[fishgeeksrus]

Unfortunately, I just found the start of flatworms in one of our tanks. I am trying not to be completed discusted. I searched the threads for this and found a lot of different things. Some of the different things were...syphoning, use of flatworm exit, use of different fish... some of threads were old. These seem to be just starting. Can someone please tell me what we should do the stop these?

[Reefland]

Yup, definitely a case of Red Planaria there. Your best bet is natural predation with a 6-Line Wrasse. Need to research their care requirements for potential tank mate problems first. I would definitely stay away from any of the liquid remedies in a bottle.

[fishgeeksrus]

These are the ones that will obvisously harm corals right? They only thing that worries me about putting in a six line is that he will eat all of the amphipods and not the flatworms. It worries me because I have a copperband and the amphipods is all he eats.

[Poseidon]

I would get the Wrasse myself, I also have a Copperband, and I have been able to get him to eat Mysis shrimp and frozen Squid... Maybe if you try those you will be able to keep both tankmates well fed!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Yup, definitely a case of Red Planaria there. Your best bet is natural predation with a 6-Line Wrasse.

According to his profile, he already has a six-line wrasse. Maybe it's in a different tank? Or maybe it's just in the mood for planaria?

[fishgeeksrus]

True, we do have a 6-line.... but it's in our 55gal. Haven't ever seen a flatworm in there Andrea just went to the LFS and bought another, so I guess we'll see what it can do.

[fishgeeksrus]

Ok, the six line has been in the tank for a couple of weeks. I have yet to see it eating the flatworms. The population is GROWING. I am getting a little nervous. Someone also recommended the spotted mandarin. Does anyone know if they will eat flatworms?

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by fishgeeksrus

Someone also recommended the spotted mandarin. Does anyone know if they will eat flatworms?

Yes, Synchiropus picturatus sometimes eats them.

YMMV

[fishgeeksrus]

ok I guess it is another trip to the fish store.

Andrea

[saltjunkie]

i have a reef tank.. and i used that stuff.. cant think of the name of it.. but its blueish green..... made my skimmer go mad.. didnt lose anything except flatworms.......

[fishgeeksrus]

Is it that stuff called Flatworm exit?

[Papa Doug]

Flatworm Exit is clear.

The blue-green stuff. is one of the treatments for fish disease. There are several of them that were used previous to Exit for killing flatworms. I would stay away from them and use Exit, if you are going to treat your tank.

Follow the instructions exact, meaning siphon as many out as possible first. Its the toxin from the worms thats harmful, not the Exit. Good skimming, lots of carbon, filter floss and large water changes, as soon as possible after or during treatment, {depending on which it is}.

Many of us found out the hard way. Using certain fish or leaving them to "vanish" on their own, can make the problem much worse. ASK ME. After 30 years in the hobby, its what nearly drove me out and I still lack the same interest anymore. Not to mention the couple thousand $$$ it cost me in the long run. All from bad advice and leaving them alone, several years ago.

At least thats was my experience. Now you have another point of view.

[RossandMandyProject]

I guess that I am new enough to the hobby that I dont know alot about flat worms- are they red liked worms that live in the live rock and have little white legs? if so are they dangerous to the tank?? I have an ever growing collection of them and was wondering what they were. If NOT what is that I have growing in my tank then? Should I tryand get rid of them??

[Poseidon]

No the flatworms being referenced here are Planaria worms and can be harmful in large #'s. The ones you are describing are beneficial bristle type worms, they eat detritus and stir the sand for you.

[szwedo]

mandarins have a speciel mucus coating they release when scared. My lfs told me that cleaner shrimps can eat this off the fish and die. the only shrimp i have is a coral banded.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by szwedo

mandarins have a speciel mucus coating they release when scared. My lfs told me that cleaner shrimps can eat this off the fish and die. the only shrimp i have is a coral banded.

Mandarins have a slime coating that is noxious. They also have an aposematic coloration-pattern to warn everybody else in the neighborhood that they are not tasty. I have never heard of cleaner shrimp eating the slime coating on a Mandarin. Perhaps someone who keeps both Mandarinfish and cleaner shrimp will post their experiences. It is quite possible that this is just another bit of LFS mythinformation.

[fishgeeksrus]

We have a spotted mandarin and a skunk cleaner shrimp. We have not had any problems with either of them. I have never seen the shrimp try to clean him either.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by fishgeeksrus

We have a spotted mandarin and a skunk cleaner shrimp. We have not had any problems with either of them. I have never seen the shrimp try to clean him either.

I find it hard to believe that a cleaner shrimp would eat the noxious slime on a Mandarin but I want to give the LFS person the benefit of the doubt since perhaps he or she actually witnessed this unlikely event. I posted the same question on Reef Central with their 78,000 members but so far no one has experienced this problem.

This is rather unusual advice from an LFS-type person because usually they err on the side of "everything's safe," if you know what I mean.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by szwedo

mandarins have a speciel mucus coating they release when scared. My lfs told me that cleaner shrimps can eat this off the fish and die. the only shrimp i have is a coral banded.

I forgot to mention that the coral banded shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) is also a cleaner shrimp. Did the LFS person make a distinction between this species and the several other species of cleaner shrimp?

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Ninong

I forgot to mention that the coral banded shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) is also a cleaner shrimp. Did the LFS person make a distinction between this species and the several other species of cleaner shrimp?

Com'on Ninong, you don't really think the LFS actually knows this...