Flatworm help
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: General Help
Forum Description: The place to ask about pest, problems, hitchhikers, etc.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46382
Printed Date: March 09 2026 at 3:52pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Flatworm help
Posted By: Josh95
Subject: Flatworm help
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 8:29pm
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Okay, I recently got flatworms in my pico. (not on the spiderman frags) They aren't bad but I do NOT want them. I have a sixline wrasse in there now hoping he will eat them but I am not to patient. Anything I can do to get rid of them ASAP? I don't particularly want to use chemicals. |
Replies:
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 8:42pm
| 3 Drops of FWE will do the trick, contact BillyBob for Levasome. |
Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 9:00pm
| 1 drop per gallon? and how much is it? |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 9:20pm
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The wrasse will more than likely take care of it and if you can see them use a turkey baster or something similar to suck out the ones you can see. ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 9:25pm
| Okay, I have a HOB filter, so will the flatworms stay there and reproduce? |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 9:32pm
| it would be better if you eradicate it using chemicals since the tank is so small. |
Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 10:17pm
| Okay, how much are the chemicals? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 27 2011 at 11:44pm
If you do not want to use chemicals you may have to accept that there will be a few flatworms in the tank. Most flatworms are good for our tanks. There is one type that some people think is a problem. The chemical kills all the flatworms, not just the unwanted ones A Sixline Wrasse will eat them if you let it. We can discuss this more if you want. If you are serious about what you said above, then please post a picture of the tank and answer a few questions that will come up after we see the picture. FYI, some of the most beautiful tanks I know have those flatworms. FYI, I have seen problem flatworms disappear from tanks without the hobbyist doing a darn thing. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Josh95 wrote:Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 28 2011 at 7:19am
Okay, thanks mark, I will just let the sixline do it's job, how long before they are mostly gone? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 28 2011 at 1:04pm
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Hard to say. Fish sometimes need help to do their job. May I come over for a chat and see your tanks? Please call me at the number below. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 29 2011 at 6:25pm
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I figured it out. I am going to let the wrasse do his job, for 2-3 weeks, then run the filter in super high salinity water. Like 1.035 salinity. That should kill the flatworms and leave the bacteria good. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 30 2011 at 8:13am
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High salinity will stress everything. Where did you hear about doing that? I'm not going to pussyfoot around with you. (pussyfoot? look it up) You only 'think' you have it figured out. You should come see my tanks so we can talk about this. One of my tanks has flatworms and I'm leaving them in there for now.  Yes that's right.Please call me to arrange a visit. My number is below and I'm at 756 E Lake Point Dr #4C (Lake Point Dr. is about 5500 So.) How close are we? Is there LS, LR and some Macroalgae in this little tank? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 30 2011 at 10:18am
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I have LR and LS, No macro. I do not plan on keeping anything in the tank at 1.035 salinity. I am going to take the filter off and set it up in a different unused tank or just set up a bowl. I do NOT plan on putting anything under more stress then necessary. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 30 2011 at 12:15pm
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I ask again, where did you hear about raising Salinity to kill flatworms and not bacteria? There is a lot of misinformation in the world and that includes this hobby. If you don't want to call or come visit, that's fine, it's your loss, but why do you come here asking a question and then become resistant to opening your mind to the opportunity to learn from the experience of this MB? Is it me?  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 30 2011 at 2:18pm
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No, I got the info from SWF.com forum. I posted here and there at the same time. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 30 2011 at 11:30pm
Placing extra salty water in a HOB(hang on the back) filter is going to stress and kill the bacteria too. If it's going to kill the Flatworms, it will also kill most of the bacteria. Frankly, I would not do that. It doesn't even make any sense to me. Sorry, but like I said, there is a lot of wrong information out there. This is a comment recently made by a long time WMAS hobbyist, "Local help is always better, and Ive found that people right here in our own state know just as much if not more than people on ReefCentral" I need to ask, Are you using a HOB filter for a pico  How many gallons is it Why not just rinse out the HOB in fresh water, which quickly kills Flatworms and then install a new cartridge? Compared to the amount of bacteria living in the tank, the amount of bacteria lost in the old filter cartridge is nothing. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: January 31 2011 at 7:18am
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Yes, HOB filter. the pico is 3g. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 31 2011 at 2:56pm
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I'd like to check out the high salinity idea. Where did you read it? Here are two pics of our pico. It sits next to the 10 fresh and across the room is a newly set up 55 reef. The pico had fish, coral, Macroalgae, LS, LR and a bubbler. No external filter is needed on any aquarium.   ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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