Red planaria-eating fish with open top

[thrillreefer]

I’m noticing a decent uptick in red flatworms on rocks and low on the front glass in my 50 mixed. Considering to add a fish that will eat flatworms, but I have an open top and no plans to cover it. What fish might eat flatworms and is unlikely to jump? I have a sunrise dottyback in another tank, but would likely be hard to catch without emptying the tank. Not impossible but a pain. Current fish in the 50 are a pair of clowns, lyretail anthias and a few Banggai cardinals.

Wrasse? Mandarin? Transfer the dottyback? Something else? Just wait and see since the flatworms aren’t bothering anything but me?

 

[Spare time]

Scooter dragonets seem to do it

 

[thrillreefer]

They seem to be a bit difficult to feed, on par with other dragonets. I have been culturing some Tig pods but not sure I want to be locked into a finicky feeder if it won’t eat frozen. Maybe if I can get a captive bred one from ORA

 

[thrillreefer]

Cool looking fish though!

 

[Spare time]

They seem to be a bit difficult to feed, on par with other dragonets. I have been culturing some Tig pods but not sure I want to be locked into a finicky feeder if it won’t eat frozen. Maybe if I can get a captive bred one from ORA

I have found them to readily eat frozen food. You can always ask the lfs to feed them and see what happens.

 

[fishyjoes]

Springers damsel will eat planaria and are pretty well behaved in my experience.
No idea if they jump - I think not too much, but I have a lid so I don't really know or care

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

I've heard that melanurus wrasses do a good job eating them. I have no idea if they jump, but really any fish can jump out so I would just get a lid if I were you...

They are beautiful fish that cost around 50 bucks, depending where you get them. Could be cheaper, could be more expensive.

Note: its never a guarantee that any fish will actually eat something that its intended to, unless it's diet is strictly that. I would recommend removing the majority of then that you can with a pipette by just sucking them up, and then whatever fish you decided on can keep them under control.

Edit, I just found out that they can jump. Only get this one if you get a lid.