Red flatworms

[trails]

Looking for ideas on how to biologically rid these pest. I've heard six line wrasses may work. Anyone have any ideas or experience getting rid of these. Worms are 3-5mm and are on live rock and sand bed where there's light on the bottom of the tank. I REALLY don't want to put the chemical extractor in the tank because I know as they die, they release poisons.


Thanks
Alan

 

[wicked demon]

dragonettes (scooter blenny, mandarins) eat them, and different wrasses, I have even seen hungry damsels eat them, most fish wont eat them if they are well fed from another source.

 

[Mochis]

I used a small siphon tube and sucked them right out. To finish the job I added a Mandarin. After maybe six months the fish was getting thin and I didn't see any flatworms so I gave him to the person I got the worms from he did the same and we are both free of them. I had to siphon several times but I didn't have to use any chemicals and I enjoyed the Mandarin. Let us know how you rid them. Good luck!

 

[gflat65]

IME, if you don't have them blanketing everything and you WC and change carbon afterward, there generally aren't any issues. I've seen tanks that looked like they were covered in coralline, but then I noticed the masses moving, realizing it was flatworms... I'd siphon all I could before treating in that instance.

I support the natural remedy, though. Mandarin's and many wrasses will pick flatworms and other pests. However, they should not be purchased exclusively for that purpose (and not given other nutrition). Mandarins and wrasses pick throughout the day, so they'll wipe them out, but be sure to feed them other foods, too. If you have a finicky mandarin that doesn't eat frozen and isn't getting enough from the tank, Selcon works as a good additive to food to get them interested. ArctiPods from Reef Nutrition are also generally accepted by everyone in my tanks.

 

[ironman]

ive never heard of a mandarin or wrasse eliminating a outbreak of flatworms? not to say it couldnt happen. Usually they will eat them, but cant eat fast enough to keep up. If you can cut the numbers down enough through siphoning and a wrasse or mandarins and then treat the tank. I would think you will have to treat the tank no matter what. But you are right, if there are alot they can wipe out a tank

 

[sleeper]

I have sucessfully used flatworm exit without any ill effects on my tank and I had quite a few. I also double dosed it cause they were strong little buggers but I then did a water change and carbon change. Good Luck, I tried all the other methods too, before I went to chemicals.