Need your advice!

[Dilan Patel]

So just today I noticed a few red planaria on my frag tank glass ughhh. I think rn the only way I must have introduced it was from a maricultured coral I added about 2 weeks ago. The coral was dipped but I did not remove the base even though I scrubbed it, the eggs must have not been completely removed. I havent seen many on my front glass as I suspect my copperband and 6 line is getting to them first. I am going to try and find another 6 line to put in the frag tank as well as a target mandarin as the pod population in both tanks is booming. I guess this is one of those few instances that even though I scrub every coral and dip with coral rx that something slips through my grasp. I have ordered flatworm exit as I do not want this outbreak to get worse. I just did a siphon to see how many I could suck out which I did not see a lot in the filter sock. This wouldn't be a huge issue but I just added berghia nudis to my sump to help wipe out the remaining aiptasia in my tank (the Main display has been clean for a minimum a year). I would hate to dose this stuff and kill them. What are my best options to eradicate this pest? And to those who have bought from me your corals should all be clean as I believe I haven't sold to anybody since I added that maricultured acro. I always scrub and rinse any corals before bagging so that + my recommendation of dipping your corals should highly reduce your corals risk to the flatworms. This is the reason I am now halting all coral sales until I eradicate this issue. When I sell corals I want to put you in the best position to succeed and offer as best to my knowledge pest free corals. I hate that I have to report this aas my tank was just getting back to normal and I have a nice sized order of corals coming in Tuesday. The good thing is as long as I stay on top of this pest and get some help on what I should do I think I can beat it soon.

 

[GoVols]

I would "NOT" (edit) feel safe to dose the flatworm exit with your nudis

try a melanurus wrasse

 

[vetteguy53081]

Siphon up as many as you can. Siphon into a filter sock, stocking or similar.
You can utilize a lunare or melanurus wrasse or even a blue velvet nudibranch to get rid of them.
Flatworm exit also works but you must be careful using it. They will kill your coral by smothering them and its the eggs of them that contains toxins which does the damage.

 

[GoVols]

Siphon up as many as you can. Siphon into a filter sock, stocking or similar.
You can utilize a lunare or melanurus wrasse or even a blue velvet nudibranch to get rid of them. Flatworm exit also works but you must be careful using it. They will kill your coral by smothering them and its the eggs of them that contains toxins which does the damage.

lol

Had to edit my post to NOT dose FE with the nudis.

 

[Dilan Patel]

I would "NOT" (edit) feel safe to dose the flatworm exit with your nudis

try a melanurus wrasse

I would go melenarus but my frag tank is only 8in deep and has no sand. Thats why Im going to go with a 6 line...so im going fishing in my other tank to get him out lol.

 

[Dilan Patel]

Siphon up as many as you can. Siphon into a filter sock, stocking or similar.
You can utilize a lunare or melanurus wrasse or even a blue velvet nudibranch to get rid of them. Flatworm exit also works but you must be careful using it. They will kill your coral by smothering them and its the eggs of them that contains toxins which does the damage.

I did a quick siphon in the frag tank. I don't see many in the main display which is great as I hope the 6 line is keeping them in check. I thought the flatworm exit did not kill eggs? Thats why you do multiple doses like 2-3 days apart? I thought the adult flatworms are toxic when they die?

 

[GoVols]

If you did not have the nudis in play, here's a good link

How to eliminate Flatworms (Red Planaria) | Melev's Reef

Small reddish-rust colored creatures may already be in your tank. Or you may buy a coral and they'll appear as hitchhikers later. They may appear on the glass/acrylic, on the substrate, or on live rock. Due to their extremely thin bodies, they are called flatworms correctly. They appear almost...

www.melevsreef.com

 

[Dilan Patel]

The timing is impecable lol. I wouldn't be so worried about these flatworms if I didnt just drop $ on nudis. I want to reduce the number as much as possible by predators(when they eat them do they not release toxins) and that should give my nudis enough time to eat all aiptasia. Than I will treat with flatworm exit.

