Flatworm infestation

[exnisstech]

Melenarus Wrasse.

I was going to say this. I suppose reef safe has different meaning to different people. I'll gladly sacrifice some inverts to get rid of flatworms. I've never had a melanurus bother coral.

PS. I did keep one with a couple of cleaner shrimp but they were big and I probably just got lucky.

 

[Aries360]

I just ordered two blue velvets so we shall see

 

[Aries360]

Also I’m not too concerned about cross contamination because I have no coral in the display cause of all my angels and butterfly and triggers. Only live rock and a couple mushrooms maybe and a anemone or two

 

[NanoSteam]

Also I’m not too concerned about cross contamination because I have no coral in the display cause of all my angels and butterfly and triggers. Only live rock and a couple mushrooms maybe and a anemone or two

Good luck, keep us updated, i'm interested to hear how this works out for you.

 

[TheReefer2005]

Would you be open to selling one of your yellow tangs?

 

[Reef Jedi]

I'm surprised the six-line didn't go for them... from all those options, that's what I was going to suggest before opening this thread so I'm out of ideas here. Following along to see if anyone has any other ideas but this is a heck of an infestation.

I bet the six-line is picking at them, I bet there’s just so many that it’s not noticeable.

 

[NanoSteam]

I bet the six-line is picking at them, I bet there’s just so many that it’s not noticeable.

I bet you're right, reason I've kept one in my last 3 tanks. Truth be told I haven't dipped a coral in 8 years and haven't had a pest. I'd like to think the Six-Line is responsible. It spends a good amount of time picking at new additions for a couple days then stops.

 

[winxp_man]

I was going to say this. I suppose reef safe has different meaning to different people. I'll gladly sacrifice some inverts to get rid of flatworms. I've never had a melanurus bother coral.

PS. I did keep one with a couple of cleaner shrimp but they were big and I probably just got lucky.

Yup! Some will say an emperor is not reef safe. For me all good. People really do forget, that even within the same exact brand of fish there will be different attitudes.

 

[exnisstech]

Yup! Some will say an emperor is not reef safe. For me all good. People really do forget, that even within the same exact brand of fish there will be different attitudes.

Yeppers. I caught my naso tugging and shaking my large toad stool the other day and other smaller ones are being chewed on so maybe they are more tender lol

 

[EnterName]

Any reason it's considered "expert only"? Is it because their only food source are flatworms?

• Need sufficient flatworms to survive
• Tend to float around in the current which will shred them in the flow pumps
• Hermits (and possible other commonly held critters in reef tanks) eat or at least kill them
• They don't really like going on coral tissue to eat, so they might not solve the issue of parasitic flatworms sufficiently before starving
• Daniel Knop (German author of various reef tank related books) writes in his book "Trojaner im Meerwasseraquarium" (freely translated: Trojans in the Reef Tank), that they might need something else besides flatworms as well to survive, which makes them die in reef tanks even though there are sufficient flatworms in a tank.

I'm afraid they are not suited to solve the issue.

 

[EnterName]

Qualitative reports on Chelidonura varians are quite rare, so observe them closely and keep us updated on how it works out. I'm afraid they will end up in the flow pumps or get killed by hermits quite fast, but I really hope for you (and them) they will survive.

Good Luck!

 

[Aries360]

Good luck, keep us updated, i'm interested to hear how this works out for you.

Will do thank you

 

[Aries360]

Would you be open to selling one of your yellow tangs?

No sorry. We try to keep our fish for life. We have some tangs hitting 13/14 years old. Why not just order some baby biota. You can’t tell the difference at all.

 

[Aries360]

• Need sufficient flatworms to survive
• Tend to float around in the current which will shred them in the flow pumps
• Hermits (and possible other commonly held critters in reef tanks) eat or at least kill them
• They don't really like going on coral tissue to eat, so they might not solve the issue of parasitic flatworms sufficiently before starving
• Daniel Knop (German author of various reef tank related books) writes in his book "Trojaner im Meerwasseraquarium" (freely translated: Trojans in the Reef Tank), that they might need something else besides flatworms as well to survive, which makes them die in reef tanks even though there are sufficient flatworms in a tank.

I'm afraid they are not suited to solve the issue.

Welp I already ordered two so I guess I’m stuck, plus I have about exhausted all other options, so we shall see

 

[VelocityTech]

Would you be open to selling one of your yellow tangs?

*whispers so the tang police dont hear * now a days its almost cheaper to fly to Hawaii and get yourself a few on a personal voyage.

 

[Aries360]

*whispers so the tang police dont hear * now a days its almost cheaper to fly to Hawaii and get yourself a few on a personal voyage.

lol, biota is only 165 each, the LFS buy me sells them for 185. You honestly can’t tell the difference after a couple months.

 

[Elijahg2002]

Hello everyone and good day, I have a massive flatworm infestation in my 120 gallon reef aquarium. There’s minimal fish in it, but it is plumbed into the main 500 gallon tank, I’m not willing to do chemical treatment and lose most of my tangs as I’ve heard horror stories. Does anyone have any other ideas, I have tried 2-yellow chorus, grass, 2-Mandarin Gobi, 2-six line wrasse, and a leopard wrasse and tons of peppermint shrimps. Any other options?

Time for nudibranch

 

[Aries360]

Ordered two of them yesterday

 

[ReeferMo]

Would you be open to selling one of your yellow tangs?

if its not avail @Hillyw might have one to sell

 

[vetteguy53081]

they in numbers can smother bases of coral and block the needed light for production of zooxanthellae which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

For the next 2 weeks , look for eggs and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future acoels. Eggs are really tiny