here i go again flatworms

[spongebob lover]

Well last night right when i came from buying a filter floss for my overflow so my slug wouldn't get stuck again, what do i see... my anemone killing the poor slug , i thought he was gonna eat it, but i think it wasn't that tasty for it, but ya he killed it, so now that we all came to an agreement that we would not buy another slug, i would like to know about the flatworm exit
how much should i dose my 37 gal tank?, now i know i need carbon for it, so what's the best carbon? where do i put the carbon? how many bags am i suppose to put in there and how many times ?
i would really apreciate it if you guys could give me some info.
Thank you

 

[MikeS]

What do these flatworms look like? If they are not great in numbers, and are not threatening your livestock, you may just want to try to let them run their coarse before medicating the tank...

MikeS

 

[iwantone]

Have use tried a 4 line or 6 lined wrasse?? How about mandarins??

 

[spongebob lover]

they are red planaria and they have been in my tank for about a year and a half, they are pretty much everywhere even in my overflow that's why i bought the slug because i have so many flatworms that he could have gone for months .
yes i tried mandarins, 6 line wrass, syphoning them, i tried so far almost everything.
my only hope was the slug, but since he's gone i guess i'm gonna have to medicate the tank that's why i wanna know as much as i can about the flatworm exit and the carbon that i'm gonna be needing

 

[Elmo18]

Hi Gabriela. Have you tried increasing the flow in your tank? I only see one or two in my tank now. Increase overall flow, which will help your inhabitants, and flush those flatworms away.

- Elmo

 

[spongebob lover]

ya that's the only thing i have not tried, i will get that powerhead as soon as i can.
i really hope that helps, so do you think i should just buy the powerhead and wait to see what happens?

 

[Elmo18]

Gabriela, do you have a sump? with internal or external overflow?

- Elmo

 

[spongebob lover]

yes i have a sump and a external overflow i believe

 

[spongebob lover]

the thing is that i have a 10gal tank in my stand (which is my sump) and the overflow it's right behind the glass of tank

 

[Elmo18]

When you get your powerhead, I would baste and powerhead all the rocks. This will cause the flatworms to be suspended in the water column, and hopefully go up to your external overflow and down to the sump.

In your sump, you need to get a filterfloss bag, or micron bag. Remember that flatworms are toxic to animals in the tank. Only use the micron bag to catch them, and take them out right away. Dead flatworms poisons the water.

Then I would position the powerhead so at least there is more motion against the rocks and crannies where the flatworms used to invade.

How many powerheads/GPH are you using now in your tank?

- Elmo

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you Elmo for the idea, i will get that powerhead a.s.a.p.
right now i have only 1 working because the other one is broken do you think 2 powerheads should be fine or 3?, just one thing when i get the powerhead should i try doing this before water changes? and should i wrap the bag to the tube that throws the water in the sump, and just wait?

 

[NaH2O]

Gabriela - have you also tried this: Take a piece of white cutting board and put it on the bottom of the tank at night - suspend a flashlight above the cutting board and shine it overnight. In the morning, the flatworms can be easily siphoned off the cutting board.

With flatworm exit - I've read some folks having to use double or triple the dose on the package to get it to be effective. It is important to remove the dead flatworms, as Elmo indicated they emit toxins when dead. Aside from carbon, I would also perform a water change....after you siphon up the dead flatworms.

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you Nikki and yes i did try taking them out with the cutting board, but i have so so many that its like if i have never done it i dont' know how but they reproduce so fast, so i guess now i'm gonna try with the powerheads and see what happens.

 

[bmtpfgh]

I have used Flatworm Exit successfully on several tanks.I found that doubling the recommended dosage works best,with a follow up treatment 1 week later.No harm was done to fish,corals,or clams.
Be sure to vacuum up FW before treatment and after,and run lots of carbon after.

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you bmtpfgh.
I think i'm gonna try elmo's idea first and if that doesn't do it i will get that flatworm exit because i'm so sick and tired of them.

 

[WildReef]

PLEASE DON'T MEDICATE!

I know it sounds like a good idea but try other things, and ask yourself, is it worth loosing what you do have in the tank???

If flatworm exit kills flatworms, what else will it kill?

Be prepared for a nitrate spike and possible ammonia spike.

I have friends in the Dallas area that had flatworm problems and say they nuked their tank with the flatworm exit!

Your tank is fairly small so a die off could happen fairly quickly.

Hmmm, what I would do if I were in your circumstance, is since your tank is so small, set up a few buckets with powerheads or bubblers and remove all the corals, and fish then pull out each rock and dip it it fresh RODI water for say 5-10 minutes. You could even get a trash can and do it.

Then cyphon out the substrate like you would a fresh water tank, and remove as much as you can that way.

Then replace the rock, THEN do a water change. then put the corals and fish back in.

That is what I would do if I were you. You are not going to get rid of them all, but you will decimate them fairly quickly and then the filter sock placed on the out flow can be used if you clean it every day.

PLEASE DON'T NUKE YOUR TANK!

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you WildReef for telling me this.
me and my husband are always against using additives or treatments, the only thing i add to my tank is the ph buffer and that's it.
i guess i have just been feeling desincourage by everythign i do, no joke they are a huge pest in my tank and this has been going for a year and a half, they are taking over my corals too and its very depressing, so that's why i was gonna give up, but i guess i gotta keep trying and may be someday they will go away.

 

[WildReef]

Don't give up! This is a very rewarding hobby when everything is going great, but when it isn't it seems like nothing you do works.

My huswband talked about giving up, when the 700 leaked for the second time and we felt like it was the end of the world.

Just hang in there and do what you think is wise, not what you think is the quick fix.

I think you could manage to kill them off if you tried something drastic like the fresh water dip. you might have to do it two to three times over the next few months but they would defintely go away, and you aren't going to crash your system.

Do you have alot of inverts in the tank?

 

[NaH2O]

Gabriela, don't get too discouraged with your tank. Many hobbyists have overcome flatworms, and many have done it successfully with flatworm exit after failed attempts with other means. If the idea Elmo gave doesn't work out, give WildReef's a try. Although, I would be concerned with dipping all the live rock in freshwater, as I feel you're increasing the potential for a mini cycle this way. You could also remove everything and treat with flatworm exit (like a dip) in a separate vessel, give the rocks a good blasting while they are in the container, and hopefully most of the flatworms will stay in there. Rinse off and blast the rocks in another container of saltwater, then back to the tank, with the carbon and siphoning of remaining flatworms on the surfaces.

Just some thoughts - Hang in there!

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you so much,everyones words always help me to keep going.
i don't have to many inverts i have 14 snails, 1 emerald crab and that's it.
This thursday i'm gonna get 2 poweheads and the filterfloss bag and see how it goes, i don't know if my fishes and corals are gonna like it but i hope i can get those flatworms moving, now if that doesn't do it then i'll be trying your idea wildreef.