Flatworms..Who has had them??

[myakkareef]

Just wondering, after almost 12 years I have never had any pests such as flatworms. Well I must say now I have had Flatworms. When I switched my light out form the MH to the T5 I believe it gave them the opportunity to come out with out being fried by the light. All of a sudden there where more and more. Talked to the LFS's and everyone agreed to the FWE. I bought alot of really good carbon, mixed up a water change and went ahead and dosed. I must say I had way more then I thought. They came out in strings with maybe 50-100 attached. Very scary sight, I netted and kept swishign them into the overflow so they could be caught by a sock. Water got really nasty after about 20 minutes so I did a 15 gallon water change. After about 1.5 hours the tank looked good and nothing seemed bothered except for the FW's. A few mini stars slowed way down and but soon came back to life.
I am not sure how long I have had them, or where they came from. I will not trade or give anybody anything in the future without notifying them that I have had these pests. Also I will FWE dip any new frags that come to me. I think I will add a few predators in hopes they will eat any further pests.
So who else has battled these pests? What did you do to totally eliminate or can they be totally eliminated. Since alot of frages get swapped around locally, I think it is wise to keep an eye out for these guys...

[wizsmaster]

I've had them ... ended up tearing down the tank & cooking the rock due to Hydroids ... that took care of the FW's. I had them pretty bad too.

[killagoby]

I've had them. Water quality is most likely the issue here. I always noticed as my H2O quality declined, they mass reproduced. Keep your levels low and try to syphon them out with a tube. You can also get a 6 line wrasse. Or a nudibranch, but that will end up starving after it eats most of the flatworms only to have the flatworms return again. I don't like FWE. If they all die it will leave toxins in your H2O that might kill your livestock.

[tmz]

Had em, Treated like you did. Needed to treat thrice at 150%dose. GOne for over 6months.

[myakkareef]

Ran lots and lots of premium carbon...Had no issues from the dying FW's. Other then a sock filled with dead bodies.
I agree somewhat about water quality, but I run a bare bottom system where dietrus gathers in basically 1 area. They would congregate on the dietrus, but syphoning was doing nothing to rid them. Don't believe it was necessary water qaulity, the pests came from a source unknown and populated without my knowing. I think the same could have happened in a prestine SPS dominated tank if they came in on a frag. That is why after much deliberation I tried the FWE.
Was very happy with the results, but again there where a few survivors...Putting this out here just so everyone knows it can happen to them, unless you dip and QT everything. Then who konws if one slips by..

[Agu]

Had them in a ten gallon about four years ago. Siphoned them out whenever I did waterchanges but that never seemed to have any effect.

Then one day I looked at the tank and realized all the flatworms and stomatella snails were gone. I have no idea what killed them all off but I'm not complaining :lol:


Scott, I think the bare bottom makes a big difference. You were able to get them into suspension and filter them out.

[boydx6]

I had flatworms last year and treated with FWE (2 doses) and used carbon/water changes and thought I got rid of them. 3-4 months later after not seeing any I removed some rock from the tank and within a couple days I began to see flatworms again. I am guessing they were deep in the cracks of the rock and didn't get nuked with the FWE. I am cooking my rock now hoping to get rid of all unwanted pests to start over.

[myakkareef]

AGU, as they where dying I was pushing them up into the overflow. I am sure many of them died in the tank but saw no ill effects. Sump was loaded with dead ones though. Like mentioned I have seen a few again and will try natural elimination before FWE again. This is something I have never dealt with and hate adding any death chemicals to the tank...
Also all my stomatillas dissapeared quite awhile ago. Used to have a bunch but now never see any.

[tmz]

A green spotted mandarin(Synchiopus picturatus) will eat them.

[killagoby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11228284#post11228284 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
A green spotted mandarin(Synchiopus picturatus) will eat them.

Tried it. Was not sucessful with one in the tank...

[xxseawolf]

sixline should take care of it.

[boydx6]

I tried a six-line and he didn't want anything to do with the flat worms. He ate the heck out of the pods in the tank though. I believe six-lines are found in 2 diff parts of the world and one likes flatworms more than the other. I guess I had the wrong one.

[xxseawolf]

mine tore up some bristleworms. guess i was lucky. good luck.

todd

[killagoby]

It's all in the luck of the draw. I had a Pygmy Angel that never touched a coral. Then again I would never risk another one in my reef. Just in case...

One might eat them, another might not...

[jdhuyvetter]

I've got a six line and a green spot and neither one seemed interested. FWE knocked them oout in one dose. Went over six months and saw a couple. Don't know if they were survivors or if the were new acquisitions. Hit them with FWE again and haven't seen them since (about 2 months)

[drives300]

I would do another FWE. Think of it as chemo or antibiotics. You have to treat multiple times to get rid f any stragglers or you may create a resistant flatworm.