I have a 4 week old 12 gallon tank, currently finishing a cycle. I purposely chose to do a dry rock cycle with a tiny bit of live rock rubble from a local tank, to try to prevent pests. I've spent the past month building up a good bacteria base in the tank and letting it cycle.
Right now, the only occupants of the tanks are hermits, snails, a mangrove propagule, some chaeto, and these flatworms.
I am really hoping this is a harmless flatworm species or two having a population bloom, that will return to a lower equilibrium in the tank after everything gets settled in. At the same time, it's a risk leaving them in there, and now is the best time to treat for them. I do not want to let these guys get out of control, to the point that I have to use chemicals after I add corals, fish, and more invertibrates.
This is also only a 12 gallon tank, so adding a fish to control them isn't feasible.
My first fish and coral are showing up on the 8th, next Thursday. I am thinking I will do at least 3 rounds of Flatworm eXit between now and then, followed by multiple clean water changes and running carbon.
My gut tells me they're harmless, since there is nothing the in tank right now they could be eating besides detritus and copepods. If their population is exploding right now, they obviously aren't eating stuff that I want in the tank. But if they can overpopulate to the point of choking out corals, they have to go.
Any thoughts?
Right now, the only occupants of the tanks are hermits, snails, a mangrove propagule, some chaeto, and these flatworms.
I am really hoping this is a harmless flatworm species or two having a population bloom, that will return to a lower equilibrium in the tank after everything gets settled in. At the same time, it's a risk leaving them in there, and now is the best time to treat for them. I do not want to let these guys get out of control, to the point that I have to use chemicals after I add corals, fish, and more invertibrates.
This is also only a 12 gallon tank, so adding a fish to control them isn't feasible.
My first fish and coral are showing up on the 8th, next Thursday. I am thinking I will do at least 3 rounds of Flatworm eXit between now and then, followed by multiple clean water changes and running carbon.
My gut tells me they're harmless, since there is nothing the in tank right now they could be eating besides detritus and copepods. If their population is exploding right now, they obviously aren't eating stuff that I want in the tank. But if they can overpopulate to the point of choking out corals, they have to go.
Any thoughts?
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