Flatworm eXit and Nudibranchs

[TWallace]

I know that others have tried using this product to rid their tank of the zoanthid-eating nudibranch, but was wondering about the success rate. I recently dosed my tank with it 5 days ago. The recommended dose (for flatworms) is 4 drops per 5 gallons. I've heard you need to increase the dosage for nudibranchs, up to double the recommendation. I dropped in 80 drops in my 55.

I don't have flatworms, so I wasn't worried about their toxicity. I did turn off my UV sterilizer for two days (packaging says a couple hours is fine). So far I've definetely noticed my zoanthids opening up more, especially a few of the problematic ones that never really opened up fully.

I didn't notice any detrimental effects on my livestock, which include fish, shrimp, crabs, snails, some leathers, two LPS, one SPS, lots of zoanthids, a BTA and a couple ricordia.

Maybe tomorrow I'll dip a frag or two in FW just to see if nudibranchs fall off. In the mean time, can anyone else who's tried this reply with their outcome?

 

[TWallace]

No one's tried it?

 

[21Reefman]

I have not.

I also want to hear any info on nudi(zoa and monti) larva. What does it look like in the larval state, could it eat any sized polyp?

I read that scientifically there is no distiction between SPS and LPS stoneys, could a monti eating nudi larva eat polyps as large as blasto welsi, if there was not a monti as a food source? Or even some zoas??

 

[TWallace]

I'm pretty sure that most (maybe all) nudibranchs have incredibly specialized diets so that they can only digest specific things. For example, the nudibranch that eats zoanthids likely can not survive on anything but them. Same thing with the nudibranch that eats flatworms (blue velvet nudibranch?). It starves to death when all the flatworms in a tank are gone.

 

[TWallace]

Tonight I dipped one of my frags that was chronicly bothered by nudibranchs to see if any fell off the frag. Not a single one did, and that's a first. Usually I get 5 to 10 tiny ones (I think my Neon Wrasse eats the larger ones, but leaves small ones alone). In celebration, here's some pics of my zoas, all taken tonight.

At extreme upper right, you can see a frag that's all closed up. This is the one I dipped in FW right before taking the pic. It's got orange fringe and looks real nice when healthy.

Some of the yellows in this pic are closed up because I just moved the frag, not due to any nudibranch irritation.

And for no reason at all, here's a pic of my GBTA which was opened up huge tonight. You can see the two thieves at the top, always near the anemone so they can steal its food.