Acro FW's I got 'em, you treat 'em.

[ReeferMac]

Corals Sean, dunno why, what.. haven't exactly been keeping up on maintenance lately, but...
I tried that Anti-Fluke stuff as part of my QT regime last time I got a package in. Several drops in about 1 gallon of water seemed to have no affect on the corals I brought in. Can't say wether it killed any Acro FW's or not, but..it didn't harm the corals.

- Mac

 

[AlgaeMan]

You are saying FWE killed your acro FW's?

Yep. Unless there is another type of transparent FW out there. I'm not sure it killed them all untill I treat again. When I treated with FWE months ago it killed a few acro FW, but not all of them.

 

[Ereefic]

Algaeman, I had some other whiteish/transparent flatworms in a different tank before with no SPS. Not alot of them and they didn't multiply like the red ones (which i've had before also), and didn't seem to bother anything either. I'm wondering if those are what you were killing off with the FWE? I know I haven't read about much success with FWE and Acro Flatworms, not saying you didn't have success, just saying it may have been a different type of FW that you had.

 

[SeanT]

The one thing that has been bothering me is that I haven't actually SEEN a flatworm on any of the particular corals I have treated.
I have seen their damage and a lot of egg sacs but no actual flatworms.

I just caught a lucky break...sort of.

In my paranoia I have begun to check all my corals out, one by one.
I found a frag that has no eggs on it that I can see, but has one BIG old acro FW.
This single worm has destroyed a third of the frag.
I know its late but I set up the treatment tank again with the same parameters as the second treatment.
It is the only thing in the tank.
Now I will be able to find out FOR SURE if this medication CAN kill the flatworms.

I can't wait, either way.

Sean

 

[Mantis]

Mantis, have you ever used this medication?
If so, did you treat your tank, dips, how much, how long?
Thanks,
Sean

mjcarl,
Will this work with the fw's that lay eggs?
Also, how do you measure out 40 ppm?
Thanks,
Sean

No, I have not used it, I got rid of mine by quarantining all of the corals and dipping them in Seachem Reef Dip once a week.

I just knew that Mitch was using it with success on some acro flatworms at his zoo.

 

[Creetin]

I would try to find a med that has the most diflubenzuron in it as possable. It seems like all the fluke meds use a watered down version of it. I am no chemical authority in the least, But i do know dimilin (diflubenzuron) is one mean chemical.
Maybe habib can shed some light on this chemical.
Like a product like anchors away by jungle labs.

 

[jsweir]

Sean, PM Dogboy Dave - he went through this already and his tank is now recovering....

 

[SeanT]

Will do.

***Update***

Final test of the night is completed.
As I said I added a frag that I KNEW had a flatworm on it.
I saw the flatworm, I touched the end of it lightly with a toothpick and it started moving.

After 2 hours in the dip I took the frag out.
I examined this frag for almost 5 minutes with a magnifying glass (it has an additional, more powerful lense on it with a light as well) and I am 100% positive that the flatworm is no longer on the coral or the small thumb sized rock the coral is attached to.
I am P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E!

So I rinse the frag off and put it back in the tank.

I bring my little nano to the counter and look in it...no flatworm body anywhere.
And I look very well.
So, with a small Dixie cup, I slowly empty the tank, cup after cup, ensuring the flatworm isn't floating about getting into the cup.
I only fill the cup halfway and examine in the cup with the magnifying glass before pouring it out.
I do this until there is only 1/2" left in the tank.
NO FLATWORM!!!
A few tiny dead snails but absolutely no flatworm.

Wher the heck did it go!?!
Could this medicine cause them to dissolve?

Sean

 

[ReeferMac]

2 gallons a half-a-dixie-cup at a time?!
LOL! Man Sean, you must have a lot of time on your hands.. j/k.
I'd see if you can find any of that stuff Mitch was talking about. I met him once, he knows a thing or two.
Is it possible the treatment ruptured the Acro FW? I've seen FWExit do that to some of the reddish one's I had in my tank.

- Mac

 

[mjcarl]

<Will this work with the fw's that lay eggs?
<Also, how do you measure out 40 ppm?

