Flatworms
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2831
Printed Date: November 28 2024 at 5:15am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Flatworms
Posted By: Travis
Subject: Flatworms
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 11:54am
| Has anyone used Flatworm Exit by Salifert?? I have small brown flat worms in my 55g and in the fuge of the 110g. I have not seen any in the 110g... I think because of my sixline but I want to take care of them before they become a problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated. |
Replies:
Posted By: reptoreef
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 12:01pm
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IMO, stay away from chemical additions... why not just add some known preditors to the tanks with the flatworms(like a six-line wrasse)? ------------- www.captivereefing.com |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 12:06pm
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I agree with reptoreef. Any chemical that can kill flatworms is not completely safe to use in your reef IMO. You can search the message board and find some past stories about people trying to get rid of their flatworm problems. I recommend high water-flow in the areas with flatworms, adjusted every day or two until they disappear. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 12:35pm
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Wow I had two suggestions, and there were what Repto and Jake said. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 1:13pm
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Personally I would do what has been suggested by Jake and Jason. But if it didn't work and the flatworms got out of hand I would probably try flatworm exit... as a last resort. There are many sucess stories regarding flatworm exit on reefcentral, but ymmv. The key, it appears, is to dose really hard for a very short duration followed by water changes, carbon, ect. The stuff will probably eventually kill all the inverts in your tank, but the flatworms are the first to go so it's a timing issue. Just my $0.02 knock on wood that I don't see any flatworms in my tank... ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:09pm
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That was my first thoughts and what I have been trying for the last couple moths. problem is I can't put a sixline or increase flow in the refuge... and in the 55g they are mainly on the glass in the sump. I have read countless reports of successful use of flatworm exit but still hesitate to use it. I'm also a firm believer in chemicals as a last resort but flatworms can be nasty in a reef if not attended to... maybe I'll try a few more things before using it. |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:28pm
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Why can't you put a sixline in the sump? He won't damage your pod population, and you can always catch him later. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:47pm
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Why wouldn't he damage the pod population?? |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:59pm
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Well I guess he may a little, but why eat pods when the sump is filled with planaria. They can't get away and they're everywhere... right? Plus if he did deplete your pods, so what? I'd go that route. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:59pm
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Oh yah, and I may (MAY) consider using a mandarin. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:26pm
| I never said it was 'filled' with flatworms lol. I wouldn't mind a mandarin or sixline in the display but not in the sump... to many places in there to get hurt. |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:49pm
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I would like to get a nudi
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but there's not enough to support one... 
Posted By: coreyk
Date Posted: June 22 2004 at 4:34pm
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i picked-up flatworm problem from some live rock that i got... they really started to get out of hand. my tank was pretty new w/ only two fish, a few frags, and no inverts. so, i went ahead an used flatwork exit... worked like a charm. sad part of the story was that with the added cost of the flatwork exit the good deal i got on the rock ended up costing more than any other rock ... lol ... live an learn. 
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Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 9:33am
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Just recieved the Flatworm Exit... interesting... "Flatworm exit is quite safe to fish and invertebrates. However, the body juice of flatworms can be toxic to some reef inhabitants when present in too high concentration. This body juice is sometimes excreted when flatworms die." They give good instructions on how to use the product but I'm still nervious on what may happen. If I give it a go this weekend I'll post the results as I go...
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Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 12:38pm
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Flatworm exit is quite safe to fish and invertebrates. How can this be so? Flatworms are an invertebrate. Not to disagree or discourage you from using the product here is what Anthony Calfo had to say about it. Taken from http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatwrmfaq3.htm - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatwrmfaq3.htm I plan on using Salifert Flatworm Exit soon. and If it's Planaria, do you recommend the Flatworm Exit product from Salifert? and I agree with him. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 12:45pm
Maybe that is why it doesn't work. No just kidding it probably works. But Jake does make a good point. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Jake Pehrson wrote:Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 12:47pm
| I don't know... it does work and works safely... just read around. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 7:36pm
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Travis,
I have never heard of a chemical treatment for the aquarium that is completely safe. But if you look around, you can most always find a natural way to handle every problem. But you need to look, because it usually isn't as simple as a chemical and because it doesn't earn anyone any money, it doesn't get any press! I used a natural method that eliminated planeria and didn't kill anything. I posted the method here last year, but didn't give the end of the story at that time, so in a nutshell, here it is: Flatworms had been an increasing problem in a 10 gal. tank for about two months. I had the idea that since these flatworms are photosynthetic, I would reduce the lighting on the tank and see what effect that had. I also turned off all circulation for a few hours each day. This was so the fish could see the flatworms moving to find a place where there was more light. The fish can only notice them when they move. The lights were left off for five days. The tank was near a window so it had some light all day. I also didn't feed the tank, for those five days. I kind of had this in mind since the two Yellow Tailed Blue Damsels and the Green Mandarin eat flatworms. There was no Six-Line Wrasse in this tank. (I once had a SLW that wouldn't touch flatworms!) The lights went on for a day or two each week, to help rejuvinate the coral and macroalgae, and after about three weeks all flatworms were gone and they never came back. This tank, the July 2003 TOTM eventually went to my brothers house and I have moved on to other tanks. The only concern with this method is the low light condition and its effect on clams and some SPS. If you have these, it will simply take longer, perhaps six weeks, with the lights off for 3-4 days per week, to do the job because those coral and clams cannot take such long periods of low light conditions. I hope it works for you like it did for me. 
