So, I have flatworms :(

[Len]

In the past 2 days, I have seen a small explosion of flat worms. I haven't added anything to the tank in months, so I guess they were dormant for a while. Anyhow, time for Flatworm Exit. If any one else any other tips, let me know.

Flatworm sucks :?

 

[Anonymous]

do you have a picture or link of what they look like? Search of "flatworm" doesn't give me any reliable hits

 

[Len]

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

I rediscovered this nice thread: http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=90917

 

[waymack97]

did you try a fresh water dip. and then shaking them off. works for the ones on the rocks
_________________
Honda Zoomer

 

[Anonymous]

fwe, lots of water changes, carbon, and a 6 line wrasse.

I'm treating my tank right now as well.

Someone suggested putting a couple of drops of FWE in the tank every day after the initial treatment. I'm going to try it for a week and see. Do you happen to knwo the gestational period of planaria?

B

 

[Len]

No idea, Bingo. This is actually the first time in 20 years I've had flatworm problems, believe it or not. I'm hoping the Exit does the trick.

waymack, they're on too many supporting rocks for me to get at.

 

[Anonymous]

Len, I know we have a fish (or combination of fish) in our big reef tank that eats them and keeps an entire 20,000 g tank clean. The only problem is that there are 400 fish in there and so I couldn't tell you who's doing it. What I do know is that in certain areas that fish can't get to we see them (along with Aiptasia), and in those areas the fish can access they're nonexistent.

Top contenders:
Chromis viridis (we have over 50 of these, all large adults, and this is my best guess as to the culprit)
Halichoeres chrysus
Halichoeres chloropterus
Copper banded b'fly
Miliaris b'fly
Klein's b'fly

The butterflies and wrasses are large, but there are only 1-2 of each. I really doubt that they're taking care of a tank this large.

 

[Len]

Alas, I have no more room for fish, so biological control isn't feasible for me.

 

[Anonymous]

If it is just regular flatworms I would not be to concerned. Hit them with the FW exit and be done.

 

[pcardone]

len could you get a pic.I am curious to see what the tank, I mean worms look like.

 

[Anonymous]

sorry Len, those cussed things are mobile aptasia!

 

[IslandCrow]

I haven't used Flatworm exit before, but what I hear time and time again from the people who have is to make sure you suck out as many of the dead flatworms as possible. The most accepted theory seems to be that deaths after treating a tank with Flatworm exit aren't because of the Flatworm Exit itself, but because of the toxins released by the dying flatworms.

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't used Flatworm exit before, but what I hear time and time again from the people who have is to make sure you suck out as many of the dead flatworms as possible. The most accepted theory seems to be that deaths after treating a tank with Flatworm exit aren't because of the Flatworm Exit itself, but because of the toxins released by the dying flatworms.

Its really the other way around - you want to suck out as many of the live flatworms as you can before you treat the tank with FWE. It appears the toxins from the FW's can enter the water column as soon as they die.

 

[Len]

I'll try to remove what I can prior to treatment. Luckily, I don't have too much of it from what I can see. The sand, for example, is still not carpeted with them.

Sorry, pcardone, but my camera is waterlogged

 

[Anonymous]

Your tank can't even have one little blue green chromis?

 

[Unarce]

Suck out as many as you can for the next few days, Len. To a point where they actually become hard to find Then treat your tank at a dose of about 2x the recommended amount.

You'll start to see the ones that have been hiding in the rockwork start streaming out in a mucus-web-of-death within 5-10 minutes. Soon as you start to see their wrinkled bodies in the column, net as many as you can for the next 10 minutes.

Follow the rest of the directions accordingly.

After a week, you can treat again in case any eggs have hatched after the first treatment. Some do the precautionary treatment twice, but YMMV :wink:

Good luck!

 

[Len]

I lost two fish in the last two days: the juvenile Naso tang and a Pseudoanthias flavicuada. I wonder if the flatworms have anything to do with it. I haven't treated the tank yet since I'm getting the W/C water ready first.

The Naso tang did arrive in a shipment that was really abused by fedex. All the other fish in that shipment died during transit or a few weeks after. And the P.flavicuada had some swim bladder issues (like most of the ones that were collected). Maybe neither death this week had anything to do with the flatworms, but I'm getting paranoid

 

[Anonymous]

I'm fairly certain that flatworms inhabiting various surfaces in the aquarium don't have anything to do with your fish deaths. They're not parasites.

Look at the bright side, now you have room for more fish.

 

[NKT]

I think your joculator is the cause of your flatworm problem. I propose a humane solution-- send him to me and I will make sure he will be properly disposed of.

I know I don't usually respond to posts but i'm stuck on-call for the next 10 hours and am slightly bored.

 

[Len]

The Exit worked. Lots of flatworms came out of the rockwork, and I netted and siphoned out as much as I can. I now have three big bags of carbon working and did a 50 gallon water change. The water is still a little cloudy, but not yellow anymore.

The LPS and softies look normal. The SPS are a little upset but doing okay. My fish seem most effected. My wrasses and anthias seem to have developed an "itch" on their mouth/nose area, and they sometimes dart around erratically. They're all very skittish right now. I'm not sure if this has to do with the flatworm toxins, the carbon, or the water change.

Question for those who used it: Should I administer some more in a week or two just to be safe? I tried to remove all the flatworms, but of course, it is impossible. I can see some dead (I hope) worms on the substrate.