Best acro flatworm eater

[rickjames]

So I had red bugs... now I have acro eating flatworms :evil: I guess some survived the freshwater dip and squirt with a pipet. Resilient b***ards!

Anyways, I am hoping to nip this problem in the butt (the infected pieces are only frags), and am going to get a wrasse to try and eat them to help out with the problem. My question is what is the best species to do this?

I am leaning on a coris wrasse, but I hear they sleep in the sand. Do you think one would do ok in a bare bottom tank?

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

Flat worm exit form O.A works a treat one dose all gone and none ever returned.

[rickjames]

Flat worm exit form O.A works a treat one dose all gone and none ever returned.


Are you sure it kills acro eating flatworms? I had heard i doesn't work on this particular species, only works on red planaria (i think i spelled that right). This is the best link I have found for what I am talking about: http://www.mspreef.com and click on the folder beside "acropora flatworms". Read the part about chemical treatment.

[bluetang]

I dont beleive it works as well on Acro eating flatworms. I could be wrong though.

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

Are you sure it kills acro eating flatworms? Nope sorry just the light brown ones we had in our tanks,not sure if they were eating the acros i found them mostly on the glass.

[rickjames]

So back to the original question, anyone ever had a wrasse eat 'em? :biggrin:

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

sixline works well to

[Willow]

i bet there is a nudibranch that would eat them.

[albert_dao]

i bet there is a nudibranch that would eat them.

I bet you it looks freaking awesome too!


GAH! STUPID NAKED GILL SLUGS, WHY MUST YOU TEMPT US!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Leopard wrasses are also flatworm eaters. But, like coris wrasses, they also need to bury themselves. Perhaps leave a container of crushed coral somewhere in the tank & place LR around it so its not so visible. Just a thought.

Anthony

[rickjames]

i bet there is a nudibranch that would eat them.

J&L was selling a nudi that supposedly eats flatworms, I think it was a headshield nudibranch. I'm not sure that it would eat these flatworms though, maybe. Plus the nudi will starve once the flatworms are gone.

Anthony, thanks for the sand container suggestion, I might give that a try. Either that or I was thinking of going with a six-line. Decisions! :razz:

[Aquattro]

I'd go with the six line. Coris wrasses get large and eat things you probably don't want them to.

A reminder to people...always assume the frag you just got has pests and treat accordingly. Brennan found out about these worms because he gave me a frag that I found a flatworm on. FW dips are the only preventative measure that I know of. 30 seconds in temp corrected RO water and constant basting to dislodge worms works wonders and the frag is doing awesome 24 hours later.
Thanks for the frag Brennan!! I still have to pay you for it too!

[rickjames]

I'd go with the six line. Coris wrasses get large and eat things you probably don't want them to.

A reminder to people...always assume the frag you just got has pests and treat accordingly. Brennan found out about these worms because he gave me a frag that I found a flatworm on. FW dips are the only preventative measure that I know of. 30 seconds in temp corrected RO water and constant basting to dislodge worms works wonders and the frag is doing awesome 24 hours later.
Thanks for the frag Brennan!! I still have to pay you for it too!

No payment required, the coral debt is on my shoulders!

As a note, I knew that some frags I got had the flatworms as I seen a couple in the bag they were in. Did an overnight interceptor treatment, and also FW dip in the morning. I did at least 30 seconds, I am sure. I also used a pipet to try and blow them off in the FW. And they still ended up in my tank! :evil: Point to be taken from this: be overly cautious. Fw dip them and then look at them in the light with a magnifying glass and remove them. Thats what I should have done, but hindsight is 20/20.
There is excellent pictures of them on the link I posted.

My parasite paranoia is growing. :eek:

Next in line, monti eating nudies!

[Werbo]

Parasite Paranoia is good thing and everyone in reef should thouroughly inspect all frags

[rickjames]

Parasite Paranoia is good thing and everyone in reef should thouroughly inspect all frags

Yeah you haven't had a flatworm dream yet!! :razz:

[rickjames]

So I unmounted a frag that had the flatworms when I got it, but thought that i killed with my first FW dip. FW dipped it again for over a minute, blasted with a turkey baster, and got nothing. Looked with a magnifying glass over the frag and could not find anything. So hopefully the one you found Brad was isolated.

Unfourtunately the frag ain't looking to great after that long dip, hopefully it will recover! :eek:

[BCOrchidGuy]

6 Line Wrasse, beautiful fish, keeps your coral clean and well hey it's a beautiful fish.

Doug

[rickjames]

Yep, got a 6 line on the weekend. Still haven't found any other flatworms in the tank, but I am also hoping he will eat the little pyramid snails that ride on the turbos and astreas!