 

[Dilan Patel]

If you did not have the nudis in play, here's a good link

How to eliminate Flatworms (Red Planaria) | Melev's Reef

Small reddish-rust colored creatures may already be in your tank. Or you may buy a coral and they'll appear as hitchhikers later. They may appear on the glass/acrylic, on the substrate, or on live rock. Due to their extremely thin bodies, they are called flatworms correctly. They appear almost...

www.melevsreef.com

Thats where I got my idea, I trust his advice learned a lot from him...seems like almost everybody is bound to get them its just how aggressive are you at eliminating them.

 

[GoVols]

The timing is impecable lol. I wouldn't be so worried about these flatworms if I didnt just drop $ on nudis. I want to reduce the number as much as possible by predators(when they eat them do they not release toxins) and that should give my nudis enough time to eat all aiptasia. Than I will treat with flatworm exit.

#reefsqaud

 

[madweazl]

I had a lot of them in my 75g and honestly, they never bugged any of the corals (especially loved a turbinaria. That tank had a sixline and a copperband and I never saw either touch them. I would vacuum the visible worms out of the tank during my weekly water change but never made a huge effort to wipe them out. Personally, it just wasn't an issue for me but I can understand wanting to rid the system of them.

When I started transferring items to the 150g, I did treat it with Flatworm Exit. It worked pretty well and I got most with the first treatment. I ran a ton of carbon like recommended afterwards but there was still a noticeable effect to the fish (didnt observe any response from the acropora that I can recall). That tank still has a number of them in it and I may hit it again in the future.

 

[Dilan Patel]

I had a lot of them in my 75g and honestly, they never bugged any of the corals (especially loved a turbinaria. That tank had a sixline and a copperband and I never saw either touch them. I would vacuum the visible worms out of the tank during my weekly water change but never made a huge effort to wipe them out. Personally, it just wasn't an issue for me but I can understand wanting to rid the system of them.

When I started transferring items to the 150g, I did treat it with Flatworm Exit. It worked pretty well and I got most with the first treatment. I ran a ton of carbon like recommended afterwards but there was still a noticeable effect to the fish (didnt observe any response from the acropora that I can recall). That tank still has a number of them in it and I may hit it again in the future.

Thats funny because I just watched a MR saltwater tank video on 6line being by far the most effective predator. I may have to watch it again and make sure I understood correctly. Guess they all have specific personalities. Honestly I don't mind having them but I sell coral...I do not want to sell coral if I have something that could cause others problem. That is why I need to eradicate them.

 

[GoVols]

I had a lot of them in my 75g and honestly, they never bugged any of the corals (especially loved a turbinaria. That tank had a sixline and a copperband and I never saw either touch them. I would vacuum the visible worms out of the tank during my weekly water change but never made a huge effort to wipe them out. Personally, it just wasn't an issue for me but I can understand wanting to rid the system of them.

When I started transferring items to the 150g, I did treat it with Flatworm Exit. It worked pretty well and I got most with the first treatment. I ran a ton of carbon like recommended afterwards but there was still a noticeable effect to the fish (didnt observe any response from the acropora that I can recall). That tank still has a number of them in it and I may hit it again in the future.

Would you let his berghia nudis finnish off his aiptasia, then focus on the flatworms?

 

[madweazl]

Thats funny because I just watched a MR saltwater tank video on 6line being by far the most effective predator. I may have to watch it again and make sure I understood correctly. Guess they all have specific personalities. Honestly I don't mind having them but I sell coral...I do not want to sell coral if I have something that could cause others problem. That is why I need to eradicate them.

He addressed acro eating flatworms, not red planaria.

Edit: This doesnt mean there is no chance of them eating the red planaria but mine didn't make an observable difference.

 

[madweazl]

Would you let his berghia nudis finnish off his aiptasia, then focus on the flatworms?

