Hi Everybody!
So, I have this tank with, what I suspect is Aeolid Flatworms (see picture below). They came in on a frag last year and have been annoying. I can't justify moving anything on rock/plugs/sand for fear of spreading the problem. I need to do some fragging, so it's time to find a solution.
Here's what I tried:
Flatworm Exit - it works, sort of. But these little guys seem to not be fully affected. So I can only get about 10-20% out with each dose. And it is a lot of work.
6 Line Wrasse - no help, but it could have been too small.
Halichoeres wrasse - I have a Radiant Wrasse in there now, he doesn't seem to care to eat them. At first, when I could dislodge them, he, sometimes, would try to eat the free swimming one, but he really is indifferent. I went with the radiant because it was bigger than the yellow at the store. I suspect the same result with the yellow. It's a small tank and he's picked it clean of inverts, so I need to get him out soon. He's still nice and plump on his pellet and baby brine diet, but he would look better in my 220...
Blue Velvet Nudibranch - I'm on a waiting list for when they come back in stock at the one store I can find them. (so I haven't actually tried this)
Siphoning - this works a tiny bit. I can usually get one or two if I try for about 10 minutes. The flatworms have too strong a grip on the mushrooms.
CoralRx - Every now and then, I can get a mushroom out that has dislodged, a few minutes in CoralRx (I also add peroxide, just for kicks), kills the living flatworms. So, as an extreme measure, I could create a plan to do the whole tank. But we're talking several medium sized rocks, and at least $1000 worth of livestock, so that is a very high risk option.
Does anyone know if mandarins eat these things? I have one in my 220, and I could throw him in there for a few days and see what happens. Catching it and swapping with the wrasse is a lot of work, so I would rather not act on speculation.
On an interesting note, although they seem to stunt the mushrooms reproduction, these little guys accelerate the leathers recovery from shedding. That is completely anecdotal, just a neat observation.
So, I have this tank with, what I suspect is Aeolid Flatworms (see picture below). They came in on a frag last year and have been annoying. I can't justify moving anything on rock/plugs/sand for fear of spreading the problem. I need to do some fragging, so it's time to find a solution.
Here's what I tried:
Flatworm Exit - it works, sort of. But these little guys seem to not be fully affected. So I can only get about 10-20% out with each dose. And it is a lot of work.
6 Line Wrasse - no help, but it could have been too small.
Halichoeres wrasse - I have a Radiant Wrasse in there now, he doesn't seem to care to eat them. At first, when I could dislodge them, he, sometimes, would try to eat the free swimming one, but he really is indifferent. I went with the radiant because it was bigger than the yellow at the store. I suspect the same result with the yellow. It's a small tank and he's picked it clean of inverts, so I need to get him out soon. He's still nice and plump on his pellet and baby brine diet, but he would look better in my 220...
Blue Velvet Nudibranch - I'm on a waiting list for when they come back in stock at the one store I can find them. (so I haven't actually tried this)
Siphoning - this works a tiny bit. I can usually get one or two if I try for about 10 minutes. The flatworms have too strong a grip on the mushrooms.
CoralRx - Every now and then, I can get a mushroom out that has dislodged, a few minutes in CoralRx (I also add peroxide, just for kicks), kills the living flatworms. So, as an extreme measure, I could create a plan to do the whole tank. But we're talking several medium sized rocks, and at least $1000 worth of livestock, so that is a very high risk option.
Does anyone know if mandarins eat these things? I have one in my 220, and I could throw him in there for a few days and see what happens. Catching it and swapping with the wrasse is a lot of work, so I would rather not act on speculation.
On an interesting note, although they seem to stunt the mushrooms reproduction, these little guys accelerate the leathers recovery from shedding. That is completely anecdotal, just a neat observation.
