Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Ok, I'm about done with sucking flatworms out with a turkey baster every-other-day. The flatworm exit didn't do the trick, nor is manual removal and I'm seriously considering getting a velvet sea slug (chelidonura varians) to finish them off. However, only if I can find a couple people who would be willing to keep said sea slug going in sort of a sharing circle. I'd like a show of hands of people who have flatworms and would be willing to pass a slug from one person to the next so that it isn't wasted on my one little tank. I don't mind making the initial investment, but I won't waste the poor critter on just my one tank. Or, does someone have a velvet sea slug I can borrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Get a Melanurus Wrasse. Mine completely got rid of my flatworm problem in about a week. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Unfortunately, I don't think it would fit very comfortably in my 2 gallon tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Try a tiny six line for a month, mine gobbled up all the worms...you couldn't have it long, but young ones are supposed to be particularly FW hungry. Worst case, sell it back to the lfs for 1/2 what you paid in store credit. Win for you, win for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure it would be ok for a month or so. I'd probably up my water changes to twice a week just to be safe while it's in there. A juvenile sixline is going to be infinitely easier to find and re-home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I'd probably up my water changes to twice a week just to be safe while it's in there. Probably smart A juvenile sixline is going to be infinitely easier to find and re-home. compared to a velvet nudi? Id say for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Would a small sixline be ok with my peppermint shrimp and pom pom crab? Most info says they attack live shrimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Would a small sixline be ok with my peppermint shrimp and pom pom crab? Most info says they attack live shrimp. I have a peppermint, a pistol and two coral bandeds in my tank. Also an emerald crab and two procelain crabs never seen a problem. I've seen more issues with the peppermint picking at the hermits (it always gives up) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 probably depends what kind of flatworms you have. Are they the kind that sit on mushrooms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 They're the rust brown flatworms with the red dot at one end. Convolutriloba retrogemma, I believe. Flatworm exit was very effective on getting rid of quite a few, but left behind a couple resistant ones. I have been persistently removing every one I can find, but there are always more, so it's a never ending process that I'd like to be done with. They will sit on mushrooms, but rarely get to accumulate in any more than the odd one or two before they get sucked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 So, I guess the question still remains. Does anyone have a flatworm issue that would need the services of a small sixline after I'm done with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I would have said yes if this was 2 months ago...but I already have one now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmckee Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I was going to do the same swap-out technique, but I ended up just keeping the Malanarus because he's impossible to catch. Now I've got 3 wrasses and no flat worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I was going to do the same swap-out technique' date=' but I ended up just keeping the Malanarus because he's impossible to catch. Now I've got 3 wrasses and no flat worms.[/quote'] My sixline would be near impossible to catch, but he's working in 2 gallons...should make it way easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Yeah, there's really nowhere to hide in there. Although my pom-pom crab would like you to think otherwise. He's very creative in his hiding locations during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 If you end up with the flatworm eating nudibranch and it lives I would take it off your hands, but not a big fan of 6 lines. They are too mean for my tanks. I've been told the nudi will die though. The kind of flatworms you have would likely be eaten by a melanurus wrasse as well, so keep your eyes peeled for a tiny female of those. I'd definitely take a female melanurus off your hands, love them. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 Cool, there's a shipment coming in at my closest LFS tomorrow and I'm going to run by there after work to see what they get. The only reason the nudis die is they starve to death, since they only eat flatworms and nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 Attention all flatworms. This is your final notice. Your a$$ is wrasse, and this tiny little gal is gonna mow it. Isn't she cute? A big thanks to the guys at Rose City Aquarium for finding me this really tiny sixline to help manage my flatworm issue. They personally picked out the smallest one they could find. I'll let everyone know when it's time to re-home her. Perhaps she can be donated to a teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 She's gonna need a new home in a couple months when she gets bigger, but for now, she seems to be happy. A little shy, but happy, and busy exploring. I'm going to end up falling in love with this fish and have to build a larger tank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanie Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure it would be ok for a month or so. I'd probably up my water changes to twice a week just to be safe while it's in there. A juvenile sixline is going to be infinitely easier to find and re-home. Should you not keep a six line in a reef? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islandoftiki Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 They're supposed to be reef safe. Mine hasn't touched the corals. After a week, I can't find a single flatworm in there. Not one. So far so good. It's such a tiny one that it has a reasonable amount of room to swim and lots of interesting things to keep it amused. I'll keep it for another couple weeks until I'm sure the flatworms are gone for good. Water quality has stayed perfect. Zero Ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite. I'm changing the filter floss daily as well because the tank is getting fed more than normal, but the clean up crew has been quite pleased about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talkalot82 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I have had a mini reef that size before still do, and the wrasse wouldnt work. he would get to agressive to even the fish. I watch a 6 line wrasse in my huge tank go after my big tigar pistol shimp and won. Id reccement trying the flat work exit a few more times and then get a slug if that doesnt work. The slug wont live long in that tank but he would be no bother.. also In that tank if you could I have taken out the rocks and dip them in re-vive coral cleaner or reef dip by seachem. also to prevent more you can pre dip everything that goes into your tank to prevent bad hitch hickers like glass anemones. the stuff works and it will control flat worms... and also taking away the pest food source works great too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talkalot82 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 If the tank was bigger id say the less agrressive coris wrasse but in a two gallon wrasses just dont faire. and would most likely just jump out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
souperman Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I have been battling flatworms as well. I dosed enough flatworm rx to put my snails in a coma for 2 days and the flatworms still came back. I have two more weeks of a fallow period before I can start adding fish again after an ich outbreak. Once that was up I had planned on rotating in a 6-line to control those little bastards. I have a 90G tank so I think a 6-Line should be happy in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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