nathanw81
03/12/2017, 08:10 PM
So after 12 years of being out of the hobby, I got back into now that the wife and I got a larger house. 12 years ago it was nothing for me to forego the dip of corals and never had issues with flatworms. Fast forward to present day: wow a lot has changed regarding equipment, methods and pervasive parasites.
I picked up a couple pieces of live rock from a small shop in Kent, OH and happily placed them in my tank only to realize weeks later, I'd introduced the dreaded flatworms into my new tank. Thinking manual removal would suffice was a foolish attempt so I looked to flatworm eXit.
I pulled the rock without coral attached into tubs of freshwater and flatworm exit allowing them to soak for about an hour while I dipped all corals and placed them within a new frag tank I'd acquired. Then I began treatment of the entire tank and wow does that stuff work fast. Within minutes the few remaining flatworms were floating around the water column. Following another hour with no signs of stress on fish in the tank (spotted bristlenose, six line wrasses, lawnmower blenny, royal gramma, two clowns, one anthias and a spotted goby), I then began the carbon treatment with a carbon loaded FX6 canister.
I awoke the next morning to find that the anthias has been MIA. Not sure if it jumped out of the open top and one of my pets ate it but I've not seen a spike in nitrate or ammonia. I am hopeful that the anthias is just in hiding.
So far so good though regarding the flatworms. I haven't seen any since I treated Friday evening. I'll keep an eye out being optimistic that the problem is resolved.
Lesson learned: by dry live rock and wait the extra time to ensure that I don't need the headache or risk to livestock.
I picked up a couple pieces of live rock from a small shop in Kent, OH and happily placed them in my tank only to realize weeks later, I'd introduced the dreaded flatworms into my new tank. Thinking manual removal would suffice was a foolish attempt so I looked to flatworm eXit.
I pulled the rock without coral attached into tubs of freshwater and flatworm exit allowing them to soak for about an hour while I dipped all corals and placed them within a new frag tank I'd acquired. Then I began treatment of the entire tank and wow does that stuff work fast. Within minutes the few remaining flatworms were floating around the water column. Following another hour with no signs of stress on fish in the tank (spotted bristlenose, six line wrasses, lawnmower blenny, royal gramma, two clowns, one anthias and a spotted goby), I then began the carbon treatment with a carbon loaded FX6 canister.
I awoke the next morning to find that the anthias has been MIA. Not sure if it jumped out of the open top and one of my pets ate it but I've not seen a spike in nitrate or ammonia. I am hopeful that the anthias is just in hiding.
So far so good though regarding the flatworms. I haven't seen any since I treated Friday evening. I'll keep an eye out being optimistic that the problem is resolved.
Lesson learned: by dry live rock and wait the extra time to ensure that I don't need the headache or risk to livestock.