Aptasia, Flatworms, and Mantis

[cutting]

Well the battle has begun, I've started injecting the aptasia with a liguid calcium supplement and an insulin needle. The ones that I was able to reach have not shown themselves since they recieved their "shots."

Tried using a bottle and bait for the mantis, but all I caught was a big bristle worm. So now I've moved the rockwork around to take away any caves outside individual rocks.

And no change in the flatworms...

[Hedonist]

Aptasia, flatworms and mantis.... OH MY!!!!

Good luck Chris! Let us know your progress!

Denise

[cutting]

got a peppermint shrimp yesterday, as of this morning hes still alive, so maybe theres no mantis (at least thats what im hoping for) so the aptasia might be gone soon with the new addition.

As far as the flatworms go, ive been siphoning them off, using a coffee filter to catch them and returning the water back to the tank. Its only managing the flatworm population at this point. But if the shrimp makes it there might be a mandarin or six line wrasse added soon.

Chris

[smtarr]

Chris, I don't think the mantis will bother your shrimp, at least mine never did, dont think he could catch them. Mine only bothered snails, and small sand borrowing fish like firefish and skooter blenny (really skooter mandarin) Soooo, I wouldn't recommend the mandarin if you think you may have a mantis, but mine never bothered my six-line wrasse. I think the wrasse may be a better bet to control the flat worms anyway. Just my opinion, good luck. Sue

[cutting]

we just added 2 more peppermint shrimp last night, and all but 4 aptasia remain. we added the 2 new guys because the one we had before wasnt touching the aptasia, so now we have 3 of the lil guys.

[Hedonist]

How is your population of flatworms coming? How did you treat that?

Hope you had a good visit while you were home!

Denise

[cutting]

populations under control... plan on getting a sixline wrassee soon.. i have a black cap bassalet shes a beauty

[Hedonist]

How are you treating the flatworms? Glad to hear they are getting under control!

I love black caps, I tried to keep one twice but they never made it.. Penny held the third but lost it in the shop... they are hard to get out of their habitat safely.. I under stand they live at deeper depths and have a hard time equalzing....

Good luck with yours!
denise

[spotfin]

Noticed a few (3) flatworms in my tank here at work. They seem to live on the glass on the front of the tank. Noticed one yesterday on the glass with the front half of its body raised up. A copepod approached the flatworm and the worm came down on top of the copepod and ate it. I didn't know they ate bugs.
Jason

[cutting]

Originally posted by Hedonist
Hope you had a good visit while you were home!

Denise

visit was great, had a lot of fun, mostly doing nothing, which was a great change of pace.

Chris

[Hedonist]

Jason what color are your flatworms.. I occasionally see a white spcs in my tank, at one time they were more numerous. Accoding to what I have heard they are harmless, it is the red ones we should really watch for..... It is cool to watch them eat... they kinda go on the side of the tank and sweep and scoop small bugs in with what I guess I have to call a small hood type thing? Anyway , fun to watch...

I also have notices what I would guess to be small starfish on the side of the tank also... only thier arms are not elongated.... and several are just stubbs and the others are one step above stubbs if ya know what I mean... the whole thing is about 4-5 cm.
Kinda wonder what these are

Glad you enjoyed your R&R Chris!
denise

[cutting]

did your starfish look like these:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm

[Hedonist]

Pretty much! Wonder how it found it's way into my tank... guessing a leg was on a pc of LR... it's amazinf what seems to appear out of no where!

I seem to have seen what looks like another plate coral growing on the side of my overflow box of my tube anemone tank... pretty amazing... this is the second one I have found growing!

Denise

[spotfin]

The flatworms are olive colored, with a little orange dot on one end. The largest one is about 3 mm long.
Good score on the starfish!
Jason

[cutting]

I've had them in my tanks before, got mixed results on if they were ok or bad, never got a conclusive answer anywhere. but from what i saw they never really bothered anything.

[cutting]

got a six line wrasse hes a beauty but being pushed around by the bassalet shes furious i feel bad cuz i could really use him... well i hope he makes it thorough the night

[cutting]

Heres the latest on the tank:

-Blackcapped Basslet didnt make it
-Six-line didnt touch the flatworms
-The apitasia is gone thanks to the peppermint shrimp
-No mantis
-And flatworms are being poisoned at this time (flatworm exit)

So hopefully in a week or so there will be no more signs of flatworms.

[Hedonist]

Bummer on the black cap... they really are cool but they seem to be really delicate for some reason.. not sure if it is cause the come from the deep and were not properly brought up or what

I also had a bout with the flat worms recently.... luckily I think I caught them before they got about of control... for a couple of wks or so I sucked them out , at least 2x a day... have not seen any for a few wks now......


what is your next addition to your tank?

Denise

[cutting]

Well, for now the tank is pretty much stocked to the max. Ran out of room to put things. But once I get a place in Vandenberg i will probably be setting up one of my larger tanks, hopefully Tanya will fall for....er...talk her into letting me setup the 75gal.

Oh yeah, apparently the flatworms have been eradicated...as far as Tanya can tell, and everything seemed unaffected by the treatment.

Chris