Flatworms persisting after Flatworm eXit

[dbleoh7]

I had an outbreak of flatworms that I treated with Flatworm eXit. I siphoned out as many as I could see including basting them out of crevices and then treated with flatworm eXit at 4 drops/5 gallons. I then did a 30% water change an hour later and ran carbon. I thought I got rid of them all but today I see some still left moving around (approx 10% of initial population). I now treated at 1.5x that initial dose and they're still on the rocks not dying. Any suggestions???

 

[lapin]

You could have a strain that is somewhat resistant to the FWE.
People will increase the dosage like you without luck.
Your next option is to get a wrasse that love to eat them.
I had your problem in my fuge but the display tank with wrasse was worm free.

 

[dbleoh7]

You could have a strain that is somewhat resistant to the FWE.
People will increase the dosage like you without luck.
Your next option is to get a wrasse that love to eat them.
I had your problem in my fuge but the display tank with wrasse was worm free.

Any idea what kind of wrasses are best for this task?

 

[Timfish]

What Lapin said, you can try a six line.

 

[dbleoh7]

What Lapin said, you can try a six line.

I've read horror stories on these things

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

I think most of the Haliochorus species will eat them, or should anyway.

I don't know what you heard bad about the Six-Line. They have always been good fish for me as have every other wrasse I've kept.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

Actually, after thinking about it, I did buy a wrasse at one time to eat flatworms. It was a Christmas wrasse. Good fish.

 

[dbleoh7]

I think most of the Haliochorus species will eat them, or should anyway.

I don't know what you heard bad about the Six-Line. They have always been good fish for me as have every other wrasse I've kept.

I'll look into the other ones and see. I've heard the six line can be aggressive and kill fish it's size and a little larger. Maybe since it would be the last fish it wouldn't be territorial....

 

[Timfish]

I've read horror stories on these things

I've heard horror stories about lots of things that have done well in my systems for years if not decades. A common mistake is the assumption commonality equates to causality. Couple things I've learned is whatever reputation a species is known for there will be individual variation, age and maturity and space all are variables that influence behavior and an aquarist must always be ready to rehome anyone if needed.

 

[DrZoidburg]

You could also have the brown ones. Harmless kind. FW exit doesn't really work on them.

 

[ZoaKiller]

I had an outbreak of flatworms that I treated with Flatworm eXit. I siphoned out as many as I could see including basting them out of crevices and then treated with flatworm eXit at 4 drops/5 gallons. I then did a 30% water change an hour later and ran carbon. I thought I got rid of them all but today I see some still left moving around (approx 10% of initial population). I now treated at 1.5x that initial dose and they're still on the rocks not dying. Any suggestions???

How's your battle going? I ended up trying FWE 3 times twice at over 4 times the recommended dosage and it did not work.

 

[dbleoh7]

How's your battle going? I ended up trying FWE 3 times twice at over 4 times the recommended dosage and it did not work.

I'm currently just sucking them up via turkey baster once a week and it's keeping them in check pretty well until my tank is out of the fallow period. I'm getting a six line wrasse that'll hopefully eat them once the fallow period is over in a few weeks

 

[bobnicaragua]

Flat worm exit doesn't kill the eggs. You have to dose every 4 days or 5 days. Each time you will see less flat worms. Provably 4 or 5 doses to wipe them out.

 

[dbleoh7]

Flat worm exit doesn't kill the eggs. You have to dose every 4 days or 5 days. Each time you will see less flat worms. Provably 4 or 5 doses to wipe them out.

I didn't know that... I don't think it says anything about that on the directions but it makes sense... I might have to give it another go and use this method

 

[dbleoh7]

Flat worm exit doesn't kill the eggs. You have to dose every 4 days or 5 days. Each time you will see less flat worms. Provably 4 or 5 doses to wipe them out.

You dose the full dosage each time then right?

 

[bobnicaragua]

You dose the full dosage each time then right?

Correct.

 

[dbleoh7]

I ended up getting a six line wrasse and he decimated the population within a couple of days. I now only see maybe 10 at the most in the tank at a time.