I think I finally have flatworms

[tuggerlake26]

All these years I have lucked out, but I finally think it's caughten up to me.

I came home from work today and noticed these dark brown tiny specs moving around my rock. I hasnt noticed any before.

Hard to get a pic. Do these look like rust brown flatworms?

 

[Dburr1014]

It looks like them. Are they moving?
Not hard to eradicate.

 

[tuggerlake26]

It looks like them. Are they moving?
Not hard to eradicate.

Yeah, they're moving around. Ive heard a coral banded shrimp can help? I don't know that I want to add any other fish.

 

[Dburr1014]

Yeah, they're moving around. Ive heard a coral banded shrimp can help? I don't know that I want to add any other fish.

Flatworm exit is easy to use and reef safe.
Lots of people use it with great results for this type.
Just have to suck out the ones you see before using it. But it doesnt look like you have to many.

 

[Rmckoy]

Flatworm exit can be bad if not used properly.

The dead need to be removed as they release a toxin .
Too many dead at once can nuke the whole system .

if you can get your hands on them , blue velvet nudibranch are natural predator . And a sure way to eradicate them .

 

[Dburr1014]

Flatworm exit can be bad if not used properly.

The dead need to be removed as they release a toxin .
Too many dead at once can nuke the whole system .

if you can get your hands on them , blue velvet nudibranch are natural predator . And a sure way to eradicate them .

Should remove any live flatworms before they die, before you use the product. It's on the label.
Read the instructions before use.
I am one not to use chemicals, only last resort. But these can get out of control.
Suck out all you can, use powerhead to reach some areas, dose, keep skimmer on with cup off until time is up. Water change and wet skim. And carbon, lots of carbon.

 

[Rmckoy]

Should remove any live flatworms before they die, before you use the product. It's on the label.
Read the instructions before use.
I am one not to use chemicals, only last resort. But these can get out of control.
Suck out all you can, use powerhead to reach some areas, dose, keep skimmer on with cup off until time is up. Water change and wet skim. And carbon, lots of carbon.

I am against using chemicals as well . I purchased flatworm exit but never used it .
I sucked out as many as I could daily for them to only return the next day.
I wanted a more natural way to get rip of them and tried many different fish including 2 six line wrasse , Mel wrasse , 2 Springeri damsels , none worked . Even the green mandarin is said to eat them but the amount it would eat is minimal compared to the amount I had .
I looked everywhere for blue velvet nudi and was finally able to find them .
i added 2 and left it alone sucking as many as I could see daily .
A few months later I was looking at my system and noticed they were all gone .
No chemicals , but perhaps a combination of all the natural predators ? Or was it strictly the blue velvet nudi that eradicated them ?

 

[sfin52]

Flatworm exit is easy to use and reef safe.
Lots of people use it with great results for this type.
Just have to suck out the ones you see before using it. But it doesnt look like you have to many.

Safe is a relatively loose term with fw exit. If not extremely careful can nuke a tank and than with being extremely careful can nuke a tank

 

[sfin52]

Should remove any live flatworms before they die, before you use the product. It's on the label.
Read the instructions before use.
I am one not to use chemicals, only last resort. But these can get out of control.
Suck out all you can, use powerhead to reach some areas, dose, keep skimmer on with cup off until time is up. Water change and wet skim. And carbon, lots of carbon.

And water for a couple 100% water changes.

 

[Dburr1014]

I am against using chemicals as well . I purchased flatworm exit but never used it .
I sucked out as many as I could daily for them to only return the next day.
I wanted a more natural way to get rip of them and tried many different fish including 2 six line wrasse , Mel wrasse , 2 Springeri damsels , none worked . Even the green mandarin is said to eat them but the amount it would eat is minimal compared to the amount I had .
I looked everywhere for blue velvet nudi and was finally able to find them .
i added 2 and left it alone sucking as many as I could see daily .
A few months later I was looking at my system and noticed they were all gone .
No chemicals , but perhaps a combination of all the natural predators ? Or was it strictly the blue velvet nudi that eradicated them ?

I get what you're saying. Natural is the best approach.
But you don't know what worked. Which was it? You may never know unless it's repeated numerous times by other reefers.
I used fwe and had immediate results and knew what worked right off the bat. Yes I was Altos nervous using it. But I watched the tank very closely and had everything I need in case I had to remove it fast.
Good luck op on whatever you decide to get them out.
Happy reefing.

 

[Rmckoy]

I get what you're saying. Natural is the best approach.
But you don't know what worked. Which was it? You may never know unless it's repeated numerous times by other reefers.
I used fwe and had immediate results and knew what worked right off the bat. Yes I was Altos nervous using it. But I watched the tank very closely and had everything I need in case I had to remove it fast.
Good luck op on whatever you decide to get them out.
Happy reefing.

What worked ?
I believe it was a combination between the nudi and the 3 other fish 2 damsels and 1 green mandarin

the six line was never seen , and the Mel wrasse was never seen picking at anything other than offered foods .

 

[Screwgunner]

I did everything I was supposed to do with flat worm exit. I had 2 pounds of activated charcoal . And water ready to change 30% there was alot more than I thought in my rock. Changed water put carbon in and fired up the skimmer. In The morning everything was dead except my clown fish. I probably would have been ok but my air way on my skimmer got clogged with salt creep. And was not getting near anouph air.

 

[ChiCity]

I am against using chemicals as well . I purchased flatworm exit but never used it .

i purchased fw exit too, and refuse to use it directly in my system…
i am still traumatized by a crash from years ago.
(followed instructions to the t!)


i still however find it to be a useful product…
nowadays,
i simply use it as a secondary dip for new frags.

 

[Rmckoy]

I did everything I was supposed to do with flat worm exit. I had 2 pounds of activated charcoal . And water ready to change 30% there was alot more than I thought in my rock. Changed water put carbon in and fired up the skimmer. In The morning everything was dead except my clown fish. I probably would have been ok but my air way on my skimmer got clogged with salt creep. And was not getting near anouph air.

I’m from the old way of reefing of not adding anything chemically that the need can’t be tested .

 

[Koh23]

Manual vacuming + natural predator (6line wrasse for example)....