flat worms - 911

[Briney Dave]

Guys,
I am in need of advice. In my 55 fragging tank I have an out-break of a flat worm that looks very much like the ones on page 428 of The Reef aquarium volume 2. Sprung talks about using a nudi by the name of Chelidonura varians

Where can I find one of these guys close/or anywhere for that matter, is there another solution. there are no fish in this tank it is a bare bottom with the coral frags on egg crate. The egg crate is suppended above the floor several inches. The tank is hooked to a 25 sump/refu with macro algae and a deep sand bed.

Plus how bad is this situation. I am guessing not at all good.

 

[MJAnderson]

Try reading this

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm

I have seen the nudis you are talking about for sale (or maybe it's the ones that http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=chelvar says they look like.

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/velvet-sea-slug---chelidonura-varians-inverts--nudibranch.html

 

[Briney Dave]

So they are not as bad as I was fearing. That is good news. Thanks Mike. Do you think I should buy one of these to give it a try. I know they are short lived (a year or two) which is a definite down side to ordering one

 

[serpentman]

I have had my share of issues with these little buggers. The good news is they are pretty harmless unless the populations reach the point where they start smothering your frags.

Salifert Flatworm Exit works excellent if the directions are followed to the letter. However, plan on at least 2 applications of 1.5x the recommended dose to rid your tank of them. IME this, plus sufficient quarantine, is is the only way to completely eradicate them forever.

Predatory nudibranchs work well to control populations. However, if one survives, that can be enough. Furthermore, nudribranchs concentrate the flatworm toxin in their tissue so when the nudribanch dies, it can have equally harmful results. They are also prone to getting chewed up in powerheads. I have also witnessed 6-Line Wrasses eating them. However, this would only help control populations, not eradicate them.

By doing nothing other than manual removal, sometimes their numbers just taper off to virtually nothing.

 

[MJAnderson]

If you have a frag tank, a 6 line with no other food source (eg you don't feed it much) will help. With manual removal and solid flow they might dwindle to nothing.

 

[Briney Dave]

thanks guys
a six line sounds much better than taking a nudi that will only live a short time and to promote a short term creature from being removed from the wild which does not sit well with me