Wtf
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get_armbarred
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I would buy flatworm exit today. Dose it as directed then do a good size waterchange. They will be everywhere choking your coral.
Top Water
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Flatworms
There are two different kinds of flatworms that commonly appear in the reef aquarium. These two kinds include Acropora eating flat worms and Rust Brown Acoel flatworms.
Acropora Eating Flatworms
Acropora eating flatworms are small oval shaped flatworms that are white to tan in color. These flatworms are very hard to spot in the aquarium and will multiply quickly. The first sign that you have acropora eating flatworms in most cases will be small round bite marks in acropora tissue. If you find these on your acropora you may also find small patches of eggs on the acropora also.
Rust Brown Acoel Flatworms
Rust brown acoel flatworms are very common as a pest in the reef aquarium hobby. These flatworms also reproduce very quickly and become a big problem. These flatworms will perch on corals and block the light. It is suspected that these flatworms may also consume the corals zooxanthellae almost acting as a leach on the coral.
Flatworm Control
The easiest way to deal with flatworms is in the quarantine tank. The use of a quarantine tank on all new arrivals will limit the chances of a flatworm infestation in your reef aquarium. If you catch them in the quarantine all you need to do is dip the corals repeatedly until they are gone. If you have missed them there are few different means of controlling the infestation.
Manual Removal
Siphoning the flatworms works well for manual removal. The flatworms don’t have a strong grip on the coral so if you take and ¼” airline hose and syphon right next to the coral they will suck right into the hose. Another option is to use a small syringe to suck the flat worms off of delicate corals. If you get the syringe really close to the flatworm and draw water in the flatworm will get sucked right into the syringe. It is important to note that manual removal of acropora eating flatworms is much more difficult than rust brown acoel flatworms.
Natural Predators
There are a few natural predators you can add to your reef aquarium to help eradicate the flatworms. Some fish will eat the flatworms, these include; Sixline wrasse, Leopard wrasse, Yellow wrasse and also spotted mandarin dragonet. Always remember sometimes these fish will not completely eradicate the flatworms entirely but usually do a good job. The Blue Velvet Nudibranch is a good predator for consuming flatworms. It is important to note that the blue velvet nudibranch is very sensitive to changes in water parameters and also has a short lifespan.
Chemical Removal
Flatworm Exit is a chemical you can treat your tank with to kill the flatworms. It kills the flatworms no problem, one thing to note, when the flatworms die they release a toxin into your aquarium water. The more flatworms you kill, the more toxins that get released into the water. If you have a major infestation this can be a major dilemma, bad enough to crash your reef aquarium. The best steps you can take would be to try and syphon out as many flatworms as you can and also have water ready to do a water change after to get rid of the toxins. A few dips also work to kill flatworms these include high doses of Flatworm Exit, Levamisole and Iodine based dips.
There are two different kinds of flatworms that commonly appear in the reef aquarium. These two kinds include Acropora eating flat worms and Rust Brown Acoel flatworms.
Acropora Eating Flatworms
Acropora eating flatworms are small oval shaped flatworms that are white to tan in color. These flatworms are very hard to spot in the aquarium and will multiply quickly. The first sign that you have acropora eating flatworms in most cases will be small round bite marks in acropora tissue. If you find these on your acropora you may also find small patches of eggs on the acropora also.
Rust Brown Acoel Flatworms
Rust brown acoel flatworms are very common as a pest in the reef aquarium hobby. These flatworms also reproduce very quickly and become a big problem. These flatworms will perch on corals and block the light. It is suspected that these flatworms may also consume the corals zooxanthellae almost acting as a leach on the coral.
Flatworm Control
The easiest way to deal with flatworms is in the quarantine tank. The use of a quarantine tank on all new arrivals will limit the chances of a flatworm infestation in your reef aquarium. If you catch them in the quarantine all you need to do is dip the corals repeatedly until they are gone. If you have missed them there are few different means of controlling the infestation.
Manual Removal
Siphoning the flatworms works well for manual removal. The flatworms don’t have a strong grip on the coral so if you take and ¼” airline hose and syphon right next to the coral they will suck right into the hose. Another option is to use a small syringe to suck the flat worms off of delicate corals. If you get the syringe really close to the flatworm and draw water in the flatworm will get sucked right into the syringe. It is important to note that manual removal of acropora eating flatworms is much more difficult than rust brown acoel flatworms.
Natural Predators
There are a few natural predators you can add to your reef aquarium to help eradicate the flatworms. Some fish will eat the flatworms, these include; Sixline wrasse, Leopard wrasse, Yellow wrasse and also spotted mandarin dragonet. Always remember sometimes these fish will not completely eradicate the flatworms entirely but usually do a good job. The Blue Velvet Nudibranch is a good predator for consuming flatworms. It is important to note that the blue velvet nudibranch is very sensitive to changes in water parameters and also has a short lifespan.
Chemical Removal
Flatworm Exit is a chemical you can treat your tank with to kill the flatworms. It kills the flatworms no problem, one thing to note, when the flatworms die they release a toxin into your aquarium water. The more flatworms you kill, the more toxins that get released into the water. If you have a major infestation this can be a major dilemma, bad enough to crash your reef aquarium. The best steps you can take would be to try and syphon out as many flatworms as you can and also have water ready to do a water change after to get rid of the toxins. A few dips also work to kill flatworms these include high doses of Flatworm Exit, Levamisole and Iodine based dips.
get_armbarred
New member
Good find Top water. Yea I put a wrasse in my last system trying to get rid of them but the just reproduced to fast. With you catching it early you can suck as many as possible out with airline. Dose the flatworm exit. Wait an hour then do a waterchange. With as few as you have the toxin won't be strong enough to hurt anything but I would get the out now. They will be everywhere in a few weeks.
Sawdonkey
Premium member
Same ones I have I'm my tank. The population in my tank has shrunk for unknown reasons. I never see them in my DT, but they were all over the glass in my sump. I looks last night and I could only find a few.
There are many more than two kinds of flatworms. Another common one are red planaria. They are the ones known for population explosions. They have trident tails rather than the forked tail of the acoel.
I have a box of flatworm exit at the ready, but I'm not sure I want to use it.
There are many more than two kinds of flatworms. Another common one are red planaria. They are the ones known for population explosions. They have trident tails rather than the forked tail of the acoel.
I have a box of flatworm exit at the ready, but I'm not sure I want to use it.
BoomerSooner
New member
Springers damsel eat flatworms
tinman
Well-known member
Same here
They decreased a lot after I added a sixline wrasse .. Not sure if the wrasse is eating them or not but I still can find some, just not too many
I don't want to use the flatworm exit either
If it helps any .. A fresh RO water dip kills these in seconds
ninjamyst
Premium member
+1, springers damsel ate all the flatworms in both my tanks.
get_armbarred
New member
Yep kill em with fire!
jrpark22000
Premium member
Watching em boil w/ a high power laser also sounds fun.