Flatworm sighting!!

GraviT · 09-15-2004, 02:38 PM

While spending some time staring aimlessly into my refugium and observing my lovely gathering of 'pods, I discovered a flatworm cruising around on the inside! When should I consider this a problem and deploy the Salifert flatworm bomb? I'm sure if there is 1, there is bound to be more. [smiley=uzi.gif]

amcarrig · 09-15-2004, 03:05 PM

You should only consider them a problem when you have a blanket of them covering your sand, rock and corals. They are harmless but if you have sps corals, they can block the corals from the light, indirectly doing them harm. It's very often that a flatworm population will explode, then crash. This is what happened to me. If they become a problem for you, rather than chemical treatment, keep your tank free of detritus as much as possible, increase water circulation in the areas that they're converging and siphon them out when doing your water changes. They can be a pain in the *** but they won't cause you any serious problems except as mentioned before.

GraviT · 09-15-2004, 03:13 PM

Cool, thanks amcarrig! I don't have any SPS, as I'm too cheap to spend the money on MH

. I'll keep an eye on the little buggers. So, now I'll stop trying to get behind my tank and into a good enough position to suck the freak up with a turkey baster! Being over 6' tall has it's disadvantages sometimes! [smiley=smartass1.gif]

amcarrig · 09-16-2004, 03:43 AM

Well cry me a river....ever have to get on a stepstool with aquarium tongs to reach something that has fallen on the sandbed of your tank?! No, because you're not 5' 3.5" tall are ya?!

PS. You don't need MH to keep sps...I've been doing it for years under VHO....shhhhh....don't tell anyone

GraviT · 09-16-2004, 05:36 AM

Ok, lets not get bitter now!

Hrmm, maybe I'll try an SPS frag high up in the tank sometime. If it's aquacultured and inexpensive, I won't feel quite as guilty if it doesn't make it.

amcarrig · 09-16-2004, 07:37 AM

Bitter? No. Short? Yes

If you decide to try sps, a great "starter" coral would be a montipora digitata. Fast grower and very hardy

shawnz28 · 09-16-2004, 04:31 PM

If anyone ever says you cant keep sps in a vho lit tank they are lying

It can be done you just need enough of it. Here is my old tank for while back which was lit by vho www.geocities.com/z28shawn/home.html www.geocities.com/z28shawn/home.html

saltyfish922 · 09-17-2004, 06:39 PM

Shawn...your tank rocks!!! Very nice.

[smiley=thumbs_up1.gif]

shawnz28 · 09-17-2004, 07:29 PM

Thanks, that was my old tank that I tore down about a year ago. these were the most recent pics which were tanks 6 months or so before I took it down http://www.geocities.com/z28shawn/2newpics.html It was getting a little out of control and I had some funky algae(cant think of the name of it off the top of my head but it starts with a d) that I could not control among things so I took it down. My new one 120 which there is a couple of pics in my gallery from a month or two ago has been set up since April.

well better get back to work it is 1:30am and the new store opens in the morning and we still aren't done! So much work so little time!

GraviT · 09-17-2004, 07:56 PM

So, as I'm running 4 watts per gal of PC, not VHO, do you think it might be worth a try?

09-15-2004, 02:38 PM	#1
GraviT Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, TX,Texas Posts: 392 Skin: Mint Karma: 26	Flatworm sighting!! While spending some time staring aimlessly into my refugium and observing my lovely gathering of 'pods, I discovered a flatworm cruising around on the inside! When should I consider this a problem and deploy the Salifert flatworm bomb? I'm sure if there is 1, there is bound to be more. [smiley=uzi.gif]

09-15-2004, 03:05 PM	#2
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 43 Posts: 9,085 Skin: Classic Karma: 4093195	Re: Flatworm sighting!! You should only consider them a problem when you have a blanket of them covering your sand, rock and corals. They are harmless but if you have sps corals, they can block the corals from the light, indirectly doing them harm. It's very often that a flatworm population will explode, then crash. This is what happened to me. If they become a problem for you, rather than chemical treatment, keep your tank free of detritus as much as possible, increase water circulation in the areas that they're converging and siphon them out when doing your water changes. They can be a pain in the *** but they won't cause you any serious problems except as mentioned before.

09-15-2004, 03:13 PM	#3
GraviT Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, TX,Texas Posts: 392 Skin: Mint Karma: 26	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Cool, thanks amcarrig! I don't have any SPS, as I'm too cheap to spend the money on MH . I'll keep an eye on the little buggers. So, now I'll stop trying to get behind my tank and into a good enough position to suck the freak up with a turkey baster! Being over 6' tall has it's disadvantages sometimes! [smiley=smartass1.gif]

09-16-2004, 03:43 AM	#4
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 43 Posts: 9,085 Skin: Classic Karma: 4093195	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Well cry me a river....ever have to get on a stepstool with aquarium tongs to reach something that has fallen on the sandbed of your tank?! No, because you're not 5' 3.5" tall are ya?! PS. You don't need MH to keep sps...I've been doing it for years under VHO....shhhhh....don't tell anyone

09-16-2004, 05:36 AM	#5
GraviT Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, TX,Texas Posts: 392 Skin: Mint Karma: 26	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Ok, lets not get bitter now! Hrmm, maybe I'll try an SPS frag high up in the tank sometime. If it's aquacultured and inexpensive, I won't feel quite as guilty if it doesn't make it.

09-16-2004, 07:37 AM	#6
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 43 Posts: 9,085 Skin: Classic Karma: 4093195	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Bitter? No. Short? Yes If you decide to try sps, a great "starter" coral would be a montipora digitata. Fast grower and very hardy

09-16-2004, 04:31 PM	#7
shawnz28 3reef Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Amherst, OH,Ohio Posts: 229 Skin: Mint Karma: 43	Re: Flatworm sighting!! If anyone ever says you cant keep sps in a vho lit tank they are lying It can be done you just need enough of it. Here is my old tank for while back which was lit by vho www.geocities.com/z28shawn/home.html www.geocities.com/z28shawn/home.html

09-17-2004, 06:39 PM	#8
saltyfish922 Feather Duster Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Macomb County, Michigan Posts: 238 Skin: Mint Karma: 1	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Shawn...your tank rocks!!! Very nice. [smiley=thumbs_up1.gif]

09-17-2004, 07:29 PM	#9
shawnz28 3reef Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Amherst, OH,Ohio Posts: 229 Skin: Mint Karma: 43	Re: Flatworm sighting!! Thanks, that was my old tank that I tore down about a year ago. these were the most recent pics which were tanks 6 months or so before I took it down http://www.geocities.com/z28shawn/2newpics.html It was getting a little out of control and I had some funky algae(cant think of the name of it off the top of my head but it starts with a d) that I could not control among things so I took it down. My new one 120 which there is a couple of pics in my gallery from a month or two ago has been set up since April. well better get back to work it is 1:30am and the new store opens in the morning and we still aren't done! So much work so little time!

09-17-2004, 07:56 PM	#10
GraviT Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, TX,Texas Posts: 392 Skin: Mint Karma: 26	Re: Flatworm sighting!! So, as I'm running 4 watts per gal of PC, not VHO, do you think it might be worth a try?