Eradicating Flatworms

maitai123 · #1 03/29/2007, 11:18 AM

Folks,

I am starting to experience a growing problem with flatworms. They are getting worse, and now starting to cover a lot of my rock work. I blow them off my rock work every other day and try to keep a lot of them in suspension so the overflows can capture as much as possible.

Any ideas as to what I can use to get ride of them. My tank is full of coral, (hard and soft) as well as basic live rock.

I have a six line wrasse, assortment of damsels, and tangs. A few turbo snails and 4 very large hermit crabs.

Any help would be appreciated.

graveyardworm · #2 03/29/2007, 07:31 PM

Blowing them into the water isnt going to help. For every one you see there are probably two that you cant. Frequent daily even twice daily siphoning will knock their population back quickly. I use a length of 1/4 inch airline connected to a piece of rigid airline long enough to reach the bottom of the tank to get mine out. With enough persistance in short time you wont even know they are there anymore.

tankfly · #3 03/29/2007, 07:41 PM

Get Flatworm Exit made by Salifert. I have used it many times successfully.

graveyardworm · #4 03/29/2007, 08:00 PM

The reason I dont recommend using the FWE. The full extent of its effect on all other tank inhabitants is unknown. I have used it in the past just to have the flatworms return, even with a amall population of flatworms and following the instructions I still witnessed bristleworm and pod death. To the best of my knowledge many people have used it successfully or atleast reported its use to be successful. I have limited its use to frag trading in a seperate container to help ensure that I dont pass the flatworms along to others.

I should add that by siphoning like I described I have been able to erradicate the flatworms from a couple tanks, you just have to be very diligent.

maitai123 · #5 03/30/2007, 02:53 PM

Excellent! Thanks guys for your help.