Flatworms

[Hilltopreef90]

I saw flatworms on the glass on my aquarium and not sure where they came from ‍ I dip all my corals and I’ve not added anything new in several weeks.
I have a flatworm treatment made by salifert, flatworm exit. It says it’s safe to use all with corals and fish but I’m still leery of using it.
Had anyone used it or have suggestions on treating a reef tank for flatworms

 

[old salt reefer]

Came from eggs-dips don't kill those. Use Flatworm exit but do at least 3-4 treatments 4-5 days apart to kill the new one's that hatch(eggs) from the parents you killed.

 

[ScottB]

Lets get a pic to confirm red planaria worms. Flatworm Exit will work for them but just FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. If you have a lot of them, they can nuke your biome if you are careless.

If they are a different worm you could be assuming risk without purpose.

 

[Gtinnel]

Make sure to read up about the flatworms releasing toxin when they die. The chemical treatments for flatworms are reef safe but a massive amount of flatworms dying can kill a tank.

 

[CoralB]

Get a critter that eats them

 

[Gtinnel]

My Melanurus wrasse keeps them out of my display. I do still have a lot in my refugium though.

 

[CoralB]

My Melanurus wrasse keeps them out of my display. I do still have a lot in my refugium though.

Arrow crab in the refugium will do the job . Move him from compartment to compartment then when they look like their gone feed him meaty foods.
Dig up some bristle worms he will munch those like chips and crackers

 

[Gtinnel]

Arrow crab in the refugium will do the job . Move him from compartment to compartment then when they look like their gone feed him meaty foods.
Dig up some bristle worms he will munch those like chips and crackers

With it just being in my refugium it would be easy for me to pull out the chaeto and treat it and then treat the fuge and replace the water.
Im just lazy and it doesn’t really bother me in my refugium.

 

[bobnicaragua]

They spread quickly, I doubt they’re just in your refugium.

I’ve used flatworm exit several times with good results, but as mentioned above, you need to do several rounds.

 

[CoralB]

They spread quickly, I doubt they’re just in your fudge.

Fudge !!!! Not in the fudge ??? I’m crushed , lol !!! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[bobnicaragua]

Fudge !!!! Not in the fudge ??? I’m crushed , lol !!! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Ha, I corrected it before you finished your post!

 

[Gtinnel]

They spread quickly, I doubt they’re just in your refugium.

I’ve used flatworm exit several times with good results, but as mentioned above, you need to do several rounds.

Im sure there are some in the display, but I am positive there are not any significant number of them in the display. If I look for them in the display I can never find any. My wrasse does a phenomenal job of keeping them in check.

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Lets get a pic to confirm red planaria worms. Flatworm Exit will work for them but just FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. If you have a lot of them, they can nuke your biome if you are careless.

If they are a different worm you could be assuming risk without purpose.

I just cleaned the tank and did a water change so I’ll wait and see if more show up on the glass today and get a photo.
Where do they come from ? I’ve not introduced anything new to my tank in weeks and I dip my corals. All the rocks was soaked in bleach for almost a year then rinsed dryer rinsed again before I used them but I’m wondering if maybe it still came from the rocks somehow ?
The directions say to use carbon under heavy flow afterwards to help with the toxins the flatworms release, I usually keep purit in my sump but I’m wondering if after I treat the tank if I should put a bag of purit into the display tank as well?

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Since they only just started to show and because I had them before and didn’t know what they were I recognized them right away so I’m hoping I don’t have too many

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Arrow crab in the refugium will do the job . Move him from compartment to compartment then when they look like their gone feed him meaty foods.
Dig up some bristle worms he will munch those like chips and crackers

I’ve not seen any bristle worms in my tank or display and the tank is over a year old, but I do weekly water changes and change and clean the filter socks every 3-4 days.
I know it’s a good sign to have them as far as that it means your tank is maturing but is it a bad thing if you never see them ?

 

[Hilltopreef90]

My Melanurus wrasse keeps them out of my display. I do still have a lot in my refugium though.

I was planning on adding a yellow coris wrasse this week, do they eat flatworms and if they do should I wait to treat them and give the wrasse a chance to clean them out

 

[CoralB]

I was planning on adding a yellow coris wrasse this week, do they eat flatworms and if they do should I wait to treat them and give the wrasse a chance to clean them out

Yes wait for them to do their job . Treat as last resort

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Yes wait for them to do their job . Treat as last resort

Thanks

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Lets get a pic to confirm red planaria worms. Flatworm Exit will work for them but just FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. If you have a lot of them, they can nuke your biome if you are careless.

If they are a different worm you could be assuming risk without purpose.

This is what I’m pretty sure are flatworms, they’re like an orange rust color

 

[ScottB]

Them is the ones. A good wrasse population might bring them under control.

For every one worm you can count, there are likely ten more. With its dying breadth, it will emit some toxin. Too much released in aggregate causes harm to the other tank animals. If you follow the directions well, you should be OK.