detrivores and red flatworms

[figuerres]

Hi, I am trying to get a handle on the "red flatworm" problem and how I can best reduce them w/o use of chemicals like FWE.

I think I know a few basics that I have to practice to reduce them but I want to find out if others can shed light on this area... also can I add other detrivores that will compete with the flatworms to help ...


from what I have read the red flatworm is a detrivore.

so part of the problem is that to much waste is in my tank and they are growing in responce to availible food supply.

can other detrivores be added that will go after the same waste and reduce the food they can find?
for example more worms like bristle worms and other bottom / sand bed worms.
small stars, pods etc....

due to the flatworm toxin are there issues with other detivores beeing unable to feed / live in the same tank ?
( Hmm... that could even be a topic for a paper if someone could study that)

I know that very few things eat flatworms, I am almost tempted to try a nudi or somehting to help me.... comments ?

I am working to add more flow and to reduce feeding as much as I can.... I can take care of that part.

Oh and this is a 90 Gallon reef, right now one Tunze 6000 and the return is a little giant MD pump (sized for the tank)
I have a 1/4 HP chiller and current outer orbit lights (2x96 pc and 2x150 MH )
6 blue chromis, 1 six line wrasse, 5 fire gobies, 2 cleaner shrimp
assorted snails ( turbos, and two other kinds) at least 20-30, a few juvi conchs (small about 5) , fla blue leg hermits (at least 20-30)...
lot's of live rock

gorgonians, zoa's, yellow fiji, 2-3 kinds of shrooms, frog spawn, green "meat" brain and a red / white brain
and some others ... all of them seem to be healty....

I can get other params but i's say my main issue is to feed less and do more water chnages and add flow.

but what about the ecology of adding more detrivores to try and help ??

thanks!

 

[romunov]

Much of what you're asking has already been answered on the boards and elsewhere. I invite you to do a search.

In short, you're stuck with FWE.

FWIW, these monsters do eat detritus and other organic stuff, but they also "feed on light", hence no way of starving them gently.

 

[graveyardworm]

What I have done - regular, almost daily siphoning with 1/4 inch airline to start, just pinch the hose to stop the siphon in between looking for them. Part of the problem people face when fighting these guys is the tremendous hidden population at the get go. What I found was that if you siphon out the visble ones it will encourage the hidden one to come out. Within a couple weeks the regular daily siphoning should've encouraged the majority to come out. There are always a few in an inaccessible/unseen spot, but with patience they will move around. Now whenever I'm around my tank I check for them and if I see one it gets siphoned out. Now I rarely see them. This is probably not a way to compltely eliminate them cause there is always a tiny one hidden somewhere, and by the time it becomes seeable it has probably reproduced, but I have hopes that I will soon get the last one. I have actually eliminated them in several tanks with this method. The problem I'm having is in the larger tanks.

 

[figuerres]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9560449#post9560449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by graveyardworm
What I have done - regular, almost daily siphoning with 1/4 inch airline to start, just pinch the hose to stop the siphon in between looking for them. Part of the problem people face when fighting these guys is the tremendous hidden population at the get go. What I found was that if you siphon out the visble ones it will encourage the hidden one to come out. Within a couple weeks the regular daily siphoning should've encouraged the majority to come out. There are always a few in an inaccessible/unseen spot, but with patience they will move around. Now whenever I'm around my tank I check for them and if I see one it gets siphoned out. Now I rarely see them. This is probably not a way to compltely eliminate them cause there is always a tiny one hidden somewhere, and by the time it becomes seeable it has probably reproduced, but I have hopes that I will soon get the last one. I have actually eliminated them in several tanks with this method. The problem I'm having is in the larger tanks.

Yeah one of the things I am thinking about is to try and make somehting like melv shows in his info on removing them, a fine mesh filter bag on the end of the tubing to allow the planeria to be trapped but keep the water flowing.

I am thinking about trying to create a ventruri ....

use a small powerhead and a bit of pipe to create a stronger draw into the filter bag.

the idea would be to have the worms and fine debrie go in the bag ont into the pump.

tricky to get that right but if I did then it would pickup a lot of them faster.....

the trick is to fins the right parts to create the effect and not muck up the whole sand bed.

thanks for the info.... I am looking for as much info as I can get.

I am 99% sure that I will need to use FWE at some point.

I just want to hold off on that till I get things as much in check as I can.

I had a 55 that had this problem and I almost lost the whole system due to my use of FWE w/o enough prep work.

so once burned twice shy as the saying goes....

 

[graveyardworm]

I am 99% sure that I will need to use FWE at some point.

I dont belive this to be a true statement. With enough patience and diligence the flatworms can be completely removed by siphoning. There is no need to use a pump to create stronger suction. The 1/4 inch line with just a gravity siphon is plenty strong enough to pick them right up. I did use FWE in the past and even following the instructions exactly resulted in the death of some worms and other small inverts. The only place I use the FWE now is during QT of new livestock and prior to trading frags in a seperate tank from my display.

 

[figuerres]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9564815#post9564815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by graveyardworm
I dont belive this to be a true statement. With enough patience and diligence the flatworms can be completely removed by siphoning. There is no need to use a pump to create stronger suction. The 1/4 inch line with just a gravity siphon is plenty strong enough to pick them right up. I did use FWE in the past and even following the instructions exactly resulted in the death of some worms and other small inverts. The only place I use the FWE now is during QT of new livestock and prior to trading frags in a seperate tank from my display.

I hope you are right.... like I said I will start with better cleanup and syphon etc.... and see where that goes.

thanks.