Flatworms

Who here has had or has flatworms?

They have not taken over my tank and I haven't pinpointed which LFS gave them to me anyway I first saw them months ago they didn't even have color. Now they are brown and show up whenever i blow the rocks to clean the poop out i'll find atleast 10 tiny brown flat worms on the glass so I crush them with my sponge scraper thingy lol.

How do you guys handle them or get rid of them? I read they are harmless but can take over a tank!

 

Depending on the type of flatworm you have you can treat with flatworm exit.

Dead and dying flatworms release a toxin so you want to be try to remove as many as possible prior to treatment.

The ones you see are probably a small percentage of the ones present.

Melevsreef.com - Flatworms | How to eliminate them!
Reefkeeping Magazine - Flatworms and Other "Bugs" That Make You See Red

Here are some links to start with.

 

does this stuff (flatworm exit) harm anything in the tank?

 

great read! I don't have that many that i'll need a vacum lol but I do know that every time i clean the rocks or substrate i'll find at least 10 so im sure there are more hiding in the tank I guess i should treat this tank asap before they populate and kill everything! well their toxins.

 

Inverts like star fish and hermit will look like they are dying but usually recover.

After treatment you need to run a good quality carbon and do an large water change. A lot of people have used flatworm exit. If you google it you can weigh the risk and benefits. They are a very common pest.

You can try a nudibranch (black velvet but they are hard to come by and expensive).

An infestation can cause damage to corals as they inhibit gas exchange and light to corals so treating while the numbers are smaller is a much better way to go.

 

why black velvet? I thought they were not reef safe?

 

Sorry Blue Velvet nudibranch

Saltwater Invertebrates for Marine Reef Aquariums: Blue Velvet Nudibranch

They are reef safe and only eat flatworms, once those are gone they will starve so they should be passed on to another hobbyist with the same problem if possible.

 

awesome i didn't know they were reef safe! ill order one first before i add any chemicals!

 

I had the little beggars in my 150 a while back, got a 6 line wrasse and a piece of rigid 1/8th inch tubing with airline on the end to a bucket to siphon them once a week or so.. After a couple months, the wrasse and vacuuming got most of them and the chemical Flatworm Exit killed the rest. Although I took all the rock out and treated in buckets and tubs, then treated the tank while just the sand and livestock was in there.. I was going to re scape it anyways so pulling all the rock out was no biggie.. The chemical treatment is pretty harmless, it's the toxins that come out of the flatworms that is treacherous, it will kill anything..

 

most of my live stock is now glued to the rock so im iffy about taking it out. Thanks for the advice! I read something similar to what you did I don't have that many to really worry about I hardly see them out or on the rock the seem to either be in the rock or on the substrate. I'll give the slug a shot and hopefully I can pass him along to someone who may need him