Using Flatworm Exit

[TheEngineer]

Something seems to be chewing on some of my zoas. I'm going to guess zoa eating nudi. I caught one on a frag a few months back and thought I got it. I even tossed the frag in the sump to isolate it and ultimately lost the frag.

It started with one frag where a couple polyps looked chewed on. Then another frag about a 8" away started looking the same. I pulled them both earlier this week and did freshwater dips. I pulled some things off, but they didn't look like nudis to me. I didn't see any eggs either. Last night I noticed another frag is now showing the same signs.

I'm thinking about using flatworm exit to attack the problem. The question is whether or not to use it in the tank or as a dip. I'm concerned this could be widespread already. I did have some berghia nudibranchs in there, but I haven't seen them in weeks and I'm pretty sure they're all dead.

 

[jboone82590]

Following along.
I hope you can figure this out quick

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

#reefsquad, any of you guys got some thoughts on this?

 

[melypr1985]

I'd probably start pulling all zoas out for dips. There are several out there to try. You'll probably have to do this several times. I'm not sure about what else to do. I should probably leave this one to the others. Good luck with it! I'll follow along and see if I can learn something new.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

heres melevs walk through.
http://www.melevsreef.com/node/651

if your going to go the dip route it will be dip wait dip wait. youll still have to pull frags and look for eggs. so it wont matter what dip you use.

by munching do you mean slowly shrinking and disappearing? that nudi's. you should be able too look and see a 100 sucking the sap outa you zoas if it is them.

 

[Sabellafella]

Something seems to be chewing on some of my zoas. I'm going to guess zoa eating nudi. I caught one on a frag a few months back and thought I got it. I even tossed the frag in the sump to isolate it and ultimately lost the frag.

It started with one frag where a couple polyps looked chewed on. Then another frag about a 8" away started looking the same. I pulled them both earlier this week and did freshwater dips. I pulled some things off, but they didn't look like nudis to me. I didn't see any eggs either. Last night I noticed another frag is now showing the same signs.

I'm thinking about using flatworm exit to attack the problem. The question is whether or not to use it in the tank or as a dip. I'm concerned this could be widespread already. I did have some berghia nudibranchs in there, but I haven't seen them in weeks and I'm pretty sure they're all dead.

The berghias you may not see for a few weeks but their there(unless you have picky wrasses) try using it as a dip first before you decide to go a whole tank treatment just for some security

 

[TheEngineer]

A dip isn't really feasible. The frags are all encrusted to the rocks.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Go

A dip isn't really feasible. The frags are all encrusted to the rocks.

got it.
If you have or can have anacess to a camera a macro may really help. I have lots of lenses. The nudis stack up around a couple of polyps as juveniles And are sap suckers After the egg phase. About twenty days or so in between egg hatches.
They disappear after that and just pop up as adults on the class. That's when the wrasses get them and you want to hit them with fwe. But you have to prep the tank for the hit by making sure the entire worm population isn't too high as you have to deal with the toxins they release all at once. Any by kill really but worms and snails are really bad.
Then it's a big water change and carbon in a canister filter.
Twent days later hit it again. Or not.

Nudi eradication or manage ment.
I honestly think most folks actually are dealing with management more than they know or realize. Just like ick.

So depending on the population you could just choose a good wrasse too.

 

[TheEngineer]

I've been thinking about a wrasse. I'd need to buy a cover for my tank too. I will also need to QT whatever I get so I want to do something before then.

I'll try and snap a pic later. I don't have a macro lens but I have extension tubes that sometimes work.

 

[TheEngineer]

and what's the right kind of wrasse? I really like melanurus but I don't know if one would be ok with the black sand I have. It is coarse grained.

 

[TheEngineer]

Did a bit of reading and looks like a yellow corris wrasse is a better bet. Haven't had one before.

 

[NanoDJS]

and what's the right kind of wrasse? I really like melanurus but I don't know if one would be ok with the black sand I have. It is coarse grained.

Yes this is the guy !!! I cannot have frag tanks without one

But that yellow guy wow hes cool I have never seen one though

 

[TheEngineer]

I need to get a better lens, badly. Here's the best I can do, I can only get up to 55mm with the lenses I have. I think you can tell which one appears to have been chewed on. That's open and missing all of the lashes.

 

[mfinn]

I've used FWE as a whole tank treatment in the past.
It takes 2-3 times to get newly hatched nudibranchs.
It is very hard on other inverts

 

[TheEngineer]

I've used FWE as a whole tank treatment in the past.
It takes 2-3 times to get newly hatched nudibranchs.
It is very hard on other inverts

I've read the dose has to be pretty high. I only have a couple hermits and a few astrae snails in there. There is the possibility that the berghias are in there, but given my aiptasia population is still out of bounds, I'm starting to doubt it more and more. I also have a clam, not sure if that would be affected.

How does the image look to you? You're pretty into zoas too, right?

 

[mfinn]

I've read the dose has to be pretty high. I only have a couple hermits and a few astrae snails in there. There is the possibility that the berghias are in there, but given my aiptasia population is still out of bounds, I'm starting to doubt it more and more. I also have a clam, not sure if that would be affected.

The clam is not one critter I would want to put through the FWE tank treatment. I used 4-5 x the recommended strength on the box.
I'm sure berghias would be a victim.
The mini brittle stars were what I noticed most when I did it to my tank.
They seemed to all come out and gather in a big ball. Alot of them died.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I need to get a better lens, badly. Here's the best I can do, I can only get up to 55mm with the lenses I have. I think you can tell which one appears to have been chewed on. That's open and missing all of the lashes.

I dunno. That's a pretty good lens there.

I don't see any on the stalks though. That's wher they attach.
Have you seen any adults on the glasss or colonies?
The adults glow the color of what zoa the eat so you might see them with the blues on

The big reason to know of course what bug it is the choice of poison.
Spiders are stupid small and you'd use interceptor.

 

[TheEngineer]

I've seen the nudis before and I pulled another colony that looks like this one and did not see any. What else eats the lashes like that?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've seen the nudis before and I pulled another colony that looks like this one and did not see any. What else eats the lashes like that?

I don't know. Not sure if it's actually eaten or withdrawn.
But if you've seen them then there you have it.

 

[TheEngineer]

It's definitely eaten.