Best fish to eat flat worms?

[Jah2707]

After doing some research I have discovered I have allot of flat worms.(rusty colored ones) I could get some flat worm exit but I think I might have so many when they die there toxins could be to much for the tank. I would like to try a natural way first. I have read that there are certain fish that should eat them. What fish have you had success with that will still eat other foods after the flat worms are gone? Thanks

[SuperAWE]

Siphon out as many as you can. Some people have had luck with a six-line wrasse, dottyback, or mandarin. Also the velvet sea slug supposely eats them like mad.

If you medicate be sure to siphon out all you can see as they turn toxic when the die off.

[madcowz]

yellow coris wrasse.

[TKByrnes]

I tried a target mandarin and he wouldnt touch them!!! I have heard that a sixline will eat them.

[AMIFL]

My sixline is my go to guy for flatworms. I put him in and two weeks later there was none to be found.

[Jah2707]

Great thanks. I just talked to my lfs and he said he was ordering some wrasse today. I have always wanted one so now I have an excuse! What I have read is that they can be aggressive. What fish do they tend to be more aggressive toward? I have an anthias, dotty back, and a small marine Betta. Do you think it would be OK? I am also going to add two clowns soon.

[AMIFL]

I keep my sixline with 4 anthias and he never bothers anyone. If anything, I would say that he is defensive. When I first introduced him my bristletooth tang went up to push on him some but he stood his ground and basically said " I ain't going nowhere."

[Lucky-rc]

I don't have a six line, but I have seen them eat bristle worms.
I don't know if thats normal or not.... But seeing it was stunning.

Lucky

[Jah2707]

Another question I have is what does the flatworms do? I hear they are bad but I haven't seen any ill effects yet?

[dcombs44]

I have heard that most wrasses in the Halichoeres genus will eat flatworms.

This includes the melanurus wrasse, green wrasse, lightning wrasse, neon wrasse, yellow wrasse, yellow & purple wrasse, marble wrasse, radiant wrasse, as well as some others.

It's hard to say though as halichoeres is the catch all genus for the wrasse family. If it doesn't fit another category, it gets tossed into the halechoeres genus.

I've also heard that the leopard wrasse will eat them, but they can be very difficult to feed in captivity. (as can some of the others mentioned.)

I've battled flat worms for some time, and it was finally brought to my attention that if I had better husbandry, I could fight them off.

I started feeding less, keeping up on my water changes, and skimming heavier in order to reduce the excess "crap" in which the worms feed on. So far it's seemed to work as their numbers are depleting.

I've used flatworm exit twice with no success. The second time I used a double dose, and almost wiped out my fish. Be careful, and siphon as many as you can first if you use FWE. Follow the directions carefully.

[kuyatwo]

four line wrasse.... blue zoo aquatics has a sale on velvet nudis if you are looking for one

[Lo0seR]

I have acro-eating flat worms, I have to setup a system to treat what is left of a couple SPS colonies that took a huge hit from these god forsaken pest, so for right now I just left them in my main sytem. Well did some reading on what may eat them so I went with a Yellow Coris wrasse and a awsome colored Leopard wrasse. It has been 4 weeks now and both fish have fat bellies, colonies that I thought were free of them have colored up unreal. I cannot believe these 2 fish, all they do eat and eat and eat as well as look great in my tank. All I can say what a score, if you find either one of these fish and have a nice size tank, get one.


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/78006Fishy.jpg

[solcernes]

I have aefw too.

I put 1 hexataenea an 1 Halichoeres chrysus, you think it's ok?
A friend told me that the best fish for this flatworms was Halichoeres marginatus, what you think about that?

Thank you

[Lo0seR]

Halichoeres marginatus, I was told were the best as well, hard to find though and do get big in time.

[FishAreFriends2]

just wonder what would be some non-reef safe fish that would devour them? Would triggers eat them?