flatworm exit - has me nervous!

Brian S · Mar 17, 2018

thanks for your time!

i have red planaria - i dont think i wait any longer to treat.

i plan to treat with salifert's flatworm exit. I've been reading alot - seems like it has worked for as many as it has hurt.

if i can catch the fish in my display tank, would it be worth doing that to help reduce the risk of death or would the stress of capture and 24 hours in a 5 gallon bucket be worse?

kole tang
2 clown
1 ywg - he's gonna be the most difficult.

Crabs McJones · Mar 17, 2018

Lets see if anyone might have an answer, i've never used it personally. But I know a couple of good folks who may know the answer

#reefsquad @KJ

Lasse · Mar 17, 2018

The best remedy for these red planaria (photosynthetic) IMO is spelled Scooter Blenny

Sincerely Lasse

KJ · Mar 17, 2018

I've never had to deal with them personally sorry. @saltyfilmfolks

Brian S · Mar 17, 2018

thanks all!

ive read about many species of fish that are supposed to control them - but it seems hit or miss. plus i don't think i should wait the 4-6 week qt period to treat.

uhgster1 · Mar 17, 2018

I used it in my JBJ28. I treated it two times and I dipped my coral with the left over. I didn’t have any problems. BUT, you have to do a good water change (50%+) afterwards. The treatment doesn’t hurt your aquarium, it’s the dead flatworms releasing toxins after they die. Treat the tank once, water change about 20 minutes later and retreat the aquarium a few days later to catch the stragglers. It completely eradicated any flatworms I had.

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 17, 2018

Lasse said:
The best remedy for these red planaria (photosynthetic) IMO is spelled Scooter Blenny

Sincerely Lasse

+1. Or 100. Also green spotted dragonette. It’s a bit more aggressive if the tank mates are territorial. Ime.

uhgster1 said:
I used it in my JBJ28. I treated it two times and I dipped my coral with the left over. I didn’t have any problems. BUT, you have to do a good water change (50%+) afterwards. The treatment doesn’t hurt your aquarium, it’s the dead flatworms releasing toxins after they die. Treat the tank once, water change about 20 minutes later and retreat the aquarium a few days later to catch the stragglers. It completely eradicated any flatworms I had.

+1 as well.

The concern is in established tanks with a LOT of them or a lot of other microfauna. In a smaller it’s about volume of water. So toxins and ammonia are the concern.

Water changes , a canister filter or reactor with activated carbon are reccomended for both removal of the FWE , and to mitigate the die off ammonia spikes.

Not super hard but yea , nerve racking.

So yea. Choice is eradication or management.

kireek · Mar 17, 2018

You will want to siphon out as many as you can manually before treatment.Take you time, do a through job and the fish should be okay.If you decide to use a canister filter be certain to keep it clean.A hang on the back filter with filter pads will help collect some of the worms and be easier to rinse out.Here is awesome read by one of our sponsors-

http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-to-eliminate-flatworms-red-planaria