red flatworms

cutting · #1 10/14/2004, 06:01 PM

i have red flat worms any answers to if they are bad or how to get rid of them? i would appreciate it

SOMEthinsFISHY · #2 10/14/2004, 06:37 PM

now u will have to find some blue and some white ones !

Hedonist · #3 10/14/2004, 07:38 PM

I had said I would check Calfos book for you on what he had to say.. basically you can siphon or manually pick them out with tweezers etc... increase the flo and skimming.. they will usualy die off after a while ( few months of peaking) and you can also try a wrasse but they need a good supply of food (refugium) etc.. where your tank is smaller and has no fish anyway, I would not go that route....

Denise

SaltyDogg · #4 10/14/2004, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hedonist
I had said I would check Calfos book for you on what he had to say.. basically you can siphon or manually pick them out with tweezers etc... increase the flo and skimming.. they will usualy die off after a while ( few months of peaking) and you can also try a wrasse but they need a good supply of food (refugium) etc.. where your tank is smaller and has no fish anyway, I would not go that route....

Denise

good luck with this approach, haven't heard of anyone beating it with this combo yet (totally gone I mean). Alot of people including myself have had good success with a product called Flatworm Exit......its made in Holand and of the 3 times that I have used it (one on my first tank and two times on other peoples tanks) I have had total success at getting ride of them...I am pretty sure I have one box of it left here if you are interested.....

Bryan

Hedonist · #5 10/15/2004, 07:23 AM

Calfo did not say it would totally irradicate them and I did not mean to imply that, .. that would be really labor intensive and next to impossible He also said these were preyyt common

His approach is to not use chemicals.. kinda organic if you will... I gather his theory is that the flat worm chemicals could harm other beneifcial orgamisms.....

I personally am leary of adding stuff like that to the main tank... a dip of individuals would be different IMO

Denise

cowsbark2 · #6 10/15/2004, 09:35 AM

I have had good luck using a madarine to get rid of them. But a sixline should also do the trick. I have heard of many people having great success with flatworm exit. One caution though, flat worms are poisonous when they die so it is can be important, depending on water volume and infestation size to do a water change after using a chem product like flat worm exit to remove the dead ones.

SaltyDogg · #7 10/15/2004, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cowsbark2
I have had good luck using a madarine to get rid of them. But a sixline should also do the trick. I have heard of many people having great success with flatworm exit. One caution though, flat worms are poisonous when they die so it is can be important, depending on water volume and infestation size to do a water change after using a chem product like flat worm exit to remove the dead ones.

I agree with you cowsbark2 and if I remember correctly all of that information is covered by the directions that are given with the Flatworm Exit......

If anyone knows of a way to get rid of them totally without using Flatworm Exit, please give me a link to that information.

Bryan

SOMEthinsFISHY · #8 10/15/2004, 05:49 PM

bryan i read some where if u drain the entire tank they go away !

smtarr · #9 10/15/2004, 07:35 PM

Kinda off the subject but............. when have you guys EVER known me to stay ON the subject! :-))) Anyhoo, I bought a six-line wrasse to counter my bristle worm problem and she's constantly poking around the LR, sand and corals for little critters. Do any of you know if six line wrasses are obligate feeders? Just a thought, since some wrasses are. Sue