Flatworm eating fish?

[gsechen]

I hate flatworms and I got them in my tank. I want to know which fish kill them and decimate them? So far I've heard sixline, damsels, any others?

thanks

 

[Illuminati]

Not a fish but I've heard Velvet Nudi's also will work. I just read it in the marinedepot catalog.

 

[Wolverine]

Many fish will sometimes eat them, but there is no fish that is guaranteed to do it. Every fish that I've seen a success story with, I've also seen the same species completely ignore them.

As for the nudibranchs, they're not a great idea. They do a fantastic job to start out with. There are a couple of problems with them. One is that they eat like crazy and grow when there are a lot of flatworms in the system. However, later on, there are only a few flatworms left, and the nudibranch ends up starving because it can't find them enough to support itself. So, it dies off, and then the few that remain are able to repopulate the system, and you're back where you started (minus the money spent on the nudibranch).
The second problem is related. Flatworms have toxins. As the nudibranch eats them, it concentrates the toxins. When it dies, those toxins are released as one huge chunk back into the water, potentially wiping out other animals.

Dave

 

[karid]

I've heard that H. melanurus wrasse will eat them. Mine definitely eats bristle worms, but leaves the spaghetti worms alone. As mine got older though (2-3 years) he started taking swipes at my snails, so they may not be totally invert safe as they mature. But juveniles should be OK and are often used for pest-control.

 

[fishyvet]

My radiant wrasse does a good job keeping the numbers down in my fuge... beautiful and peaceful fish too

 

[RichConley]

Most of the Halichoeris wrasses will reliably eat them.


Still, if you get your nutrients down and keep your tank clean, they basically just go away.

 

[mark97r6]

my pair of scooter dragonets cleaned out my FW population in no time at all.

HTH
Mark

 

[R²]

My True Perc ate them off the glass, but never went down to gravel level to get them. Had to FlatwormEXIT them... didn't get them all and now I have to do it again. Fun Fun...

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9062230#post9062230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Most of the Halichoeris wrasses will reliably eat them.

I don't know if reliable is the word I would use. Most of the species will sometimes eat flatworms, IME.

Dave

 

[Navyblue]

I plan to keep a flasher wrasse for this purpose, I'm keeping my finger crossed. But that said I've never seen a flatworm in my new system.

 

[jpslickorocks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9146414#post9146414 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wolverine
I don't know if reliable is the word I would use. Most of the species will sometimes eat flatworms, IME.

Dave

Everyone that I know with one is FW free... Myself included

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9147381#post9147381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jpslickorocks
Everyone that I know with one is FW free... Myself included

Most people I know are FW, whether they have them or not.
I know several peaple with them who are free from FW free. I have personally put them into tanks for the purpose of getting FW with no effect. I've had it work sometimes, but it definitely does not always work.

Dave

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9146585#post9146585 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Navyblue
I plan to keep a flasher wrasse for this purpose, I'm keeping my finger crossed. But that said I've never seen a flatworm in my new system.

I kept 5 flashers in my 120, and it became full of fw. I never saw a flasher even look at one.

 

[zemuron114]

flashers or fairies wont eat FW. most halichoeres wrasses will eat FW.