Flatworm eXit + degrading health of SPS

[Lyfey]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask a question and I have been pretty much thinking the best answer is time and keep up good husbandry.

Well I have some red planara (i think) and a dominant 75 gallon SPS aquarium. I dosed 80 drops of flatworm exit the first time about a month ago and alot of the worms died off and within a few days my sps looked better than ever! After the first dose I did a 25 gallon water change and used 2 lbs of carbon in my BRS dual reactor, both chambers. Well after a week I redosed with the rest of the bottle (100 drops) because I still saw worms. This time I did not do a water change and I only used half of the carbon (to save on supplies) I think my biggest mistake is that I did not change the filter sock out for almost a week after and the toxins from the dead worms affected my sps.

Well I have two small tri-color acros that have pretty much lost all healthy color and are now a light brownish color and hardly any polyps are showing. Also valida acro is having STN from the base and pretty much is 50% of the coral now. My Millies look more beautiful than ever and my other SPS seem to be unaffected.

If this is due to toxins, what is the best remedy? Time? Thanks guys I appreciate the help!

btw, I still have the worms =(

-Chris

 

[Lyfey]

I also forgot to mention that all my SPS are small colonies / frag sized and permanately mounted to the rock. My Orange/pinkish cap is also starting to lighten up also. I do have coral RX at the ready if I need to rip everything out to dip it. I also have access to a 20 gallon tank that I could set up as a SPS QT, but I am unsure how that process works. Thank you guys!!

 

[Lyfey]

I have to test all of my params tonight and I do not have any phosphate test kits.

75 gallon RR tank
30 gal sump ( filled half way )
BRS Dual reactor .75cups Rox .8 carbon and .75cups high capacity GFO powered by a Mj1200 this carbon and gfo was replaced on 30 July 2010. My flow gets really bad in that reactor after a week or so, I need to either use less sponges or a stronger pump
ATB Small 2.0 with the new syncra pump ( I pull out the nastiest skimmer poo / water )
ATI powermodule 8x54w bulbs are 6 months old, 10 inches off the waters surface.
Reefkeeper lite controlling the lights. 8 hours 6x bulbs 10 hours 2 blue+
reefkeeper lite controlling my rena 300w heater set at 78 degrees Temp swings from 78-81 max
Filter sock from overflow that I use until it gets full then I change it out
New tunze silence return pump
2x Vortech mp40w ES usually new ES wave mode, trying sure fire reefcrest at 100% on slave anti-synch. I have always ran my vortechs at 100%

I shoot for 1.0250 sg - 1.0264 target alk is 8.5 - 9 dkh
I dose 20ml of BRS alk/cal each day separted by at least 30 minutes in a highflow spot in my sump

I have 2x clowns
1x Large 5" Dussemeiri tang
1x small 6line
1x small yellow watchman goby
1x pygmy angel
1x chromis (had 7) slowly dissapated over time.
Mixed SPS with LPS

 

[Lyfey]

10 gallon water change was performed with Tropic marin pro salt on 5 August and 15 gallon last night on 17 August.

I use a calibrated refractometer. Question. I combined the calibrated solutions of pinpoint and the one I got from the BRS refractometer, they were both the same solutions writen on the bottle. could this cause a problem?

I just recently placed a koralia 4 in my sump to help keep detritus in suspension

I have never dipped a coral before, learned my lesson now.

I am just trying to spit out as much info as I can for everyone. I will try to take pictures tonight. Thanks

Chris

 

[the-fishstore]

using flatworm exit,,, waterchange ,, waterchange,, waterchange.... try a 50% change

 

[Trumpetytrump]

I used flatworm exit... did a 50% waterchange after an hour and lost all my frogspawn and 3 fish. I had a massive amount of flatworms though.

 

[Trumpetytrump]

My tank struggled so I didnt do the second treatment. About the time the corals came back the flatworms showed up too.

 

[Lyfey]

I am hoping that everything rebounds again. I am just so suprised that after the first treatment my corals looked amazing, and after the second, they look unhealthy, well 30% of them. Has anyone had any success with flatworm exit with only 2 executions? How many times does it need and how much do you dose?

 

[29reef]

There's several instances of people having issues with sps after treatment for aefw; specifically having to do with the active ingredient in fw exit. I would say that the reasion you had such different results is that you used two totally different methods of treatment each time. Going forward. I suggest a large water change of 30-40% and weekly changes of carbon, untill the problem is solved. After the first larger water change return to your normal schedule.

 

[CleveYank]

There's several instances of people having issues with sps after treatment for aefw; specifically having to do with the active ingredient in fw exit. I would say that the reasion you had such different results is that you used two totally different methods of treatment each time. Going forward. I suggest a large water change of 30-40% and weekly changes of carbon, untill the problem is solved. After the first larger water change return to your normal schedule.

If you are using flatworm exit to hit AEFW, you're using the wrong medication. Flatworm Exit is for red planaria type which are of the Order Acoela. See Allen/Steene indo-pacific coral reef field guide C.2002 p 126.

AEFW require fluke type meds in a dip application and or fallow with scraping/dipping and quarantine.

 

[allsps40]

Have never had a problem with flatworm exit. Used it a few times with no ill affects. Just follow the directions.

 

[FiReC]

like me, you probably have aefw tearing up your corals. look for the tiniest of brown patches on the stn parts... they are the eggs.

 

[Lyfey]

I cannot see any patches of eggs. I do believe that I have red planaria not AEFW. I see tiny little brown worms that look like tiny goldfish crackers about the size of an eye of a needle that you sew with.

I understand that I did two totally different treatments with the flatworm exit. I got lazy and cocky after the first treatment. I will do a large water change tonight.

I stopped dosing everything and noticed that my alk was a 10 DKH for the last two nights in a row. Possibly my last water change had a spike in alk that also has to do with my corals declining health.

I will do a full set of tests tonight and try to take some pictures also. Thanks for all the help.

As far as Red planaria go, how do they effect corals? Are they just an irritant or are they killers?

 

[Lyfey]

Also my lighting I have reduced the 6 of 8 bulbs from 8 hours a day to 5 hours a day to help possibly heal some of the "lighter" SPS that have lost most of their color. I am running an 8x54w ATI powermodule 10" above the waters surface and almost all SPS are in mid level in the tank
Bulb combo

Blue +
AB special
Blue +
Fiji purple
Blue +
Blue +
AB special
Blue +