Flatworms everywhere oh my!

C

Crawf71

New member
Good Day folks,

In the last three weeks I have had flatworms literally explode in my tank. I haven't added anything since the swap back in September and even then everything was quarantined and treated.

Other than flatworm exit and other drugs. What fish have you had experience with eating the little bastards?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks
 
Target mandarins (the green ones) and yellow coris have worked for me. But honestly, if you have an infestation, you may have to treat the tank. IMO fish can be good as a preventive treatment but not necessarily a cure to an existing problem. JME. Good luck.
 
Thanks.

yeah I have been using an airline and sucking a crap ton out everyday. It just doesn't seem to help. I might look at a coris.
 
Norm is right the fish really can't keep up with the growth of those annoying pests. Get some of that drug they sell at Farm & Fleet I can't remember the name but its for treating horses. It kills the flatworms and doesn't harm your tank. Flatworm exit works ok too but it usually takes 2-3 doses to kill them all. The horse medicine is usually one dose. PM Shark Keeper he knows what it is.
 
Yellow coris is actually a poor name per say. Most of the fish sold as yellow coris's aren't even in the coris family.

However, yes, absolutely. I have one in my frag tank exclusively for any pest control that gets past dip and/or QT. LPS, SPS, softies, snails, shrimp... never hurt any of them. Hunts and pecks all day just like my leopards. Mine is a Halichoeres Leucoxanthus / Halichoeres Chrysus (yellow coris wrasse). Picture from a long time ago:

06.16.2007-6.jpg


Most of the "pointy" mouthed wrasses have the possibility of doing the trick when it comes to flatworms. However, realize as with anything, you very well could get a fish that could care less. Every fish is different, just like tangs that like or don't like a certain type of algae.

I had them 3 or so years ago. I nuked the tank multiple times with flatworm exit (2-3x dose), and they always gave up. It happened that I eventually had a wrasse in every tank, and I haven't really seen them since. I think it's like most things, that if their food goes away and/or there is some sort of natural control... they'll just slowly disappear.

Do reading on flat worm exit. It's pretty safe, as long as you're not in a plague type of situation. I'd debate getting your wrasse ready and acclimated, THEN doing a flatworm treatment. That will knock out a good part of the FW's, then the wrasse can work on what remains.
 
I have 3 yellow coris in my tank and they have never harmed anything. I agree about getting one through QT before doing the treatment, unless you plan to do two treatments, which may not be a bad idea.
 
Yeah, I'll think about doing that.

Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'm leaning towards a coris and going from there.

I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Thanks
 
They are not selling levamisole in the powder form anymore in the United States it is available in a liquid form but you have to make sure not to get the phosphate kind the cheapest I have found it lately is 70. for 10oz of 99% pure. It in Powder form is illegal now in the USA thanks to people cutting cocaine with it. its a pig and goat wormer if I find out how to get powder I will let everyone know it is available to vets in limited quantities.
 
If you do plan on using levamisole try to remove all your fish.. especially your tangs. I have tried twice to use it and lost all my tangs both times.... Even after running carbon, skimmer very wet and doing many many water changes. The poison catches up with them a day after treatment.... IME
 
Hrm. Think I might try and get a coris and do daily suctions with airline.

If that doesn't help I'll revert to chemicals.

Thanks
 
I was in the same boat from some LR I got.
I got a yellow coris wrasse and 2 scooter blennies and still did daily suctions and the population was going down slowly. Then I got a six line wrasse and it went to town on them. Have not seen any in tank since. And all three of those fish are reef safe.

The flatworm exit DOES work if you do it right. But, I didn't want to flat worm exit because if you don't siphon them out right away and run enough carbon the toxins those little buggers give off when they die can decimate your tank. I'm sure you could smell that after you suctioned them out. It is a horrible stentch. I have such a big tank that I didn't want to take the chance.
Just my experience. Hope it helps.
 
I have never lost anything due to levamisole but flatworms and bristle worms a few pods you do have to remove shrimp. It would be nice to be able to catch your fish the toxins are bad and if your fish are eating them and they melt from levamisole in their stomach I can see where you could lose some. How big is your tank I think I half about 1/2 a can of levamisole left.
 
A hardwicky wrasse will eat them up also I have a leopard and A Christmas and have never seen any since I used levamisole. 2 years ago
 
On my thread for levasole trials, there is an RC user inkmaker. He has the powdered levasole and sells it for his cost plus his cost for shipping. It's cheap, it works, he has it. Look for his posts towards the end of the thread. Good Luck

Thread ID 1379099

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1379099

PS. The major reason levasole was pulled off the market was that it's also being used in the medical industry for cancer. I guess they want full privey to charge some poor dying SOB $1000 a dose for something they can buy for pennies. After finding the other usage I believe the cutting of drugs with it is more of a rumor.

Oh yeah, they have it in Australia by the ton. (If anyone has ever been there there's almost 2 sheep for every man woman and child there.) Going to see if there is a legal way to get some over here when I return from GBR and Shark Bay diving trips this Spring.
 
Last edited:
I did find its not illegal in the United States its just hard to get because the drug companies buying it all I can order it in bulk drums from China all day long if I had the extra cash to do so LOL. Where it was made was hit by Earthquakes about 2 years ago and its only been back in production for 7 or 8 months. From all of the research I have done on it it is not a controlled substance yet but it is true that 90% of the cocaine seized in the US has this in it so I guess that would make cocaine a good dewormer? LOL I have a friend in the farm supply business in Australia I will see what he can do.
 
We used a Six Line Wrasse in our 90gal tank and we no longer have flat worms. It took a few months for him to get ahead of them, but seemed to do the job. We also sucked them out as much as possible to try and get ahead of the curve.
 
For what it's worth, sixlines are one of the wrasses that seem to be near 100% hit on FW destruction. However, absolutely do research on them. Don't get me wrong, they are a very cool fish. All three of mine turned into devil spawn. I received one that way, and the other two just one day snapped and started fighting EVERYTHING. I don't mean like a little dodge or chase here or there, relentless for hours chasing and biting anything in the tank regardless of size or aggression.
 
Yep, same experience here on 6-lines, that's why I didn't mention them. They will eat flatworms IME, but to me it's at a cost. The yellow coris seem to remain docile, at least mine have.
 
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