Flatworms

[JMsAquarium]

A friend of mine has flatworms. Any one has Salifert Flatworm Exit they can spare/sell? I'll post also in Aks a Vendor.

 

Thanks

 

JM

[mutley29]

A six-line wrasse works wonders too, mine were gone in under a week, and i had a large explosion of them in my old 180

 

HTH

 

Anton

[Guest Leishman]

Salifert Flatworm Exit should be a last resort. When they die they put out toxins that can cause massive stress on your system. If you do use FWE, have a huge water change ready to go and lots of fresh carbon.

 

I bought FWE last year, but after reading up on it the unopened box is still sitting in my tank room. You are welcome to it if you want to give it a try.

 

-Rik

[Guest Leishman]

A six-line wrasse works wonders too, mine were gone in under a week, and i had a large explosion of them in my old 180

 

HTH

 

Anton

51785[/snapback]

 

This is how got rid of them. Now I just have to deal with a fish that will grow in to the devil her self as she matures.

[davelin315]

I had a 15 gallon tank that was literally covered in them and as I looked around for a 6-line wrasse, I ended up putting some damsels into the tank. It took a few months, but the damsels ended up eating the flatworms (either that or they simply died off, which I can't imagine happened). There's also the velvet nudibranch, but it'll die once the flatworms are gone or under control. They don't live long to begin with, but it might be worth a try (and you could always propagate a flatworm tank to move the slug into once your display is cleaned up!).

[Eve]

Hi JM,

 

Your friend could also syphon them out and try to keep up the numbers down that way.

 

http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

 

Hook up a powerhead to some airline tubing, put a bag on the end and pull them out.

[JMsAquarium]

Thanks all for the replies. That made for interesting reading and careful considerations. I will e-mail him your replies.

 

Now, I like the siphon approach of Melev. If medication is needed as a last resort, as pointed out by Rik, it seems (if feasable) that it would be best done in a QT tank rather than the main display.

 

It also reinforces my belief in QTing any new addition, moreover if the new coral comes from a reseller rather than a know hobbyist.

Any thoughts?

[Eve]

I absolutely agree - both on trying the syphon before the meds and on QTing (or dipping) everything - but I'm not sure how much I would stress a new addition if I pre-treated for red bugs, flat worms, did the old iodine dip, etc.

 

Someone just said to me recently that this would be a really fun hobby if it weren't for all the pests :-)

[JMsAquarium]

but I'm not sure how much I would stress a new addition if I pre-treated for red bugs, flat worms, did the old iodine dip, etc.

 

You have a point Eve, and a good one. I believe that the QT should be an observation stage were I would try to find out whether undesirable critters are hitching a free ride into our tanks, or if something is wrong with the new addition. Then only if necessary, I would go for a treatment.

 

Someone just said to me recently that this would be a really fun hobby if it weren't for all the pests :-)

51867[/snapback]

 

LOL, that's so true

[emissary]

A six-line wrasse works wonders too, mine were gone in under a week, and i had a large explosion of them in my old 180

51785[/snapback]

 

Ditto, by the way. Cleared out a nice crop of them in my 75G.