flatworms and freshwater dips

[netjamer]

Hello all:

At some point in the future I'd like to describe in detail how I got into this situation-- but suffice it to say that I've been keeping a 13 month old reef for about 2 months now.

I moved the reef into my house one day- my first day with anything saltwwater at all- and upgraded all the equipment in one shot- new skimmer, lights, head, tank and stand-- transfered all of the old reef into the new--saved 20 % of the old water- and 80% was fresh mixed tap water(first batch I ever made)...-- Much to my surprise- nothing died--- at least not in the transfer- of the 36 hour power failure that happened after the new tank ran for only 2-3 hours...

I also added fish- yellow tail damsel, six line wrasse, and lituratus tang-- I know the tang will outgrow my rig-which is a 30 cube. ... fish were added in the first week-- and the tank neever had fish b4 to my knowledge... (long story)

I let things settle down- added nothing but kalkwasser for 2 weeks - and did weekly 20% changes for 1 month-.2 weeks ago started feeding phyto and marine snow.. Coral growth has gone nuts--- stalked zooanthid mushrooms are giant sized and putting out new stalks- frogspawn is huge- Red devils hand has produced about 10 new lobes- even the pipeorgan coral is putting out new polyps-- I recently did a freshwater dip on a single discoma type mushroom-- it was quite infested with flatworms- worms fell off in the dip- and the coral alive but has not opened in about 5 days-- changes shape but stays small and pale-. I now have a torch coral (so I'm told) that is also infested with flat worms-- can this species survive a freshwater dip?--The torch's base has 2 crowns- and resembled the skeleton of the frogspawn- cant find it in the books..- btw-- i have treated the tang twice with fresh dips for ick--marine whitespot- I did it as soon as I spotted the problem-- the tang seemed to like it - and I've had no subsequent symptoms- is he cured?-- He eats like a monster- and looks bright and happy-- so I think so..

I've been testing the water- and I seem very stable- PH may be trending a bit high- and i can't really test for kalk or hardness yet-- initially the tank was overloaded on nitrate- over 160 ppm-- now around 20- but I cant seems to get it lower? suggestions?

thanks for reading the story--

Summary of questions?

Can the torch survive a freshwater dip for treatment of flatworms?

Are their other ways to deal with flatworms?- or are they even a real problem?

-er... didn't get to this-- but i have MONSTER sized bristleworms- like a number 2 pencil- and hundreds of smallerr ones....nothing in my tank appears to be eating them.....problem- or should I just ignore the buggers

...pps-- lastly- I know I may have broken just about every rule in the resonable and rational approach of getting into this hobby-- but...it just sorta happened- seems like i probably got lucky-- the only thing that has died to date has been an elegance coral (jardenji?)-- but I hear they die anyway?-- I did lose an fridmani pseudo-- (sucked into the skiimer's surface cup)...- So i consider myself a rather lucky hack!....so far...

thanks
?

 

[Anonymous]

:welcome:

Can the torch survive a freshwater dip for treatment of flatworms?

Are their other ways to deal with flatworms?- or are they even a real problem?

They can be a problem, but mostly they are just ugly. I am a fan of Flatworm Exit because it seems less shocking to the coral than freshwater. Use it for a dip and twice the whole system - no problems. You can use it to dip your 'infected' corals.
If you have them one one coral, you prolly have them on others, so think about treating the whole tank.

-er... didn't get to this-- but i have MONSTER sized bristleworms- like a number 2 pencil- and hundreds of smallerr ones....nothing in my tank appears to be eating them.....problem- or should I just ignore the buggers

Don't ignore em, they are very cool animals. They pose no threat to anything in the tank.

...pps-- lastly- I know I may have broken just about every rule in the resonable and rational approach of getting into this hobby-- but...it just sorta happened- seems like i probably got lucky-- the only thing that has died to date has been an elegance coral (jardenji?)-- but I hear they die anyway?-- I did lose an fridmani pseudo-- (sucked into the skiimer's surface cup)...- So i consider myself a rather lucky hack!....so far...

Keep up the good work!

 

[netjamer]

Thanks for the tip on flatworm exit--- i guess it's safe for everything in the reef?-- I can see a few flatworms hear and there on the frogspawn-- but the torch is infested--- that sick striatus discoma seems to be recovering after the fresh dip-- but I'm going to look for the stuff you recomend.

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

I've heard some reports of six lines eating flatworms. I guess it doesn't happen in every case.

Has anyone kept an elegance long term?

Good luck...it appears you have done an admirable job so far!

 

[Anonymous]

Follow the FWE instructions exactly. Or do a search and read how people have done it.

There are lots of reports of fish eating FW. If any are actually true, they are few. Biological controls are hit and miss, more miss than hit.

 

[ChaoticReefer]

Also, high flow rates keeps FW in check. It most likely doesn't cure the problem, but it keeps them in neglect numbers.

I have had FW and couldn't think anyway to get rid of them (there was no way I was about to tear appart my tank and dip everything) so I decided to go with the high flow route (this was pre-FW Exit days). And it worked. Few years ago I decided to lower my flow back down again. Yup, you guessed it right, they returned. So I increased the flow again and they went back into check.

In the high flow eras I don't see them at all even if i look very hard, but once the flow is cut back they cover EVERYTHING, except the corals of course.

 

[shawnz28]

Flatworm eXit works well but like mentioned above follow the directions. The main key is to siphon out all you can in the days leading up to the intial dose. Once they die they become very toxic and usually many of the falatworms in your tank are not seen cause they are in the rocks etc... and there are more than what it looks.