Red flatworms this time...

[chichimom79]

I think, in a matter of like two months I have dealt with about every nuisance in our systems...:grumble:
Now I am seeing tiny red specks on my glass. Upon searching this site have learned they are probably flatworms. Does this variety stay small like this? It will be hard to see them to siphon them out if/when I do a flatworm treatment.
Why am I just seeing them now? I have dipped every coral that has come into the system with Coral Rx. Do you think they were in the rock? Now I am wondering, if they did come out of the rock, are they are in the 60 gallon too?...:frustrat:
Heeeeeelp!!

 

[Bifferwine]

Flatworms can hitch hike in on anything -- corals, rock, sand, algae, etc. Luckily they are one of the easier pests to take care of! Use some Flatworm Exit ASAP. If there are enough for you to see on the glass, then there are a ton more in there than can be handled without the medication. It can be tough to siphon them out -- so do a large water change when you are done medicating the tank. The danger is not in the medication itself (Flatworm Exit is safe to use), but in the flatworms since they are toxic and release toxins when they die.

 

[chichimom79]

How long does treatment take? Should I move the clowns into the sixty (or a bucket if it won't take very long) while I treat the tank to make sure they don't stress?

 

[little_fish]

Actually, im sure your clowns will have a blast eating the flat worms as they die. I think they will enjoy the event.

And i saw the worm begin to die in about 15 minutes. They kinda jump into the water column, so you want to try and suck them up during this time.

 

[chichimom79]

Actually, im sure your clowns will have a blast eating the flat worms as they die. I think they will enjoy the event.

And i saw the worm begin to die in about 15 minutes. They kinda jump into the water column, so you want to try and suck them up during this time.

Scary!! If they stress, I will be so freaked out!! They may be mean, but I love them! LOL Siphon duty begins again. I just got done dealing with a small dino outbreak, now this. Ugh

 

[Bifferwine]

They do get very active as they are dying. They all come out of the rocks and sand to try to "escape" and writhe all around. It's kinda creepy.

 

[Ulta]

Better make sure they ARE flatworms first... my flatworms are quite large (1-2 cm in length)and flattened out, not the tiny red specs like you are talking about....

 

[little_fish]

flatworms can also be very tiny as well, but the really annoying kinda are larger like you have described

 

[chichimom79]

Yes, these are TINY!!! I'm surprised I even noticed them, but I look for pods a lot and they are tiny like that. I would never be able to see them on the rock, even if I tried (which I have of course). But I do have a fuzzy mushroom that hasn't been completely happy for a few weeks, so I figured I would go ahead and try the flatworm exit. Dosing a ten shouldn't be too difficult. And I've got freshly mixed saltwater along with activated carbon, so I think I'll go for it tonight.

 

[Bifferwine]

Good luck! :D

 

[vrod2169]

Flatwrom exit works great. I have done it twice since I have had my tand with no loss of life except the flatworms. I would do the water change as suggested.

 

[chichimom79]

I have done it twice, two weeks apart. The first time I dosed 8 drops(in a ten gallon). The second time, 12 drops. Still have tiny red flatworms on the glass. Everything in the tank looks awesome except for my fuzzy mushroom. It has been looking pissed off for weeks now. Not sure how to help it, nor how to get rid of these things or if they are even harmful.