Certainly no reason to potentially kill the nudibranch(s) (I dont know if Flatworm Exit will affect that species or not).

 

[GoVols]

Certainly no reason to potentially kill the nudibranch(s) (I dont know if Flatworm Exit will affect that species or not).

The dying flatworm's toxins (among others things) might kill the nudis, with FE.

If it's no big deal, I'd let the nudis do their job / then treat the flatworms.

 

[Dilan Patel]

The dying flatworm's toxins (among others things) might kill the nudis, with FE.

If it's no big deal, I'd let the nudis do their job / then treat the flatworms.

Thats what I was thinking. I will try and get my hands on a target mandarin but its kinda hard now with this epidemic going on.

 

[GoVols]

Thats what I was thinking. I will try and get my hands on a target mandarin but its kinda hard now with this epidemic going on.

Yeah,
The Aquatic Critter is doing a call in with drive by pickup.

Good luck!!

 

[murphys_aquatics]

So just today I noticed a few red planaria on my frag tank glass ughhh. I think rn the only way I must have introduced it was from a maricultured coral I added about 2 weeks ago. The coral was dipped but I did not remove the base even though I scrubbed it, the eggs must have not been completely removed. I havent seen many on my front glass as I suspect my copperband and 6 line is getting to them first. I am going to try and find another 6 line to put in the frag tank as well as a target mandarin as the pod population in both tanks is booming. I guess this is one of those few instances that even though I scrub every coral and dip with coral rx that something slips through my grasp. I have ordered flatworm exit as I do not want this outbreak to get worse. I just did a siphon to see how many I could suck out which I did not see a lot in the filter sock. This wouldn't be a huge issue but I just added berghia nudis to my sump to help wipe out the remaining aiptasia in my tank (the Main display has been clean for a minimum a year). I would hate to dose this stuff and kill them. What are my best options to eradicate this pest? And to those who have bought from me your corals should all be clean as I believe I haven't sold to anybody since I added that maricultured acro. I always scrub and rinse any corals before bagging so that + my recommendation of dipping your corals should highly reduce your corals risk to the flatworms. This is the reason I am now halting all coral sales until I eradicate this issue. When I sell corals I want to put you in the best position to succeed and offer as best to my knowledge pest free corals. I hate that I have to report this aas my tank was just getting back to normal and I have a nice sized order of corals coming in Tuesday. The good thing is as long as I stay on top of this pest and get some help on what I should do I think I can beat it soon.

Hello, I had them. A six line did not work. Or copperband that I think I read somewhere. The only fish that worked for me was a baby melanurus wrasse. Once it got so big it lost interest. And also it never totally got rid of them. Once that fish was removed they gradually came back.
So on was the next treatment. I bought one of the velvet nudi that are suppose to eat flatworms. Here's the catch,,,, they cannot tolerate even what I would say to be medium flow. That thing was all over the place.
Now I'm in the same situation just added Berghia to control aptasia. I would try the exit if I didn't have those...lol following along and adding my 2 cents

 

[Dilan Patel]

So I decided I will FE my tank tomorrow...I am currently preparing at least 40Gallons of saltwater guessing I have about 200G total liquid Im going to try for 50 or so. I will suck out as many as I can see today and will get up late at night to see if I can catch my nudis if not I guess I will take the loss or Pray they make it. I will run 2 full canisters of BRS dual chamber reactor of carbon. Should I keep my skimmer going as the medication is in the tank or once I start the water change? I will hopefully get another bottle of flatworm exit next week to do a second treatment to knock out the hatchlings but I might just use the rest of the bottle 2 days later IDK yet. Im just going to leave everything where it is and Pray for the best. Im thinking I caught this early enough that they haven't had a chance to overpopulate my system yet. I will try and suction as many out as possible once I see them dying. Anyone know the life cycle for these guys? Does this medication kill eggs?