Please list Flat Worm eating Fish

[AZreefkeeper]

Hi All
I've had a flatworm outbreak, can anyone please list any Reef Safe fish that they have actually seen eating Flat Worms. Please be as specific as possible.

Thanks

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I believe either of the two mandarin will do so, and perhaps some of the leopard wrasses, but I need to look up the scientifics.

 

[lcheesman]

hi

This nudibranch eats only flat worms

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/images/313_bluevelvet.jpg

I have seen them importated a number of times. They will completely wipe out the population but will die once their food source runs out...

Salifert also make a product that kills the flat worms but there will always be risks to the biological functions

 

[AZreefkeeper]

thanks guys, I've seen the velvet nudi eat them along with mandarins, has anyone else seen any other fish eat these?

 

[lcheesman]

I have seen coris wrasses eat them, mine does but it is a bit hit and miss as with most fishes purchased for the purpose of eradication, wether it be pests or algae.

 

[RichConley]

My

Halicoeres Iridis
Halicoeres Melanurus
Macropharangydon meleagris


All eat flatworms.

 

[lcheesman]

according to this post,

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=871768

so do Scooter Blennies (Synchiropus stellatus & ocellatus) and
Arrow Crabs (Stenorhynchus seticornis)

 

[mark97r6]

My scooter blennie rid my 360g tank of flatworms within 2 months.

HTH
Mark

 

[AZreefkeeper]

Thanks for all the response guys. I just noticed a small outbreak and would like to get some more fish. (this is a good excuse to get a few) I really don't want to put that flatworm x stuff in the tank, thought I would try something a little more natural. + free food for the mandarins.

 

[Steven0000]

anything else that rids flatworms besides fish or arrow crabs or nudibranch

i have a 12g nano and i noticed some on my xenia
and i dont want it to outbreak

how can i fix this without more fish?

 

[AZreefkeeper]

Sailfert makes something called Flatworm Exit, for a nano it might work great, but be prepared to do water changes and carbon. Marine Depot sells it.

 

[Steven0000]

what about a trap?

do those work?

 

[AZreefkeeper]

Is there a trap for flatworms? didn't know one existed...

 

[mark97r6]

Never heard of a flatworm trap. Dont really see how one could work, though i could be wrong.

Flatworm exit has good reveiws and on a nano or smaller tank i wouldnt hesitate trying it because large water changes and things are easily done to rectify any probs. This isnt easy in a large tank, so a more natural approach is preffered by me. I wouldnt put flatworm exit in my 360g tank because huge impratcical water changes would be needed to rectify any occuring problems.

Just my 2 cents!

Mark

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7615157#post7615157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lcheesman
I have seen them importated a number of times. They will completely wipe out the population but will die once their food source runs out...

Actually, they usually don't completely wipe out the population. The flatworms will get low enough in numbers that the nudi has a tough time finding enough, and it starves, but then a few months later the flatworms are often back.

Here's the list of fish that will definitely eat flatworms:


There's a huge list of fish that do sometimes eat flatworms, including the dragonettes, some dottybacks, the yellow coris wrasse (as mentioned), 6- and 8-lined wrasses, and numerous others.

There is no trap that I'm aware of for flatworms.

I've used Flatworm Exit, and have been very happy with the results.

Dave

 

[Tremelle]

I have heard that six line and mystery wrasses also eat them.