Flatworm exit

[STACKER]

Oh Lord! I siphoned well over 500 from a 12 gal. nano, then added 12 drops. Within 15 min. flatworms, bristle worms, a few large pods, and several snails were dead. I ran a power filter with carbon and siphoned out all floaters and hangers I could get, and changed 5 gal. after 1 hr. That was yesterday. This AM all of the snails are toast, more pods toast, and the corals are NOT happy. another 5 gal. change this AM. I haven't seen the pistol shrimp or Goby, I
m thinking the flatworm gut juice I wasn't able to remove/avoid may have killed them too. Now I wish I hadn't killed the flatworms, sheesh!

[doody]

Wow, sorry to hear! Any update on this? BTW, did you use the recomended amount. I noticed a couple of these guys in my tank after getting some frags from you. Your tank got the cooties.
All kiddin aside, hope everythings ok.

[zzpw3x]

I have used Flatworm Exit before with no ill effects, as well as at 3x and 4x the recommended dosage to kill those tough ones. You must have had alot in there! If I were you doody, I would use the FE now before they multiply too much - it is easier to kill a few than a whole tank, and less risky.

BTW, I guess I should clarify, I had no losses, and some flatworms survived so I still have them. The flatworms and I have come to and understanding that I will continue to siphon them out during water changes an I will continue to tolerate a limited number of them.

Dale

[STACKER]

Ok, after a week now the cloves pulled thru, green polyps are opening daily, stars and finger look great. Frogspawn may or maynot make it, it doesn't look good but what didn't waste is now about 5 days on. The goby and the pistol are fine. I lost a dozen snails, a load of bristle worms (one monster about 4" long) and 100% of those damn flatworms. Seems that the shear number of flatworms i was unable to siphon out hit the tank but my efforts to minimize the impact was highly successful.

Nuke'em! you can siphon them out practically daily but they multiply like wabbitz.

[Steven Pro]

Originally posted by STACKER
Nuke'em! you can siphon them out practically daily but they multiply like wabbitz. Only given the right conditions. I have a low level infestation. It starts to blossom when it is time for me to clean my pumps and do a water change. Once I do that, their numbers drop dramatically.

[deepbluesea99]

i think the best defense is a good offense flatworm exit should be used as a precaution with every new addition to the tank as a preventitive measure like say a freshwater dip for zoos.these guys are like to cooties if you swap you are probly going to be exposed to them.not to scare people off trading corals just take some precautions.

[deepbluesea99]

oh also if you are getting something like zoos or leathers that can close up a good freshwater dip will wipe the little buggers out to.

[Steven Pro]

That is why I push the idea of quarantine so hard including corals,
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

[STACKER]

Quarantine works well yes, but some os us don't have room for QT. I wish I did but... This was my first flatworm problem and I learned a few things. Next time I'll spend alot more time siphoning the suckers out and do major water change after 30 min. instead for 3-4 hrs. That salifert stuff kills most of them in 15 min. so after 30 it's probably good to get the water change moving and suck the floaters out ASAP.

[hookedonfish]

I can feel your pain Stacker, I lost two fish in the 180 a few months ago. I thought that I had a few hundred flatworms until I added the FW Exit and then realized after they started to die that there numbers were closer to a thousand. I siphoned like crazy, 30 gal water change and ran carbon but still lost the two fish. I now dip everything in either FW or Lugols.

[STACKER]

Ya, now I dislike flatworms more than aptasia! LOL

[doody]

Stacker, got any of that exit stuff left over? Like zzpw3x said, I should probably get rid of the few I have now before they get to be too many.

[STACKER]

Ask Rich! He gave it to me and I plan to return it to him soon... BTW, did you copy that DVD yet? Someone else wants to see it and burn a copy.

[doody]

Yup, all copied. I'll bring it to the meeting.

[STACKER]

Go figger, seems as though out PC at home has a DVD burner. LOL goes to show how much I use is huh?