Red Planaria (flat Worm) suggestion for removal.

[jilewis]

I have a 90 gallon reef tank and while doing my daily observation I noticed these rust colored arrow shaped things crawling on my live rock. There were not very many of them (yet), but they were definitely visible. I pulled out Julian Spring’s "the Reef Aquarium" Vol 1. And made an ID of Non-parasitic red planaria.

Julian’s book offers some suggestions which I am trying, such as suctioning, etc., but I am wondering if anyone has had any successful dealings with this and how they overcame this obstacle? My system uses the “Berlin Method” . I know the best means of control is prevention. I also know where they came from, but as they say hind sight is always 20/20. I have always quarantined fish, but after this even my coral will be quarantined for observation before hitting my display tank.

As always any help is appreciated

 

[Will C1]

ok a couple of points they hate current so you can put a few extra power heads in the tank to confine the space they collect in then after you have them only living on or near a couple pieces of live rock you can remove it and dip it in fresh water they should fall off immeidatly. if you cant do this method (which i couldent corals on all rocks) i took a chance and bought a scotter bleny on a lfs recomendation that it ate these worms. it did not! but i did eventually buy a worm called a chelidonura or a head sheild nudibranch. this turned out to be my best investment, he keeps them under control. their not gone but when the numbers are reduced from the thousands to the hundreds it makes a big difference. i hope this helps.

 

[carter92]

Greetings from Cali....I too have had these flatworm infest 2 of my reef tanks..My 180 gallon reef had and infestation last year and I decided to break it down and start over...It gave me an excuse for setting up a new 225 gallon Reef (now in progress). MY 2nd tank is a 30 gallon reef at my job which has a infestation of unbelievable number..just awful...I have researched many threads and attempted many remedies both natural and chemical to no avail. Unfortunately, everyone has a remedy that might work for them, yet I have not found it....From using greenex, quinidine, and several fish such as mandarins who just turn there nose up at the flatworms. I have also tried lowering temps...Bottom line is something that fits this hobby well "what works for one might not work for another" Good Luck in irradicating these pest

 

[hfmann]

I guess it's hit or miss with this approach. In my desperation, I bought a mandarin. Although I didn't see him eat the planaria, they did start disappearing as soon as I introduced the little guy. They disappeared while the dragonet got fatter and fatter. Eventually the flatworms were completely gone and the mandarin didn't have enough to eat.

Others report that their mandarins didn't touch the worms and others report direct observation of the mandarin eating the little pests.

Good luck.

Hal
_________________
roll a joint

 

[Freedom75@work]

Ok guys heres the deal. I have been fighting flat worms for months. I have bought dragonets. I have bought a six line wrasse and I have tried the yellow corase wrasse. so far the only thing I have found that works is dipping in fresh water. I dip my rocks. this is a pain in the A** but it gets ride of hugh numbers. you DO NOT want to many to die at once in your tank because they will release toxins that will ruin your tank. Also greenex will kill your tank in a heart beat becuase it kills all the flat owrms at once and your back to the toxic tank. I have heard many good thinks about the blue velvet nudibrachs eatting them . how ever they are expensive and they are hard to keep alive. and they will die once they finsih off the flat worm. you can find them at www.marinedepotlive.com of one of the sponsors might carry them. I am not sure. you can also try to get a turkey baster or large syringe and spray hot Freshwater on them in patches. As long as you do not kill tomany at once and run carbon in you filter this might work. this is what I am doing presently and have almost gotten rid of them

good luck
John Wray