flatworms!

[halloween75]

I emailed abotu this before but they aren't going away and are now back in the thousands (probably). I used flatworm exit - twice - many died and siphoned out as many as I could but I guess it didn't kill them all. I also got a wrasse and I don't think he's been eating any of them. Do other people have this horrible problem - so ugly and gross. I just can't see ever getting rid of all of them?!

[just_in_time]

I just had a small outbreak about a week ago. I added a yellow wrasse and he has eaten everyone of them. I haven't seen any in a few days. You might think about adding a wrasse.

[just_in_time]

Sorry didn't read the whole post. I see you used a wrasse.

[halloween75]

maybe I got the wrong kind - store said it was a neon but it doens't look like a neon at all...more like a six line. Do all wrasses eat flatworms?

[Mish]

Wrasses are hit or miss. You need to do a mega dose of flatworm exit. Spend a few days siponing out as many as you can. Then add 4-6 times the dose of exit. Let it sit all night or more, don't use carbon. Use a power head to make sure the exit gets to all corners of the tank. I spent about 30 minutes with a power head in my hand shooting water all over the tank. I did this 3 times over the course of 7 days.

This will cause a major die off of the flatworms, which will then cause your inverts to suffer. I removed as many of mine as I could before I started this process. I'm not totally flat worm free, but I only see one or two at any given time, and I can live with this. They don't seem to be increasing in numbers like before.

[halloween75]

the instructions on the exit and my lfs scared me about the stuff...so I didn't let it sit more then the instructions said bc I thought the poisonous dead flatworms would kill everything?! I supposed that's just being way over cautious. It's ok to sit overnight?! My inverts...black spiny urchin - large - can't imagine getting it out, red knobed starfish, coral banded shrimp, hermits/snails...which are in the most danger?

[halloween75]

sorry...one more question about siphoning... obviously when I siphon it takes out a lot of water. Is there a better way to get rid of the flatworms than using my python siphon and doing a full water change everytime I want to get them out - esp if that's going to be for a few days before I use the exit?

[Mish]

1st, all I had were snails and hermits, the snails had a hard time with it. I removed them, and the ones I couldn't get, well some made it some did not. I'm sure the starfish would be better off removed, as well as the shirmp and urchin. My hermits seemed fine. I didn't know that I had mini brittle stars untill I saw one float by. I was able to suck him up with a turkey baster and place him in newly mixed tank water and he recovered. My fish seem fine, but I would remove anything I could. All my corals seemed fine as well. I had the most trouble with the snails.

as far as siphoning, I used a long piece of airline tubing. you know the small diameter ones that usually conect to a small pump for a gold fish bowl. This will pull less water. I have also seen people attach a very fine media bag to the end of the tube so that only the worms get caught in the bag, and the worm free water can be put back in the tank. Seachem makes something called The Bag it would work for this. Also check this link on the method.

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

May the force be with you!

[halloween75]

Thanks! I'm getting psyched up to tackle this again...hopefully for the last time. I like the siphon/bag idea...makes much more sense.

[Mish]

Good Luck!