Flatworm infested live rock and sand

[jimroth]

If you could have everything pitch black for a month or two that might help.

 

[Navyblue]

The problem is, sometimes enough flow to get rid of the FW is too much flow for the tank inhabitants. Clams, softies and mushrooms don't exactly like that.

 

[Navyblue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8814867#post8814867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimroth
If you could have everything pitch black for a month or two that might help.

I guess I could put them in a pail with lid for a month or two. But can it ensure every single FW will be killed? It seems that one survivor is too many.

 

[Navyblue]

Are Halichoeres chrysus 100% effective? I guess I can spare some room for it. But I wonder if my Ctenogobiops tangaroai will like him/her, or else it'll be likely that I find one of them on the floor.

 

[Navyblue]

Merry Christmas.

 

[dragonforce]

sixline will help you out if you have room for them, great fish. Good luck

 

[Navyblue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8823651#post8823651 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragonforce
sixline will help you out if you have room for them, great fish. Good luck

I do have room for one. I used to have one but unfortunately it didn't make a dent on the FW population.

I guess it is kinda a hit and miss thing, is there something that has the highest chance of eating those bugs?

 

[wrott]

Certain types of Mandarins will eat flatworms--I believe it's the spotted kind--not sure.
My green Mandarin will eat most anything.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8801134#post8801134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
They the red ones?

Who cares then... if you keep your nutrients in control, they pretty much go away. (or you can get a Halichoeres crysus, melanurus,etc to eat them)

Agreed. There are a lot of different types of flatworms. Unless you're positive they're doing damage to inverts (like the Acro eating type) just introduce a natural predator and manipulate the aquarium environment to discourage flatty proliferation.

 

[Bebo77]

i say leave the rock in fresh water for a week and then transfer over... that way you know everything will be killed off and slowly transfer the fish into the new tank.. better safe then sorry

 

[melev]

I think that's rediculous. Which is worse: Using Flatworm eXit that is known to work, or killing all the life on and in your liverock?

If you are worried about losing fish, move them to a temporary quarantine tank so they are 'safe', and focus on the reef tank issue. The q-tank can be a clean trashcan, tank water, powerhead with intake screen, heater, and airstone. Good enough.

Siphoning out all the flatworms daily in preparation of treatment is key. Reduce the population significantly, then treat the tank. Even if you do have to treat again a week later, there will be so few flatworms that the meds nor the toxin are an issue any longer.

More about this: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8825101#post8825101

 

[Bebo77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8824974#post8824974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I think that's rediculous. Which is worse: Using Flatworm eXit that is known to work, or killing all the life on and in your liverock?

to each his own... like i say.. better safe then sorry... leaving the rock in freshwater will kill off everything and then he can start from scratch... i dont see anything wrong with that... it will become live again

 

[melev]

That is similar to tenting a house for full on fumigation versus spraying the affected areas for pests.

Let's see some pictures of this infested tank before deciding upon a huge change of the biological filtration.

 

[Bebo77]

Re: Flatworm infested live rock and sand

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8801047#post8801047 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Navyblue
Hi all,

My current tank is infested with flatworm, I have always been wary about chemicals.

Thanks.

thus my opinion...

 

[Navyblue]

I guess I'll keep some sort of natural predator in my new tank, regardless of what I'll be doing to the liverocks in my current tank.

I have tried a six line that didn't touch the FW, though it strips me of my pods.

I've heard that spotted mandarin is a hit and miss either, also that my new tank would probably not mature enough to support a mandarin at the moment.

In general, which species has the best chance of eating flat worms? Yellow wrasse? Six line? Would they have compatibility problem with my tangaroa shrimp goby that I already have?

Btw, would many critters survive hyposalinity treatment? I guess it is a compromise of FW bath. I'm not sure if it is worth doing.

Thanks guys for you wonderful inputs.

 

[Navyblue]

I got myself some FWE, and intend to dip my corals and liverocks before moving to my new tank, hopefully I don't kill one FW too little.

 

[jamal-188]

I had them twice, increased flow and decresed nutrients along with a manual siphon removal every once in a while and they went away on their own.

 

[jpslickorocks]

I have never seen my melanarus wrasse eat a flat worm. I have to really look to find one in my tank now though. The fish is beautiful, reef safe, and not nearly as aggressive as 6-line wrasse. I would recomend a melanarus wrasse to anyone.

 

[Navyblue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8841308#post8841308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jpslickorocks
I have never seen my melanarus wrasse eat a flat worm. I have to really look to find one in my tank now though. The fish is beautiful, reef safe, and not nearly as aggressive as 6-line wrasse. I would recomend a melanarus wrasse to anyone.

That seems like a gorgeous fish to me. But I haven't seen it around here.

Do all wrasses eat flat warm? If so it would make my choice a lot easier.

I've noticed that Liveaquaria lists it and Halichoeres chrysus as "Fish-Only Tanks", were they friendly to cleaner shrimps and such?

Thanks.

 

[Navyblue]

I put all of my corals in a tub after removing as much FW as possible, and just dose a double dose of FWE. Five minutes later, the FWs are still crawling around. The instruction says tun on ozone or skimmer about an hour or so, I'll see what happen in an hour time.