How to control red planaria (flatworms)

[April F]

These things seem to have multiplied into the thousands literally overnight!

A google search offers flatworm exit, a multitude of wrasses and gobies, an incredibly delicate nudibranch, and just plain siponing to eradicate them.

A large water change, with lots of siponing is in store for this weekend.

Anyone have any tried and true methods for getting rid of them that is softie, feather duster, caulerpa and seahorse safe?

I've read numerous conflicting reports on the flatworm exit and would much prefer a "live" cure.

What the heck caused this sudden flatworm fertility anyway?

 

[TimV]

Wrasses work great. many people have these things in very small numbers. I've never had very many in my tank. I've seen complete infestations though, but who knows why they explode.

T

 

[April F]

I've read the yellow coris wrasse munches on them, but also on feather dusters. I'd like to keep my dusters. I've also read the 6 lines are iffy about whether they will eat them or not. Some say mandarins or scooter blennies will eat them. Any truth to that? I'd love to add either of those to my tank.
Besides being an ugly plague, what can they hurt, anyway? Mine seem to prefer a specific caulerpa. I've yet to actually see any on the corals.

 

[chaderic26]

I've had good luck with wrasses and increasing flow in the past.

 

[Lytehouse]

Your luck with using any fish will depend on how hungry they are. If you feed heavy, they have no reason to go hunting. Hunting is a wrasse's normal behavior which is why they are so popular for this sort of problem.

 

[Triple_B]

I have a yellow wrasse and lots of feather dusters... but I could have just gotten lucky with my particular wrasse. I don't know about the sea horse compatibility but I give them 2 thumbs up.


-brandon

 

[cody6766]

I have a yellow coris wrasse in my 40 breeder and have noticed red flatworms in the fuge below. I haven't seen one worm in my 40g though. I can't swear to it because I haven't seen him eat one, but I would assume he's at it and doing well. I haven't seen any of the clear variety either. I feed the tank once a day but feed quite a bit. I've heard that these guys do nothing for some people, but mine works. I got him at PetCo on Expressway before moving to Florida

 

[April F]

Sounds like a yellow coris wrasse will be the winner here. I don't have a great deal of flow, considering it's a seahorse tank, but there seems to be plenty. I don't feed especially heavy - only once a day - but it is always a frozen cube of either mysis or brine shrimp. The pipefish eats pods, but apparently draws the line at flatworms. My feather dusters are the small ones that hitchhike in. I don't have any of the Hawaiian ones with the big heads. Guess I'll just have to take the chance.
Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[cody6766]

One thing you may have issue with is the fast swimming, quick eating habits of a coris wrasse. Mine gets to food on the other side of the tank in no time. I remember watching George feed his ponies and he put the mysis in a shell for them to eat out of. i think the wrasse would have been all over that like a fat kid on cake. You may want to get some opinions from other sea horse keepers and see if they've kept wrasses wiht them. Aggression isnt an issue with mine at all, but he's a quick one.

 

[iamwrasseman]

the coris wrasse will not eat feather dusters and is iffy with the flat worms . you should consider a melanarius wrasse as they are the best ,they actually like the flat worms and will seek them .
most wrasses need to graze all day long as their caloric intake in a single feeding will not properly sustain them and they will wither and die if not fed multiple times a day in many cases .
pipe fish will not eat flatworms either

please do a bit of research before purchasing as a coris wrasse is usually boisterous in a tank and quite an aggressive eater which will be a bad thing in a seahorse tank which is what you have correct ?
i would choose a male melanarius wrasse for your purpose .they will eat the flat worms but they too are going to eat aggressively when you feed the tank but they should be full of flatworms .
if you want to leave your tank as is and add no fish then use flat worm exit but be advised that you have to siphon most of the flatworms out asap as they are toxic in numbers but it may be your best bet if you want to leave the tank stock list alone .

 

[sdreefer69]

I love my melanaris wrasse, great colors and I often see him looking through the live rock when I don't feed him alot of frozen food. If you get him make sure he has a nice sand bed to sleep in.

 

[iamwrasseman]

perfect fish for the job and yes a sand bed is necessary . i like the tupperware dish too !

 

[pwhitby]

I have to agree, the melanurus is excellent for the job.
here is more information on these fish:

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/32-fish-profile-

Paul.

 

[iamwrasseman]

good info for sure

 

[shaithis13]

ive seen many yellow coris wrasses eat hawaiian feather dusters, so i can verify that that does happen. not sure if they would bother hitchhikers or not. have never had a problem of any sort with melanurus wrasses.

 

[April F]

beautiful fish! I don't believe I've ever seen them available locally. Is any one place better to order wrasses from online than another?

 

[shaithis13]

theres a melanurus at expressway petco. theyve got them regularly. the current one is in the tank with the rocks.

 

[April F]

I'm pretty sure all Petco gets are the 6 line wrasses, which look pretty similar.

I have located a couple online, but I am going to do the siphon/water change thing first to see if I can control them that way.

I have read too many places that they will also eat feather worms, along with being very active, sand burrowers, and jumpers. Sounds like just a little too much activity for my slow, easy going syngnathid tank if I can control them myself.

Thanks all for help. Until this thread, I had never heard of them.

 

[shaithis13]

that store does not have 6 lines very often. hope the syphon method works out for you

 

[reefified]

I had a recent infestation, tried the flat worm exit and it killed a tonm of them, siphoned as many as I could and ran carbon. the next day, treated again. Still showing up. I have 2 mp40's on a 60 gallon (ton of flow) and all sorts of corals. the corals are fine but the little boogers keep showing up. small numbers though. may just have to endure and siphon out with water changes. not sure what else to try except the wrasse. What are other types not mentioned above that seem to do the job?