Help with flat worms

[wrimda]

Hello,
We have flat worms.
I have read one article on how to get rid of them, which said to siphon out as many as possible then use salifert flat worm exit.

We have SPS, LPS corls and fish. Our parameters are good SG 1.025, Amon 0,
Nat close to 0, Alk 9.6, Cal 456, Mag 1420, PH 8.0 (which is stable with a Co2
filter) and we are loosing our coriline alge (would this be from the Flatworms?)

I understand from the thread I read we need to siphon as many of the flatworms as possible or when we treat w/ flatworm exit we will loose the corals, and fish due to toxins from the FW's when killed?

Does this sound correct? Can someone point me to some threads on RC or does this sound correct?

Thank you
wrimda

[The REeFFers]

Hey Wrimda

Just to make sure you have the red flatworms right ? and yes when you use FWE it will kill the flat worms and they release toxins in to your tank so before its best to take out as many as possible.

My experience with FWE is it isnt enough to take them all out, they will still come back. I dosed my tank 3 times and if I remember right the 3rd time I dosed like 3 times the recommended amount. What ended up working was switching my top off water to kalkwasser and adding some wrasses. I guess there is something in the kalk (dont know what) that kills them, but after 2 mounts they were gone. You can also try velvet nudibranch, and cutting you light cycle done since they grow from photosynthesis

[JOSE CASAS]

They grow from photosynthesis? really

[BeanMachine]

They grow from photosynthesis? really

I had to google that :hmm4: looks like some do. Very interesting thanks for the tidbit of knowledge G.

[gps]

Flatworm exit did not work for me. However, a sixline eradicated all of them.

[saltyreefguy]

fwe okay to put in the whole reef tank? do you have to take out any crustaceans? I got a wrasse but i never thought to see him eaating anything off the sps. does interceptor get rid of them fwe also?

[thegrun]

I have had to use Flat Worm EXit twice over the past 3 years and it worked well both times. Plan on 1.5 times the recommended dose, and be sure to run carbon after 4 hours of treatment. I believe there must be some FWE resistant worms out there, because it seems to be hit or miss with it.

[The REeFFers]

HaHa ya the Red Planaria flatworm are photosynthesis and multiply by fusion. So if you do FWE and say 10 survive with in no time that can become 100.

[wrimda]

Thanks to all,

Can you guy's recomend a good carbon to run?
I have some cheap stuff (Activated filter carbon API) from Petsmart a year ago and was afraid to run in the tank. You think this will be OK?
How much in a filter sock, 150 gal tank w/ 35 g sump.

Thanks again
wrimda

[firereef]

I just finished my fwe dosing today. Worked great for me!!!!!


I actually dipped all my live rock in r/o water and it killed em all. I used the fwe for the worms on the sand. All gone;)

[The REeFFers]

Tanu

thats what I thought also and then with in 2 weeks they were back. But from what you described your method might just work. A full on rock removal blasting with a turkey baster that should work. I couldn't do that since my rock is glued in place.

[russ13]

flat worm exit didnt do it for me.my flat worms hung out on my glass and in my fuge and i never found them on my corals.once i picked up a 6 line he took care of them.

[swnewb562]

I bought a yellow coris wrasse , shut my lights off for about 3 days, also prior to that I didn't feed my tank for about 2 days, by the last day I turned my lights on they were all gone . I haven't seen any and it has been over 6-7 months. Coris are a hit an miss , but you might want to try before going chemical.

Oscar

[firereef]

Tanu

thats what I thought also and then with in 2 weeks they were back. But from what you described your method might just work. A full on rock removal blasting with a turkey baster that should work. I couldn't do that since my rock is glued in place.

Yea. My tank only has two islands so dipping all the rock wasn't too bad. I dosed fwe one last time today just for the heck of it although I didn't see any since my dose 1 week ago. I did it just incase there were eggs that hatched after last weeks dose. My tank looks great and I am so happy right now.

[The REeFFers]

Yea. My tank only has two islands so dipping all the rock wasn't too bad. I dosed fwe one last time today just for the heck of it although I didn't see any since my dose 1 week ago. I did it just incase there were eggs that hatched after last weeks dose. My tank looks great and I am so happy right now.

if you have the red flatworms there will be no eggs others yes

[firereef]

if you have the red flatworms there will be no eggs others yes

You just made my day even better!

[saltyreefguy]

Are these the flatworms you guys are talking? I did a iodine dip on a suspect frag and after dip, under the scope found these little bugs.
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/saltyreefguy/?action=view&current=2011-01-01_19-27-37_180.mp4