songeez
New Member
Hi everyone,
just wanted to share just another cautionary tale for the use of Flatworm Exit. I want to share my journey to help others make informed decisions and avoid similar mistakes.
Tank size: 210 gal, 9 months old
Mostly fish with a couple of soft corals and large euphyllias
Around a month ago, I noticed some crawling critters on the glass. Initially, I mistook them for small snails, given they've been spawning like crazy lately in my tank. However, it became clear that something more insidious was afoot when my huge euphyllias began detaching themselves from their perches.
Investigating further, I came to the realization that these creepy crawlies were actually flatworms, scattered everywhere – on rocks, glass, and even my euphyllias. Despite my initial aversion to chemical treatments, I reluctantly opted for Flatworm Exit.
In the first round of treatment, I followed all the recommended steps by dosing FWE, waiting for flatworms to fall off, manual removal, adding carbon, and doing a water change. Although I eradicated around 90% of all flatworms, some of them remained unaffected. Unfortunately, my Zanclus and CBB were also affected during the process, and they refused to eat for a day. However, after that, their appetite returned to normal. Despite my efforts, the flatworm population continued to thrive.
A week later, I attempted another round of FWE, this time a double dose, using the same procedure of FWE -> Manual removal -> Carbon -> Water change. Unfortunately, this dose was ineffective as only around 50% of the remaining flatworms were affected. Even worse, my Zanclus was visibly struggling, with rapid breathing, a lack of appetite, and hovering in the corner of the tank. My CBB was also lethargic and wouldn't eat, but fortunately, none of the other fish seemed to be affected, including the Koran angelfish, Regal angel, Anthias, Midas, and Coral beauty. I was convinced that my Zanclus would not survive and even considered quitting the hobby altogether. However, both fish pulled through and are finally eating again after 5 DAYS. Although they may not be completely out of the woods yet, things are looking up for both my fish and flatworms.
In conclusion, I've decided to let the flatworms live their lives and cut my losses on euphyllias. For me, fish are always more valuable than corals.
Thanks for reading this far in my rant. I just wanted to share another story to remind everyone to be extremely careful with flatworms, as your story might not have a (partially) happy ending like mine.
Regarding the flatworm population, what is your experience? Will they disappear after a while or continue to multiply indefinitely?
just wanted to share just another cautionary tale for the use of Flatworm Exit. I want to share my journey to help others make informed decisions and avoid similar mistakes.
Tank size: 210 gal, 9 months old
Mostly fish with a couple of soft corals and large euphyllias
Around a month ago, I noticed some crawling critters on the glass. Initially, I mistook them for small snails, given they've been spawning like crazy lately in my tank. However, it became clear that something more insidious was afoot when my huge euphyllias began detaching themselves from their perches.
Investigating further, I came to the realization that these creepy crawlies were actually flatworms, scattered everywhere – on rocks, glass, and even my euphyllias. Despite my initial aversion to chemical treatments, I reluctantly opted for Flatworm Exit.
In the first round of treatment, I followed all the recommended steps by dosing FWE, waiting for flatworms to fall off, manual removal, adding carbon, and doing a water change. Although I eradicated around 90% of all flatworms, some of them remained unaffected. Unfortunately, my Zanclus and CBB were also affected during the process, and they refused to eat for a day. However, after that, their appetite returned to normal. Despite my efforts, the flatworm population continued to thrive.
A week later, I attempted another round of FWE, this time a double dose, using the same procedure of FWE -> Manual removal -> Carbon -> Water change. Unfortunately, this dose was ineffective as only around 50% of the remaining flatworms were affected. Even worse, my Zanclus was visibly struggling, with rapid breathing, a lack of appetite, and hovering in the corner of the tank. My CBB was also lethargic and wouldn't eat, but fortunately, none of the other fish seemed to be affected, including the Koran angelfish, Regal angel, Anthias, Midas, and Coral beauty. I was convinced that my Zanclus would not survive and even considered quitting the hobby altogether. However, both fish pulled through and are finally eating again after 5 DAYS. Although they may not be completely out of the woods yet, things are looking up for both my fish and flatworms.
In conclusion, I've decided to let the flatworms live their lives and cut my losses on euphyllias. For me, fish are always more valuable than corals.
Thanks for reading this far in my rant. I just wanted to share another story to remind everyone to be extremely careful with flatworms, as your story might not have a (partially) happy ending like mine.
Regarding the flatworm population, what is your experience? Will they disappear after a while or continue to multiply indefinitely?
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