Feel free to call to discuss the details. BTW, I had tried "Flatworm Exit" a month prior. It maimed some coral, and caused the death of the Bicolor Blenny but only killed 10% of the planeria.  ------------- 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: Travis
Date Posted: June 25 2004 at 8:53pm
Well I'm in the process of treating the 55g. I know and agree natural methods are the best and appreciate everyone's comments. If any ill effects are observed I will not use it in the 110g. As of now, I treated the water around 8:30pm by putting the solution in the sump/refug. Within 5min four baby snails I had in the sump/refug fell from the glass  although they are up crawling around now that was not a good start. I have started running carbon and have not noticed anything else looking bad. Corals are still fully open, snails in the display seem fine, pods are still crawling around and the fish seem fine. My main concern now is the toxins from the flatworms. I didn't realize there was so many... after about 20min they were floating everywhere. I sucked as many as I could out but there are still a lot. I plan to run carbon through the night and do a good water change in the morning. I'll post the outcome.
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Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 26 2004 at 11:53am
| Well water change is done, lighting are on and all looks well. Pods are still heavy in the sump/refug, no snails died, peppermint shrimp and fish are all fine. Seems to be a success. |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 26 2004 at 7:11pm
| Well just about 24hrs and all is well. I still don't advocate the use of chemical remedies but the Flatworm Exit worked so well on the 55g I will be treating the 110g here soon!! |
Posted By: reptoreef
Date Posted: June 26 2004 at 7:40pm
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Wouldn't you feel a bit safer to give it a week or so to monitor any neg. long-term effects? ------------- www.captivereefing.com |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: June 26 2004 at 8:18pm
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That's not a bad idea... I may just do that. The 110g is my baby, I would if anything happened to it. Thanks,
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Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: July 02 2004 at 3:09pm
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Well here's an update. It did not seem to effect anything in the tank but did not eliminate all the flatworms . IMO this is to big of a risk not to have 100% success... another treatment may or may not get the rest of them but I have decided for me it's not worth it. Not sure what I'm going to do next though...
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 03 2004 at 8:24pm
If they are an orange brown color like the pic below, they are phototropic and the low light method can eliminate all of them. If you lived closer I'd be happy to visit and help. Feel free to call.
 ------------- 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: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: July 03 2004 at 9:16pm
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I find this funny for two reasons. 1) Mark is willing to drive to South Carolina, don't let him fool you. 2) Being the 4th of July weekend half our club is probably heading up there anyway Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: July 03 2004 at 9:38pm
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half our club is probably heading up there anyway You didn't see my bottle rockets did you? I really like the radio ad for Porter's Fireworks "we sell and don't tell!" ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 03 2004 at 9:47pm
Yeah, Adam is right, I could be easily persuaded to go fishing in the Uinta's or Flaming Gorge via Evanston. But not this week because of my daughters wedding reception on Saturday. 
 BTW if any of you didn't receive an invitation and you really wanted to come, it's an open house kind of thing so you won't have to stand in line to talk to me about aquariums!  The address is 1508 W. Elmhill Cir. (6645 So.) this coming Saturday from 7 to 9:30.
Aquarium type gifts are welcomed
------------- 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: Travis
Date Posted: July 04 2004 at 2:28pm
| Well after some more reading I decided to give the 55g a second treatment (about 2hrs ago) and went ahead and treated the 110g (about 18hrs ago). I haven't seen a single flatworm in the 110g sence... I went a head and did 1.5x recommended dose and the early results seem good. I'll post a update in a few days. |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: July 09 2004 at 12:19pm
| Almost a week and all seems well. No flatworms in site in either tank and everything looks nice and healthy... not sure of the overall effect on the micro-organisms though. |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: July 09 2004 at 12:56pm
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Thanks for keeping this thread up to date and I'm glad it worked for you. ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: July 23 2004 at 8:19am
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Thanks Jon... I'm glad nothing went wrong 3-weeks... no flatworms and no noticeable problems. |