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View Full Version : Where can I buy flatworm-eating shrimp?


SunfishFun
07/07/2002, 02:22 PM
Black rail shrimp, Latreutes fucorum, Leander tenuicornis, Sargassum shrimp from Gulf of Mexico. Whatever people are calling them, I would like to get a hold of a few to see if they will eat my flatworms! Anybody know where to get them around here?
How about the nudibranch Chelidonura varians? Gave up trying to locate this little guy and know that slugs don't fare well in tanks anyway.
Would like to try the shrimp before fish, as they won't require a quarantine delay.

Thanks in advance!
-maureen

Reefer Dude
07/07/2002, 10:48 PM
http://www.captivereefadditives.com/cleancrit.html



This is all I could find as a starting point. They may be able to point you in the right direction. It looks like they are our of stock.

SunfishFun
07/08/2002, 10:54 AM
Thanks Justin, but I was hoping to pick some up locally and avoid shipping charges!

keithr
07/09/2002, 12:06 AM
I'd ask Eddie over at Tropical Paradise. He should be able to order for you.

darcitananda
07/09/2002, 08:22 PM
Hey,

I've been having a mysterious flatworm infestation suddenly too. Is it the weather, longer/warmer/brighter days? No idea where they came from. They're like the STD of reefing!

If anyone orders anything, let me know, maybe we can split costs up.

Cheers,

Darcy

SunfishFun
07/10/2002, 12:08 PM
Darcy -
I wasn't going to say anything in case people would find me rude or ungrateful, but my flatworms appeared right after last prop mtg. The new frags and live sand are the only additions I've had in months. Until now I have never thought about disease or nuisance critter transmission via corals or sand. Good topic to discuss IMO.

Would an iodine dip of corals prevent adding a problem like this to my tank again in the future? How will I be able to give away frags in the future if I have flatworms?

The STD analogy is pretty funny Darcy. Actually when I first joined the club I gave crabs to three guys right away, as well as to a guy at The Aquarium!

I'm busy until next week, when I'll restart my mission to locate the shrimp. I'll let everyone know what I come up with.

-maureen

Reefer Dude
07/10/2002, 02:26 PM
There are no flatworms in the live sand tanks. I will double check tonight just to make sure!

Tenner
07/15/2002, 10:35 AM
Hey all,

Most tanks have some flat worms. Under normal conditions they go unoticed, and unless you take a microscope to your rocks and sand you won't find them. They are kept in check by lack of an adequate food source or preditors.

They get passed around by trads, or frag meetings, and from LFS's.

I've had a massive outbreak in the past. I got rid of them by using a Mandarin Goby, the only problem with this routine is once they are all eaten the Goby can starv. Unless you get them on some sort of hand feed diet or your tank is big enough and established enough to have sufficient live food sources, worms, amphopods, shrimp...etc.

I never noticed my flat worm outbreak cause any damage, they were just ugly.

Thanks
Matthew

mobert
07/26/2002, 06:14 PM
Maureen,

I've got flatwoms too. I've never seen them in the main reef but a couple of nights ago my sister saw one in the refugium. This morning I found 4. Does the population explode? Will I see 16 tomorrow and 64 the next day?

I have the white ghost looking ones that are rectangular at one end and round at the other with a yellow center. They are about 3/16" of an inch long. There's a picture of what it looks like in this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100382&highlight=flat+worm+or+flatworm

and:

http://www.rshimek.com/images/flatworm%20composite1.jpg

Mona