopted the live and let live philosophy.

 

[prattreef]

Oh those kinds of reef critters--collateral damage in my book I do agree about learning to live with red Planaria though provided they don't really get out of control. I also agree the populations wax and wane and IME eventually disappear--but a melanauras speeds that up quite a bit.

 

[aznt1217]

I'd let you borrow my wrasse that eats them but... I can't catch him lol.

My red coris wrasse eats all types of worms I don't like. I've seen him eat flatworms and bristle worms. Absolute beast.

 

[jrobbins]

Oh those kinds of reef critters--collateral damage in my book I do agree about learning to live with red Planaria though provided they don't really get out of control. I also agree the populations wax and wane and IME eventually disappear--but a melanauras speeds that up quite a bit.

maybe it's odd, but, with all the coral and fish in my tank, i still get the biggest kick out of watching the critters in my fuge.

 

[irvp13]

for me FWE worked perfectly

 

[dodogoby]

I would go with the wrasse but if that is not an option try a blue velvet nudibranch. But it will only eat flatworms and will die if none are provided also needs a low flow tank.

 

[bad coffee]

Scars,
Once you kill all the worms, you're gonna need to dose your tank with 2-3 drops every other day for about three weeks. That way you make sure all the eggs get it too.

I started with 1/2 a bottle in my 58 gallon tank, btw.

B

 

[bad coffee]

I would go with the wrasse but if that is not an option try a blue velvet nudibranch. But it will only eat flatworms and will die if none are provided also needs a low flow tank.

And why would you purposely put something in your tank that you know will die, VP of Aquatic Express? He wants to get rid of the flatworms, not start a breeding tank for them.

B

 

[Aquatic Life Direct]

Whos said anything about breeding flatworms? Its a suggestion. Why do people suggest sand sifting starfish? Sand sifting gobies? Why do people suggest berghias? I can go on with lots of different animals. She is just saying what options may work.....

You can probably also start a DBTC for the nudibranch so that it can live on...

 

[Reefs Creation]

Matt, sorry to hear about this. Just so you know, FWE doesnt treat AEFW, but since u claim you took out 80% of the population, what are the chance that you have 2 kinds of FW? Friend of mine could never totally get rid of FW just with FWE alone even with multiple treatments within 2 months, until he introduce a sixline wrasse. Like everyone here suggested there are other natural predators of FW that you can try.

 

[aznt1217]

Whos said anything about breeding flatworms? Its a suggestion. Why do people suggest sand sifting starfish? Sand sifting gobies? Why do people suggest berghias? I can go on with lots of different animals. She is just saying what options may work.....

You can probably also start a DBTC for the nudibranch so that it can live on...

Word ^

 

[ming]

Scars,
Once you kill all the worms, you're gonna need to dose your tank with 2-3 drops every other day for about three weeks. That way you make sure all the eggs get it too.

I started with 1/2 a bottle in my 58 gallon tank, btw.

B

I never heard of the 2-3 drops every other day. I only heard doing a repeat dose a week after to kill any baby eggs which may have hatched.