Flat Worms

[mikey3165]

should i be worried, i have some on my glass what are the possibel damgae that they can do

 

[Breakin Newz]

should i be worried, i have some on my glass what are the possibel damgae that they can do

I would not really worry unless you have a huge amount....

If you have a small amount you can flatworm exit them pretty safetly
without having to worry about them crashing ur tank or harming ur coral's and fish....... Just siphen them out as soon as you see them floating around dead....

 

[KathyC]

What color are they? White or reddish/brownish/orangy looking?

..and if you do use FWE, you should follow the directions. More is to be done than simply siphoning them out.

 

[Breakin Newz]

What color are they? White or reddish/brownish/orangy looking?

..and if you do use FWE, you should follow the directions. More is to be done than simply siphoning them out.

"More is to be done than simply siphoning them out."

Yes and no, I had a small outbreak of flatworms.. I used FWE without using pure carbon, Chemi-pure elite is what I had in the tank while doing the process and did a small water change.. Everything came out ok with corals and fish.......... Its been over 6months without ANY flatworms in my tank at all....
Now I learned my lesson and dip every coral I get...

The size of his tank also plays a role....

Water change is what I forgot to add in my earlier post...

 

[KathyC]

Depending on the kind of flatworm he has a 'small outbreak of flatworms' can the beginning of an infestation, sometimes reaching huge proportions.

If you (or he) had/has white flatworms, it is not unusual to see them in a new/fairly new set up and they die off over time on their own with no intervention.

The other flatworms can & do cause large issues for reefers.

 

[Breakin Newz]

Depending on the kind of flatworm he has a 'small outbreak of flatworms' can the beginning of an infestation, sometimes reaching huge proportions.

If you (or he) had/has white flatworms, it is not unusual to see them in a new/fairly new set up and they die off over time on their own with no intervention.

The other flatworms can & do cause large issues for reefers.

Yes I agree with you on this...... :biggrin:

 

[NYPDFrogman]

ARGUS wrasse Flat worm assassin and great fish too!

 

[Keith P]

So the clear/white ones in small numbers are okay? I see 2-3 small ones on glass every here and there. I've been ignoring it as the numbers have never grown...

 

[asianer]

Depending on the kind of flatworm he has a 'small outbreak of flatworms' can the beginning of an infestation, sometimes reaching huge proportions.

If you (or he) had/has white flatworms, it is not unusual to see them in a new/fairly new set up and they die off over time on their own with no intervention.

The other flatworms can & do cause large issues for reefers.

If they are the red/brown variety please do yourself a huge favor and take care of this now! I don't mean to sound so dramatic but I noticed a few in my tank and ignored them and now they have literally taken over the tank and I'm scared to use FWE as I'm not sure I would be able to siphon them all out to avoid the toxicity they release after they die.

 

[Alex]

a more natural approach might be a better course to get rid of them as opposed to a chemical one. As NYPDfrogman has pointed out, I myself used a yellow coris wrasse and problem solved (knock on water).

both are beautiful fish and a good addition to a tank.

 

[Awibrandy]

Or the Gorgeous Radiant Wrasse/Halichores iradius!

 

[Breakin Newz]

I LOVE my radiant wrassse..

But I think imo the best pest eater is the 6-line since there allittle more aggresive in there ways...

 

[Pinkheine]

IDK What Wrasse this guys is (was told my the store he's a grey head--but pics I have seen don't match his coloration.) Anyways.. he is ALWAYS fat and eating something.

We had flatworms and did a treatment via Russ' aka masterswimmers method of extraction (maybe someone has the link I'm terrible at searching). We didn't end up with many dying off, but surely have no more. The toxins of the few we did kill closed up nearly all my corals though for a few hours and my coco worm for a few days. Good luck.

Now all new additions get dipped in FWE before going into the tank. It is work getting rid of those suckers.

 

[prattreef]

IDK What Wrasse this guys is (was told my the store he's a grey head--but pics I have seen don't match his coloration.) Anyways.. he is ALWAYS fat and eating something.

We had flatworms and did a treatment via Russ' aka masterswimmers method of extraction (maybe someone has the link I'm terrible at searching). We didn't end up with many dying off, but surely have no more. The toxins of the few we did kill closed up nearly all my corals though for a few hours and my coco worm for a few days. Good luck.

Now all new additions get dipped in FWE before going into the tank. It is work getting rid of those suckers.

Looks like H.richmondi, Richmond's wrasse. beautiful fish. Most of the Halichoeres species will do a good job on red planaria flatworms. H. melanuras has worked very well for me.

 

[emmanuel]

I had purchased a hang on refugium off a member a while back and came home in a rush placed it on a fish only tank I no longer have, ran it so the calurpa and pods wont die as I rushed off to work came back home and noticed the fuge was loaded with flatworms . I ordered salifert fte by the time it came in the mandarine I had also purchased from the same member ate every flatworm in the refugium . It was the fatest little mandarin I ever saw . I still have the FWE unopened if you dont want to wait for shipping PM me if you go that route but I would try the natural way first .Good luck