Flat worm invasion!

Sxybeemr325

Sxybeemr325

Reefing newb
Hello to you all,

Way back (probably in january), I posted a tread with pictures of brown little specs I had in my tank. We came to a conclusion that it was flatworms. I was advised by someone (can't remember who) to buy a six line wrasse (and i tought it would be a good idea) so i did. My wrasse will not eat the worms! I don't know if I just bought an anorexic wrasse (probably not because it is fat and nice looking) or if my wrasse is allergic to flat worms, but it won't even touch it.:grumble: I never seen it eat 1 worm. My tank is filled with worms(I am talking about thousands of worms at this point). They even started to move on polyps and on corals.... i tryed to do water changes but the worms won't get suctionned out..... I even have rocks at the bottom covered in flat worms!!!!!!!! WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!?????? :frustrat:
 
Sxy, it can be hit or miss if a fish eats them. Sixline wrasses will eat flatworms 50% of the time, and mandarins will eat them 50% of the time, etc. It seems like you happened to get a sixline that doesn't eat them.

There are other fish out there that you might want to try, but again there's no guarantee.

I have a leopard wrasse in my tank, and it's the prettiest fish ever. They will eat flatworms sometimes. Here is a picture of my leopard wrasse:

0208074.jpg


Here's a link that may help too:
http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

He recommends using Flatworm Exit, but warns that if all the flatworms die in your tank, they will just poison your water. So if you use Flatworm Exit, try to suck out as many as possible beforehand, and remove as many bodies as possible afterwards, and be ready to do a big water change.
 
The leopard wrasse looks amazing!!! I have never seen it at my LFS.....Would the leopard wrasse be compatible with the six line?

As for the flatworm exit,I realy don't know if I am willing to risk it..... I have worms on the glass, everywhere on my sand bed, on my rocks.....some rocks are just completely covered.... I really woudn't want to wipe out my tank... I tryed to suck them out while I was doing a water change, but that does not seem to work either....:grumble: They just seem to spread out like crazy.... Hum... i guess worst comes to worst, I'll have to try the flatworm exit..... I think i'll go to my LSF this week end and see if they have a leopard wrasse or see if they can order it for me...:frustrat:
 
Oh, and Biff, as for the Mandarin, I always wanted one! but read all those reviews about those fish beeing so difficult to keep.... You think it could manage to survive in my tank? All my fish seems happy in there...

And thanx fo the link, I may try this flatwork vacum!! What a smart idea =)
 
I would not wait longer anymore in eradicating those flatworms. it's just going to get worse everyday.

Biff...nice female leopard wrasse.
 
before i had a sump i had a hang on fuge with some chaeto and cheap light on it and because of that i had so many pods it was unreal.
 
helped feed spotted mandarin, but i think i would try leopard wrasse. i know different people that keep christmas wrasse, green or yellow coris wrasse who's tanks have to pest what so every not even bristle worms cause wrasse just clean house on their tanks.
 
I have never tried what I am about to suggest, however it is a mere suggestion; quite possibly a question at this point since I have never tried this myself. What if Sxy did a quick "freshwater dip" with her live rock? Would that possibly work on the rocks themselves to rid the worms? But I suppose that might also kill her beneficial bacteria within the rock as well right?

Like I said, I am just throwing that idea out there. You all might know more about the do's and dont's of the "freshwater dip" method. I have just read about it in past periodicals.

Go Army!!!!
 
I also wouldn't do a freshwater dip. Freak is right, it'd kill everything and likely start a new cycle once she put it back in her tank.

Sxy, I have a sixline wrasse also, and the two wrasses get along fine. I have never even seen them interact. Your tank is large enough that I don't think it'd be a problem to have both of them.

As for the mandarin, I also think you could successfully keep one of these. You have a big tank that's been up and running healthy for over a year. Of course, finding a mandarin that eats frozen food is ideal, but I think your tank would be able to provide a mandarin with sufficient live food. I also have a mandarin in my tank, but then again, I have a 55 gallon sump/fuge.
 
I'd love to have a mandarin! They catch my attention everytime i go to my LFS. And everytime, I resist as I know they are hard to keep and I woudn't want to kill anything. I had nothing dying in my tank(so far) except for the 4 clowns jumping out(suicidal clowns).:frustrat:.My two clowns now are safe as they won't leave my gonipora alone. But I tought that mandarins eats pods. Don't I need a refugium for that? Also, how do I really know if it will eat frozen food? ask my LFS to feed it and see if it eatz frozen foods? I also searched on the internet last night, and I came across something saying that if you have a wrass, the wrass will eat all the pods before the mandarin will? Is that true? :question:

And how big are pods? how do i know if i have pods in my tank or not? am i supposed to see them?
 
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