Lion reef has flatworms :(

[ReefCAKE]

So my softie reef has a infestation of planaria flatworms. I really need to get a hold of them as its starting to affect some of the corals. I am very apprehensive to use flatworm exit with my fuzzies in the tank..... Any advise?

 

[Hemmdog]

Flatworm exit

 

[xaflatoonx]

So crazy ironic.
I came to the site to post about this.

can you share pic of what you see?

sharing what I am seeing on the tank.

 

[lion king]

I am so paranoid about using any chemicals with my lions. I have seen too many unexplained deaths a year or so after lions being exposed to almost all meds, with the exception of prazi pro. i don't have any direct experience with flatworm exit, but if any other fish has been know to be affected, I'll bet you that a lion will, and I have heard of other species like tangs being adversely affected.

 

[ReefCAKE]

I am so paranoid about using any chemicals with my lions. I have seen too many unexplained deaths a year or so after lions being exposed to almost all meds, with the exception of prazi pro. i don't have any direct experience with flatworm exit, but if any other fish has been know to be affected, I'll bet you that a lion will, and I have heard of other species like tangs being adversely affected.

My exact thoughts..... Well I have a power filter with cycled biomedia that I think I will stick on a temp tank for the lions while i treat the display for flatworms.

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

You could also add a wrasse from the genus Hailchoeres to eat the flatworms instead of using meds

 

[AmaleeC]

You could also add a wrasse from the genus Hailchoeres to eat the flatworms instead of using meds

I was going to say this! +1

 

[serwobow]

My flatworms all disappeared when I removed the sand and detritus. Flatworms are predators and removing their food, which generally is very small creatures that grow in dirty substrate, will lead their population to decline.

 

[ApoIsland]

My flatworms all disappeared when I removed the sand and detritus. Flatworms are predators and removing their food, which generally is very small creatures that grow in dirty substrate, will lead their population to decline.

not sure sand is the issue. I have a sump with no sand at all and still had red flatworms covering the glass for years. I put a file fish in quarantine down there and they were gone in 2 days.

 

[vetteguy53081]

These look like acoel. Best first method is to siphon as many as possible. Lunare or melanurus wrasse should eat them as well as a blue velver nudibranch.
Last resort is Flatworm exit but dead ones can release toxins so again be sure to siphon up.

 

[Jeeperz]

I didn't think acoel flatworms were toxic like planaria? The ones in the pic shown above came into my qt tank on a reef cleaners order. They appear only on the glass. My nano got these when I first set it up. Removed all fish and inverts and used pig dewormer. Flatworm exit at over double doses did nothing.

 

[ReefCAKE]

Thanks for all the input. I ended up moving the tank to a slightly bigger one. During this move I isolated the lions in the new tank and nuked all the live rock and coral with flatworm exit. Hopefully this worked.