I have flatworms

[Vader]

well...I get rid of one pest to find another...oh joy

 

After doing some reading, I come to find that they are Rust Brown Flatworm or Convolutriloba retrogemma...which I'm not even going to try to say. and there are several differant species of fish that can be employed to rid my tank of these evil little /!$#*^>!!

 

I leaning towards buying a Dragonets, like a Red or Green Mandarin. I have 2 blennies, 1 goby, 1 Anthias, 1 clown and 1 Royal Gramma Basslet. All these guys get along fine in the tank and there is plenty of room/places to hide. Sometimes my Orange Spotted Blennie goes after the Tail Spotted Blennie, but the little guy just darts away and all is fine. The chart says to be cautious with mixxing some of these fish.

 

Live Aquaria's compatibility cart Compatibility Chart

 

What do some of you think?

[DDiver]

No need to do all that..just use flatworm exit..the mandarins won't get the job done.they'll just keep multiplying..

Edited June 16, 2009 by DDiver

[Amuze]

Plus the mandarin will probably starve to death. You can blow them off with a turkey baster and let your fish eat them up.

 

BILLY GIVE ME SOME FRAGS.

Edited June 17, 2009 by audible

[Kevin Garrison]

Velvet nudibranch, black with bright blue stripes, that's all they eat is flatworms.

[flowerseller]

Plus the mandarin will probably starve to death. You can blow them off with a turkey baster and let your fish eat them up.

 

Personally, I would not blow them off and expect many, if any, of the fish to eat them. Some wrasses might but most fish will not eat them, including mandarins. Reason is they have a toxic chemical in them which they can release as protection.

Siphon off as many as you can see, use flat worm exit and run carbon after you see the left over worms from siphonng once they start to die from the FWE.

Follow up in a week with the same treatment and do some water changes.

Do again in a month. Keep a watchful eye out for more afterwards.

[lanman]

Or - just be patient... I've read that they eventually just die off.

 

I got rid of mine (apparently) with a 6-line wrasse. I know he ate some... but it might be they just eventually died out on their own. It took about 6 months.

 

Depending on how your tank is set up; when you change water - save the old water in a bucket. Take rocks and corals out of your tank, and 'swish' them in the change water. Most of the flatties will fall off. Main thing is to keep the numbers down - and they won't do any harm.

 

bob

[DDiver]

I would do what Chip suggested.that would be your best bet..I've always been patient and waited for my population to die off but it never happened..they just keep multiplying.they don't bother me much so I just live with it..

[reefmontalvo]

Or - just be patient... I've read that they eventually just die off.

 

I got rid of mine (apparently) with a 6-line wrasse. I know he ate some... but it might be they just eventually died out on their own. It took about 6 months.

 

Depending on how your tank is set up; when you change water - save the old water in a bucket. Take rocks and corals out of your tank, and 'swish' them in the change water. Most of the flatties will fall off. Main thing is to keep the numbers down - and they won't do any harm.

 

bob

 

I had a flat worm eating 6 line I gave him to a home that needed him more than I wanted him. Basically he gave ten foot tall and bullet proof and would bully all the other fish.

[Vader]

Thanks everyone for your advise. I picked up a box of flatworm exit and dose the tank and man...they come out of the sand and rock and where ever else. I've must of had these for a while, but the stuff worked. I'm also running 2 canisters of activated carbon to deal with the toxins the dead worms are giving off. Later tonight I'll do a water change and hit it again in a couple of days.