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Old 04-26-2014, 03:24 PM
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Default Flatworm eater for pico tank

My 2.5g tank has become over run with flatworms I had a barnacle blenny which I wonder if he was eating them because shortly after he died I noticed flatworms appearing. Thankfully they are just the plain ugly ones and haven't done any damage to the corals, they're just over taking the tank.

I tried adding a small scooter blenny to eat them, but he seemed depressed in such a small tank and wouldn't eat anything so I re-homed him in my big tank. Was thinking maybe I should add another barnacle blenny (however I can't seem to find one available) and see if it eats them or maybe try a geometric pygmy hawk. The only fish in the tank is a green clown goby and unfortunately he doesn't touch them.

The tank is to small to treat chemically (ie: flatworm exist) as that many flatworms dying all at once would crash the whole tank.
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Old 04-26-2014, 07:45 PM
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flatworm exit would work well in that tank cause your able to get in there and suck them all out you could try a head shield nutibranch but they don't usually do well in small tanks
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Old 04-26-2014, 09:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Craigdillman View Post
flatworm exit would work well in that tank cause your able to get in there and suck them all out you could try a head shield nutibranch but they don't usually do well in small tanks
Unfortunately there isn't much room to get in there to suck them out and I have around $2000 of high end corals in that tank that I'm not about to risk a tank crash with trying flatworm exit. I know people who have killed their 10-20g tanks because they couldn't siphon out all the dead flatworms quickly enough.

I did read that blue velvet nudibranch eat them, so hopefully I can find one of those. Might also try a geometric Pygmy hawk as I think one would eat them.
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Old 04-26-2014, 09:21 PM
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Yea sounds good try I get then naturally just very hard to ever get rid of them, I used flatworm exit in my skimmer less 29 and worked fine just ran carbon after and did a 40% WC and sucked them all out a few days before to reduce the numbers
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Old 04-26-2014, 09:25 PM
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Well sadly the Pygmy hawk won't work they need a min. 30g tank and are aggressive to gobies and I have a green clown goby in there.

Hopefully I can get a nudibranch as I've read they're very effective. I had a filefish eat flatworms before but the tank is to small for one.
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Old 04-26-2014, 10:19 PM
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Flatworm exit really is a great product.

I suggest you use it and do a 300-500% water change if you are that worried about crashing.

IE double dose 100% water change, wait a few minutes 100% water change, a few more minutes another 100% water change and repeat the process until you are satisfied you've gotten all the dead ones. Doing the water changes with a turkey baster and airline tube you should be able to get them all.
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