I've got red flatworms

[Heather Sanders]

I don't know if mine are considered plague proportions yet but they are all over one rock and I can't see why they won't continue multiply.

I'm still needing to put one more powerhead into the tank for movement, so maybe that will help but I doubt it. I'm thinking I'm not ready to put any fish in the tank yet like wrasses and especially dragonets nor do I want to try some arrow crabs or flatworm eating nudis, so I'm thinking I'll try this:

Get some flatworm exit, dose following directions and siphon out dead and dying flatworms. Keep siphoning them out until they lessen considerably and then when I'm through, run carbon in my canister filter and have new water ready for a change. Whatch and maybe redose in the next week or so.?.

Does that sound right? I'm up for any suggestions, I'm basically using what I found from melev's site
http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

Has anyone had experiences and could you share? Thanks.

[thedogofwar]

yeah, thats the link I was thinking of posting when I started reading this.

leave a light on in front of the tank overnight and you'll attract alot of them to the front glass. makes for easier extraction.

NSA carries the flatworm exit.

[reefmarker]

Siphon out as many as you can before you do the flatworm exit. Always keep enough extra flatworm exit on hand to double dose you tank again.

[schiller2300]

I have never had much of an infestation of any kind, yet - cross my fingers. But up to this point I have been an oponant of adding anything to the tank. I would make absolutly 100% sure that there is a magnitute of problem to warrent action and that you can't get rid of your problem any other way. Other, than natural inhabitants "reef safe" is used way to often to describe not only products but animals as well. I have lost animals often due to predation in my tank, just as on a reef. I look at it for what it is - such as loosing the mushroom to your crabs. Survival of the fittest. I would encourage you to watch their behavior and learn all that you can before eradicating them. Wow - what a soap box. I supose it is the biologist in me running my mouth. Post a picture - I would love to see what your up against.

[Heather Sanders]

Chris, I've taken into consideration your post and you make a very valid point. I've never been one to put chemicals into my tanks either and labeling any "reef safe" is pretty rediculous IMO, I'm just not sure whether I'm ready to try the other methods suggested. Other than siphoning them out daily with Brandon's suggestion and your suggestion of watching and waiting, I don't know what else to do. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try though, as long as I don't see any of the corals I do have showing any signs of irritation, then I think I will have a go at manual removal and excercising other options until I have no other choice.

A six-line wrasse is one of the fish I was thinking about however that does mess up my stocking line up, as that fish was going to be one of the last ones in, but if all else fails, I will go ahead and add one later on to help.

Here are some pictures-
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/572/20308flatworm_closeup.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/572/20308flatworms_again.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/572/20308flatworms.jpg

[thedogofwar]

flatworm exit is more than just described as "REEF SAFE" , it has been proven as such IMO.

The wrasse and dragonets are hit/miss anyway and most say it won't work. I was lucky enough that mine devoured the suckers.