rust colored flatworms

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by lrgosinkvet, Feb 20, 2009.

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  1. lrgosinkvet

    lrgosinkvet Plankton

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2009
    Messages:
    14
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA
    Hi, it's weird, but I posted a blurb on a white/ opaque flatworm the other day and learned that it wasn't a real problem, it's the rust colored ones that are the problem. Well, I just found about a dozen on a low flow rock. I cannot believe it. My husband wants to try bio control, but after everything I've read I'm thinking to siphon off what I can see today or tomorrow and use Flatworm exit along with a new bag of carbon and a large water change. Is this what all of you seasoned aquarists would do? If not, than what would you do?
    I have a 20 gallon tank with live rock, candy cane, frog spawn, lots of different kinds of polyps, a pagoda and 2 peppermint shrimps, a cleaner shrimp and 1 neon Goby. No other fish at this point. Please help us quickly so we can move on it while I can only see 12, not 12,000. Thanks
     
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  3. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2006
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    5,644
    Location:
    Va/Ct
    Yes treat them with the flatworm exit and ASAP follow directions on the box..
     
  4. convict3

    convict3 Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2009
    Messages:
    72
    Location:
    Pasadena,TX
    here is the best worm site i have found Worm Hitch Hikers does it look like any there?
     
  5. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2000
    Messages:
    13,466
    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    More water flow reduced the number of flatworms I had.
     
  6. lrgosinkvet

    lrgosinkvet Plankton

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2009
    Messages:
    14
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA
    Flatworms have left the building.

    So, lastnight I treated with Flatworm exit and it really wasn't that bad. We did something a little different too that I think turned out really well. We set up a 1 gallon treatment tank and took 1 of our live rocks and dipped it and nailed it with the Nano Koralia literally blowing off every conceivable worm. This worked well because it gave us an idea of what to expect worm wise. We then proceded to dip all the top rocks in this method. It was really quite easy to control the die off numbers in this way. Once we had treated all the top rocks, we treated the whole tank. Using the same method, We blew off all the rocks and superficial layer of sand and physically removed all the worms with a fish net. The only complication we had that I though was interesting was that most of all the little tiny white brittles stars that had come in as hitchhikers were dying. Our Serpent start looked really stressed, so we removed him and placed him in 3 gallons of fresh sea water with a heater, etc. This morning he seems fine, bt just to insure he doesn't have s slow death and subsequently pollute the tank we are going to QT him for a week. However, all the coral, amphipods, copepods, shrimps, snails, the Neon Gobey and the feather dusters look no worse for wear.
    Overall, I saw about a dozen rusty flatworms in the tank yesterday, vaccumed of everything I could see and then treated. There were probably about a hundred that came up with the treatment, and it started within 30 seconds of the treatment. Now I guess is the trial, did we get em all.
    You know, I gotta say this hobby is incredibly time consuming and expensive. I don't regret starting it, but I really wish I had read the Salt Water Aquarium Beginner's guide before I had started. It would have saved me a lot of money. LFS should really tell people this at the beginning.
    Thanks for reading,
    Laura