Other stuff on the glass and rocks.

[royalreef]

I dont know what this is but it start to appear a few days ago, if I touch them they move. The orange ones and I the little withe ones.

Yeah I know is a little dirty.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Flatworms, looks like the bad kind too by the color and size.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

The white ones are asterina stars, pretty much harmless, or are you talking about the super tiny white things on the glass?

 

[royalreef]

yeah the little ones. And how do you kill the flt worms and how bad are they?

The white ones are asterina stars, pretty much harmless, or are you talking about the super tiny white things on the glass?

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Some Wrasses like sixline will eat them also mandarin dragonets. Most people use flatworm exit to get rid of them though with lots of success.

 

[returnofsid]

Red Planaria, flat worms. They are not the "bad kind." They're only harmful under a couple of different circumstances.

#1. If they reproduce to the extent that they cover your corals, blocking out light. They actually can reproduce to this extent.

#2. If you treat them, without first removing as many as you can. When you treat them, with Salifert Flatworm Exit, they become toxic, when they die. It's important to remove as many as you can prior to treatment, AND to remove as many dead ones as you can as soon as they start to die, after treatment.

Typically, a 3X dose of Salifert FWE is safe. In other words, use 3X the recommended dosage.

Other options are certain Wrasses, which are known to eat them. It does look like you've got quite a population already, and they're already decent sized.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

From what i've noticed most tanks have some sort of flatworms but they are typically very very small and off white to slightly orange. That variety is of no real threat but the larger ones can get out of hand fast.

Here is a link from Melev's reef. http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

 

[iroll253]

Deff flat worms and asternias

 

[iroll253]

anddd little iso pods lol

 

[estanoche]

I do recommend killing them with FWE using the steps outlined in the link above to melevs reef though - a wrasse will help with control, but I doubt it would lead to an extermination.

I have seen tanks so filled with flatworms that every inch of the sandbed was covered with them, they were crawling the glass, and encroaching on corals. They smother just like cyano would, and grow just as fast or faster!

 

[loluckyve]

I am fighting the little devils also!! Have treated tank twice, seems to bring them out in full force but hasn't killed them. I haven't tried to triple the med dose, was leary of harming fish/corals. I got a 6 and 12 line wrasse to help as well. Any other suggetions?

 

[FreakinReefin]

I am fighting the little devils also!! Have treated tank twice, seems to bring them out in full force but hasn't killed them. I haven't tried to triple the med dose, was leary of harming fish/corals. I got a 6 and 12 line wrasse to help as well. Any other suggetions?

Are the wrasses eating them?

 

[Ed Hahn]

I treated for flatworms with FWE quite a few times. It was disastorious one time! Make sure you have make up water before dosing. I lost almost the total livestock on my Cube. I did not have enough make up water ready. Make sure you have make up water and carbon, remove your Calcium Reactor before dosing. It was so bad that one time my Aragonite in CR turned Brown. Always prepare yourself first then treat. I knew better, but had so many elephants before that I thought it was safe. Never presume you are safe.

 

[psb]

What percentage of tanks have flatworms? I dont think i have any. I havent seen any evidence of such. To keep them out is it effective to dip in melafix prior to putting in DT?
I have been dipping everything.

 

[FreakinReefin]

What percentage of tanks have flatworms? I dont think i have any. I havent seen any evidence of such. To keep them out is it effective to dip in melafix prior to putting in DT?
I have been dipping everything.

There are all sorts of different kinds of flatworms. To my knowledge, these are the most common and boy do they multiply. I constantly treat my tank with FWE and they still come back. You really have to make sure the circulation in the tank is getting the treatment into every nook and cranny. These little bastards hide as soon as the treatment hits the water and they run where there is no circulation. To make it worse, these worms typically live where there is little circulation...not to say they can't be found in high circulation areas though. I can never seem to be completely rid of them. I do 3-4x recommended dose treatments and you can see them shribble and die...only to find more two weeks later.

I dip my corals in FWE & saltwater mix.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

there is a yellow wrasse in the forsale section which is great for these buggers my 6 line was lazy never touched them. Yellow wrasses I heard 100% everytime will eat them up. slowly but surely

 

[Myteemouse]

YES I suggest a yellow and or green corris wrasse in EVERY tank.. they are my little workhorses ..
They pick and eat all day..

 

[SpecialTang]

This is what has worked for me in the one time I had them. Since I have treated them I am very cautious with adding anything to my main tank.

Make up your water for a water change, might even want to make up to 40%.

Suck out as many as you can, use toothbrush to get off rocks if needed.

Treat with Flatworm Exit (FWE) just use double the dose they recommend.

Suck out and use a fine net to get the dead ones out as quickly as you can.

Refill tank as needed, make sure you do not suck out more than 40% of your water, or the amount of water you have made up to replace with.

Next day do another water change 10% to 20%

 

[Chichas01]

I got rid of them by increasing flow and watching nutrient levels - i.e cutting back on what you are feeding, using a better skimmer and other filtration methods. Might have taken longer than using FWE, but I also didn't want to kill off anything other than the flat worms.

 

[loluckyve]

The wrasse's have been in only a couple of days and have noticed a decline in numbers. Haven't witnessed them eating any of them though, hoping it is not just my imagination.