Yes, it will work for the egg laying flatworm.

To calculate drug dose use the following formula:

For 100% active drug:

volume in liters of tank x ppm (drug dosage) / 1000mg/g=#of grams required of the drug

For drugs that have less than 100% active drug, you take the percentage of the active drug (Levamisole hydrochloride is 80% active w/ 20% inert ingredients) and multiply the percentage to the 1000mg/g. So...

volume in L x ppm / 800mg/g = grams of drug

So if your treating a 10 gal tank w/ 40ppm Levamisole its:

37.8L x 40ppm / 800mg/g= 1.89g of Levamisole

Keep in mind, I'm not a vet, I just play one on TV.

Mitch

 

[SeanT]

***Update***
Well, all of the corals and frags that I treated yesterday are still alive and are showing their regular polyp extension.

=============================================

2 gallons a half-a-dixie-cup at a time?!
LOL! Man Sean, you must have a lot of time on your hands..

Is it possible the treatment ruptured the Acro FW? I've seen FWExit do that to some of the reddish one's I had in my tank.
- Mac

When it comes to me corals I have puh-lenty of time matey.

I am hoping that they ruptured.

 

[SeanT]

volume in liters of tank x ppm (drug dosage) / 1000mg/g=#of grams required of the drug
Mitch

Hi Mitch,
I am pretty sure I can get the vet to give it to me, my "Tank" is the actual name of my pet with him...he gives me Interceptor.

Are you advocating treating the whole tank or just dips?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[drake66]

ok off topic but quick question, what does STN mean... lol and RTN..

 

[SeanT]

RTN = Rapid Tissue Necrosis...it is where all the flesh falls off of an SPS coral rather quickly (usually within a day).

STN/SDN = Slow Tissue Necrosis. Over the period of week(s) or a month the flesh comes off.

Both, imo, occur due to some kind of stressure to the animal.
Stress caused by shipping, suffocation, improper acclimation to temp, salinity etc. Too high/low of an alk/Ca level, predators such as red bugs, Acro FW's and more.

hth,
Sean

 

[drake66]

Ah thanks, you're so informative! so how's your treatment going i've been following this thread...just out of curiousity.

 

[mjcarl]

Hi Mitch,
I am pretty sure I can get the vet to give it to me, my "Tank" is the actual name of my pet with him...he gives me Interceptor.

Are you advocating treating the whole tank or just dips?

Thanks,
Sean

Do NOT treat the tank at that high of dosage! It is a dip only. At that high of concentration you'll get rid of a few more things than just your flatworms.

Mitch

 

[Sparkss]

Tagging along since we now think we are infested.. still trying to identify/verify before going rambo on our corals

 

[easttn]

Sean,

Just tagging. I know I have them but they are too encrusted to dip. Some of them are on rocks that can't be removed without serious gravitational issues. I salute your vigor, and hope the results are transferable to whole tank dosages.

Please PM if this thread gets buried and you find a "cure" your not comfortable with publishing.

Thanks.

 

[AcroSteve]

Wishing you luck also.

Can higher or lower temperatures help during the treatment in the QT tank?

 

[Mchava]

well I just got done reading this whole thread.
SeanT as far as the AFW disintigrating you are correct. They seem to start to fall off the infested acro and then turn realy white till there gone. I have been battleing them for about 4months now. I actualy started using the Anti-fluke a while back. Its realy hard to say if it works or not. I know it will kill them but the issue is the egg sacks. If you forget just one little egg and reintroduce the coral. You are now going to reinfest the tank again. What I have done that has realy helped was set up a two dip process. The first one it with a dose of logus then a dip of Anti-fluke. That seems to work relay well. Each dip takes about 1-1.5hrs. As far as corals dieing becuase of the treatment. There is no ill efects to them. What iam planning on doing now it to find out what the life spand off the flat worms are. intrems of how long it take the eggs to hatch. Iam setting up a small that with all the equipment but will only have the acro inter. I will document everything with pictures everyday. May be this way we can figure out when the next treatment needs to be done kind of like the redbugs. Well if any one else has any other suggestions please let me know
Mario