Theory on flatworms?

[1FishTwoFish]

I was just thinking the other day about how much of a pain flatworms are to get rid of. (the red ones that reproduce like rabbits in spring) I also was thinking how hard mandarin dragonets are to keep in captivity due to starvation and lack of food in the home aquarium. Has anyone witnessed a mandarin eating flatworms? If you have or know anyone who has please share.

 

[Av8bluewater]

I've heard some target mandarins will eat them but not Green. I have a green and red planaria. I don't think he eats them.

 

[karm40]

I have tried them all and the only thing that has actually made a dent is a Melanarus Wrasse!
I watched a mandarin take one in it's mouth and spit it out.

 

[1FishTwoFish]

Thank you guys. I had a feeling they wouldnt eat them. The smell of them when siphoning them out is pretty foul. Guess I'll be buying a Melanarus wrasse for my mom's tank. I knew they ate them but was just curious about the dragonets

 

[accordsirh22]

i have a carpenters, a yellow coris, and a 6 line. the 6 line MIGHT eat them, and i suppose there is a very small chance the yellow does too. but i doubt either of them do, either that or they are reproducing so fast that the wrasses dont make a dent. i suppose maybe its time to try a melanarus as well. but from what i remember those guys like to eat ALL the clean up crew as well :/

 

[Av8bluewater]

Same thing for my Melanarus. I don't think he eats them and if he does it's not a solution. I'm not convinced there is a reliable fix other than a series of FWE.
I think the FWE has to be done for many treatments. I did five treatments in 6 weeks and I don't think I beat the egg life cycle. THey came back.

 

[Nina51]

i have a yellow coris wrasse that i have seen eating them but there are still a LOT in my tank. i'm not gonna stress about it, i've seen some experienced reefers who say they will likely run their course.

 

[snorvich]

Same thing for my Melanarus. I don't think he eats them and if he does it's not a solution. I'm not convinced there is a reliable fix other than a series of FWE.
I think the FWE has to be done for many treatments. I did five treatments in 6 weeks and I don't think I beat the egg life cycle. THey came back.

I did two treatments at 150% of recommended dose about one week apart. Seemed to work.

 

[pinnatus]

Just be very careful in killing them - the poisons they emit can and will nuke your tank. And for every one you see, there are probably 10 you don't see. I had a huge infestation and when I used FWE, the water turned muddy brown and I lost a lot of livestock. Carbon and a 30% water change were not close to helping.

I have since decided that if i ever get them again, to let them be, they really don't hurt anything, and I think they tend to subside on their own after a while.

 

[Tweaked]

Our target mandarin destroyed them, including a six line wrasse. I will say this, like most things, they come and go with available nutrients and detritus. Get that in order, and they will deminish.

 

[Av8bluewater]

Just be very careful in killing them - the poisons they emit can and will nuke your tank. And for every one you see, there are probably 10 you don't see. I had a huge infestation and when I used FWE, the water turned muddy brown and I lost a to of livestock. Carbon and a 30% water change were not close to helping.

I have since decided that if i ever get them again, to let them be, they really don't hurt anything, and I think they tend to subside on their own after a while.

I sit there for 2-3 hours with a brine shrimp net fishing out bodies.
If they start camping out on coral bases they will lose color and polyps won't come out much. Even though they are not eating the flesh like AEFW they still do damage if you get enough of them. They can be controlled though with siphoning if you wan to go the "just live with them" route.

 

[LittleBurger]

Find that the red fw are attracted to lights. Areas which are exposed to light gathers them.

I used hydrogen peroxide in a syringe n pump tiny bits of peroxide at them and they floated to the surface, inpmmediately disintegrated. So I guess maybe the peroxide and also neutralize their toxins.

 

[Moort82]

As above you can attract them with lights but I would then syphon them out.

I have also seen both species of mandarins as well as scooters eat them, although I personally wouldn't advise you add them just because you want a predator.

 

[Subsea]

Find that the red fw are attracted to lights. Areas which are exposed to light gathers them.

I used hydrogen peroxide in a syringe n pump tiny bits of peroxide at them and they floated to the surface, inpmmediately disintegrated. So I guess maybe the peroxide and also neutralize their toxins.

While I believe H2O2 would kill flatworms, I know of no reason that hydrogen peroxide would neutralize their poison. Incidently, what is their poison? In smashing them against the glass, a red stain was evident on my skin. A strong smell that resembled iodine was also evident.
Patrick

 

[Subsea]

Just be very careful in killing them - the poisons they emit can and will nuke your tank. And for every one you see, there are probably 10 you don't see. I had a huge infestation and when I used FWE, the water turned muddy brown and I lost a lot of livestock. Carbon and a 30% water change were not close to helping.

I have since decided that if i ever get them again, to let them be, they really don't hurt anything, and I think they tend to subside on their own after a while.

+10 on not over reacting to something that is not that serious. In 45 years of reefkeeping I have had Red Planaria on several occasions. Never have I seen them block light to the detriment of coral. I am not saying that people are lying when they claim this but I don't believe them without pictures. With respect to pictures in today's electronic age and photo manipulation, I defer to Benjamine Franklin who was quoted as saying, "I believe half of what I see and none of what I hear".
With good sandbed maintenance and biodiversity of sandbed infauna, I see little problem with some flatworms. It reminds me of the objection to bristle worms in our reef tanks. I know of no better sand bed detrivore.
Patrick

 

[accordsirh22]

thats basically my thought train on it. are they annoying and slightly unsightly? yes. are they actually hurting anything? absolutely not. i siphon them out every 2 weeks or so. i think i have actually started seeing my yellow coris and possibly 6 line eating some, but they just dont eat them regularly enough. i think i feed those fat pigs too much NLS lol. might throw in a pair of ruby red dragonets in the coming weeks though, i finally got a lead on some and i have wanted them for a while. supposedly they eat them too