Flat worm control

[Isda]

I noticed a few flatworms in an area near one of my corals. The darndest thing is that my hermit crabs seemed to have noticed them too. They've crawled all over the area. It seems like they ate them as well as an unknown (too small to tell but I was beginning to think majano). Can't say for sure if the crabs ate the "bad guys" but it appears that they're MIA.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[tims]

nope but that is cool!

[Geoff]

can you describe the corals and the flatworms? wondering which flatworms you may have had.

G~

[Isda]

I have a lobo that originally had 3 heads but when I purchased (2-3 months ago) the 2 heads were just the skeletal remains. I noticed the flatworms at the same time I noticed the first of the hermit crabs lingering on the skeleton. The number of hermit crabs increased but they never bothered the "living" head. The flatworms seem a lot smaller than the pics I've seen on the net, comparitive size largest would be the the size of the 'n' in this font (arial 8). They're reddish brown in color and rectangular. To confirm that they were actually living thing. I did poke them to see if they would move.

[Geoff]

those sound like the normal red flatworms. they are completely harmless to everything in the tank when the flatworms are living. they are not the reason for your coral loosing its heads. i have found that when LPS start pulling back or loosing heads it is because the Ca or alk levels are not correct.

getting rid of flatworms is not difficult. keeping the dead ones from killing the tank is the hard part. when they die they release iodine into the tank, and can kill the inhabitants. large water changes and copious amounts of carbong are needed.

G~

[Loverotties]

What is carbong?where do you get it?pharmacy?

[tdwyatt]

Geoff was refering to granular active carbon. This is used as part of a treatment process where as many of the flatworms are physically removed from the system by siphoning and water change, then treating the system with an appropriate dose of an antiflatworm product called Flatworm Exit by Saifert. Immediately after the treatment process, the flatworms lyse into the water column and release their body contents. These substances are extremely toxic to vertebrate creatures in the same water, so it becomes necessary to remove the toxins with GAC in a forced canister pump/filter and doing 50% waterchanges as quickly as possible. The removal of the flatworms with siphoning helps reduce the dose of fltworm toxins introduced into the tank, and the carbon adsorbs these toxins for easy removal from the system. Keep your skimmer running at a wet skimmate once treatment if complete, and watch your salinity to maintain conditioins in the system.


More detailed instructions and precautions are listed in a post that JennM made a few years ago in the general reef discussion area, try searching with flatworm and JennM as your search criteria.


HTH

[panic]

I just noticed a zillion (I counted) flatworms all over the bottom of one of my Rubbermaid frag tanks since last weeks water change. Is this how fast they multiply? I am getting ready to go out of town. Can I wait for a week to treat it with the Exit or will the tank be doomed?

[Geoff]

you can wait. they will not harm the critters in that length of time. they are just ugly. if you have that many than you will want to do several days of flatworm siphoning before actually dosing the tank.

G~

[panic]

Thanks Geoff

[ChrisPrusha]

Has anyone seen a marine fish, such a sixline, actually eat flatworms?

[Kevin1000]

Originally Posted by ChrisPrusha

Has anyone seen a marine fish, such a sixline, actually eat flatworms?

Flatworms, bristle worms, micro stars and just about every small thing that used to live in my tank -- they roam the tank like jaws.

[Isda]

ok, thought the hermits were eating my flatworm. I was fooled, they've emerged with a vengence. I plan on treating my tank this weekend with Flatworm exit. Any experiences that may not be on the instructions but I should know about?

[Isda]

Originally Posted by ChrisPrusha

Has anyone seen a marine fish, such a sixline, actually eat flatworms?

Decided to hold off on using flatworm exit and got a wee little (1 inch) 6-line wrasse instead. The flatworm population has dropped to the point it takes hard look to find any. What can I say...I love this cute little fishy! Always busy darting in and out of rock crevices.

[ChrisPrusha]

Cool beans, Isda!! Just make sure your tank is fully covered!