Flatworm infestation

[Aries360]

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?

 

[reefernc02]

Mandarin gobies won’t touch flat worms if you can get ahold of them blue velvet nudibranchs are you best hope

 

[NanoSteam]

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.

 

[reefernc02]

Like I say blue velvet nudibranchs https://drreefsquarantinedfish.com/product/blue-velvet-nudibranch/

 

[NanoSteam]

Like I say blue velvet nudibranchs https://drreefsquarantinedfish.com/product/blue-velvet-nudibranch/

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

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

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

I’m pretty sure this is why. My understanding is that their diet is exclusively flatworms.

 

[NanoSteam]

I’m pretty sure this is why. My understanding is that their diet is exclusively flatworms.

Similar to Berghia's then for aiptasia. They eventually will die off but I'd imagine that won't be an issue for OP for a little while lol.

 

[Subsea]

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?

Yep, you have an infestation of Red Planaria. The fact that you are plumbed into a larger system; cross contamination would be of grave concern to me.

In my case, Planaria have developed an immunity to flatworm exit in a 55G growout tank for ornamental macroalgae. Because I want to recover the ornamental seaweed, I am removing desirables and in the middle of developing eradication protocols. Once all desirables are removed, I will nuke the 55G tank with chlorine.

This red macro in 1G glass jar is first attempt. Seaweed was soaked in fresh water for 10 minutes.

 

[CHSUB]

I’ve been manually removing. Not a fix but keeps numbers down….going to use a canister filter next.

 

[winxp_man]

Melenarus Wrasse.

 

[Tradevg]

I’ve been manually removing. Not a fix but keeps numbers down….going to use a canister filter next.

How would a canister filter help? Just curious.

 

[CHSUB]

How would a canister filter help? Just curious.

Vacuum them out, it works well.

 

[reefernc02]

I’m pretty sure this is why. My understanding is that their diet is exclusively flatworms.

Similar to Berghia's then for aiptasia. They eventually will die off but I'd imagine that won't be an issue for OP for a little while lol.

Correct

 

[Subsea]

Vacuum them out, it works well.

Where does the discharge of canister filter go while flat worms are being sucked into canister?

 

[CHSUB]

Where does the discharge of canister filter go while flat worms are being sucked into canister?

Back to tank…use very fine floss and filter pads in filter and it captures all flatworms. I also during process turkey baster corals and flatworms come off and get sucked in. However, at first I vacuum the corals directly, even torches the worms come off and torches don’t seem to be injured.

 

[Aries360]

Mandarin gobies won’t touch flat worms if you can get ahold of them blue velvet nudibranchs are you best hope

Doubt anywhere here will have them

 

[Aries360]

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

Cause that and you need really good water quality which I doubt I have lol

 

[Aries360]

Vacuum them out, it works well.

lol there’s thousands

 

[Aries360]

Melenarus Wrasse.

Not reef safe

 

[CHSUB]

lol there’s thousands

Take a look at Melevs Reef. He took out a bag of them in a session, had to be 1000’s. I personally suck out hundreds in about 30 minutes with the picture I posted. One day pulled easily 200 off one elegance coral. Next day coral looked great again.