Brown/Rust Flatworm...Suggestions?!?

[ClayWagner]

I've had an outbreak for awhile now but been focusing on purchasing new lights, larger return pump, and ro/di. Will the ro/di do the trick as well the increased flow? I do have some Salifert Flatworm eXit somewhere from the person who sold me the tank...is this effective/too toxic? Any suggestions would be great.

[fingersdlp]

I had a outbreak and purchased the Flatworm eXit but never got up the nerve to try it. I noticed the other day that it cleared up on its own. Maybe after a bloom they die back naturally? Anyway I suspect they will come back someday but my hope is it will be a cyclical thing and not enough to get overly concerned with as long as proper tank / parameter maintenance is in order.

[luke33]

I have the same flat worms in my tank and have had them for months. They are strange, according to melv's reef there reef safe but who knows. They went from all over to here and there. I also have a mandarin and 6line wrasse i've put in there a couple mths ago and they may be helping as well. I see no ill effects of them, but i have my eye's open, if i see any ill effects, flatworm exit will be all over them.

[jeeptp75]

The Salifert Flatworm Exit it not toxic but what the flatworm release when they die is toxic. I actually just treated my tank last night for an outbreak that has been going on for months. I put in the recomended dosage and withing two minutes they started dieing off. After about 5 minutes I started to siphon out 10 gallons of water getting as many floating dead flatworms that I could. Then put in new water restarted Fuge with some charcoal in one of the chambers. Corals are all looking great today and blooming again, obviously they all closed up instantly when they noticed something strange in the water.

[ClayWagner]

Hmmm...I'm hoping the miracles of switching to ro/di will kill the little boogers. I'm just going to do a 35 gal water change and suck up as much of it as I can! I've read everywhere that these specific flat worms are not harmful, but just unsightful. The worst they do is impede the light to the corals. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

[Arthur1]

Clay follow the directions on the Salifert box. A friend of mine double the dose in is sps display tank and no ill effects to the corals (I think it bothered his shrimp though) so that should say something. Besides that he followed the directions for everything else. He also tried the black velvet nudibranchs but the didnt do so well with the current and what not. They did come back lol. He used a melanurus wrasse to polish them off. Another friend of mine did the same thing a mandarin and six line and it took some months but it worked. The ones you have I believe are photosynthetic and they may last for a while and they may not. If they're not on your corals just do what you can to erradicate them, nothing extreme lol.

[ClayWagner]

Appreciate it...thanks all.