Flatworm Extract treatment - I still have them!

[markdadof2]

So I treated with FWE a while back and have introduced nothing new to my tank since...they are back! Has anyone tried a sixline (or twelve line) wrasse to help with flatworms? Not sure I want to keep dosing my tank if it did not work the first time. And yes, I did read the instructions and followed them to the letter

[Nyles]

if a wrasse is your attempt I would recommend a yellow coris or christmas wrasse or malanarus wrasse. To get rid of mine I resorted to TMPCC dips as FWE did not effect them.

[markdadof2]

Nyles, what is TMPCC? I must have some super-strain of flatworms. I will do some research on the yellow coris and the two wrasses you reccommend.

thanks!

[Nyles]

Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure

 

Kills everything I have treated, red bugs, flatworms, you name it.

[JeffP]

Nyles, what is TMPCC? I must have some super-strain of flatworms. I will do some research on the yellow coris and the two wrasses you reccommend.

thanks!

 

I have/had a christmas wrasse in my tank he was cruisin' around when you were there a while back. Friendly guy, does show off for new inhabitants to try and intimidate them, but doesn't attack anyone.

[Nyles]

here it is

Melanarus Wrasse - Halechores Melanarus

 

This guy was added first then I added a yellow coris, compliments of Downhill_Biker, I have had no issues with them, they get along well, I have been attempting to seed my refugium/deep sand bed with pods and such but no luck getting any from anyone. So for now I am going to seed it with some Artemia at least that will give them some bonus food to hunt for, but there nice and fat.

 

[Nyles]

the only downfall is between these two guys they pretty much keep all the micro life hidden, when they sleep it all comes out but daytime everything is hidden (pods, worms and such)

[beansandmia]

I had a sixline when I had them, he ate them all, well I never did see any on the glass after I got him anyways

[ocboat]

I too had left over flatworms after a couple of treatments of Flatworm Exit and thought that I would always have them. I then added a sixline and haven't seen a worm in over 4 months. I added the wrasse after my second treatment so the population of worms was pretty low and it took care of the rest. I have also heard that the Melanarus Wrasse is a flatworm eater and would have tried one if I could have found one at the time.

[markdadof2]

Hey guys, not to try and bring up this old thread, but...

My tank is a nano and I have two clowns in it. I am religious about 40% water changes every week (at least once). Out of all these wrasses it looks like the sixline would be the best fit for my 14 g nano. Any thoughts?

thanks in advance.

[Guest LisaJill]

If I can add a question too?

 

Would you guys recommend a wrasse over even trying FWE? I have FWE here, and quite a problem (though it's diminishing on its own as the tank doesn't get fed) - and I'm debating over whether I should dose, or give up my hopes of a mandarin and just get a wrasse that'll take care of the flatworms.

[markdadof2]

I think FWE is worth a shot. I MAY dose one more time and just crank up the dosage then do a 50-60% water change and run carbon in an external filter. It sounds like you have FWE, but if not you can borrow mine.

[Guest LisaJill]

Thank you! I do have FWE; but was debating a natural solution. My hesitation with a wrasse is two-fold:

 

1) I want a mandarin and I won't be able to safely support a competitor in my size tank

2) My tank is currently fallow for the next 6 weeks, so I'd have to wait a long time to see if a wrasse would help

 

Thanks for the offer. I hope someone has an answer for your question too! I've heard 6-line wrasses are awesome for this; but that's just been in my own reading, not from experience.

[Guest LisaJill]

Well, just treated. I don't think I had a *huge* problem but I think I should have treated it two weeks ago. So far I still have full polyp extension, the anenome is open wide; a new mini brittle sea star came out of hiding, snails are moving, and I think I got out about 95% of the flat worms. Carbon and skimmer are up.

 

I may treat again Sunday/Monday; but I'm really low on water now (this was water from Fred Meyer) and it ended up being a good 40% water change as I kept siphoning while letting the tank fill.

 

Still, I'm seeing extension in my green star polyps that had quit extending before (had some worms on them =/). I'd like to make sure it's gone so a second dose may be in order, but so far I'm happy with the results.

 

I did use a bit of a higher dosage, about 1 drop per gallon instead of 4 drops per 5 gallons. I just want to get one more dose in, in a few days, to get any stragglers so I don't end up with an immunity issue.

 

Did you ever decide on a fish, markdad?

[markdadof2]

I am really leaning towards the sixline wrasse as he seems to be the smallest of the good FW eaters! I think I will try one more FWE treatment this weekend - just crank up the dosage this time.

Lisajill, what carbon are you using? I was told that some of the cheaper 'freshwater' aquarium carbon can actually cause Phosphate issues....do you know if there is any truth to this?

Thanks.

[Guest LisaJill]

I'm using the Aquaclear Activated Carbon in my Aquaclear 500. I have been running it for a little while now as there have been a few mistakes on my part that meant I had some corals dying and I needed carbon to help with that.

 

I put in fresh carbon for the FWE and have 3 more that I bought just for this. Will probably change this carbon out before I sleep tonight to make sure that it's getting any of the leftover death toxins. I think I'll dose a second time Monday regardless of seeing flatworms, just to make sure.

 

I had a lot of success though - i can't reach the bottom of the tank, but I pointed my koralias down and that meant most of the dead flatworms were in the water column. Made it very easy to siphon them out. I'd just re-point the koralias ever 30 seconds or so, to try to get other areas. My siphon (a python attached to the sink) wasn't strong enough to get these guys when they were attached; but it sure got out hundreds in the water column.

[markdadof2]

I treated my tank again today with FWE and I must say, I nuked them this time! I went strong on my dosing and I now can't find a single living Flatworm!

my process:

- remove old carbon

- get hob filter running (aquaclear 300). this will help suck out dead flatworms - will put carbon in this later as well.

- dose heavily

- watch them DIE! ha ha ha ha!

- after about 10 minutes start siphoning the dead ones out..betweem me and the aquaclear and the overflow I got MANY of them out.

- after about 1 hour put carbon in overflow and aquaclear.

- do 40% water change

LisaJill - I will probably dose again tomorrow to make sure I have no more left. All my corals are looking good. I did talk to Joel at Waves today and he suggested dosing back-to-back like that also.

good luck

Mark

[Guest LisaJill]

Good to hear it Mark! I've seen one or two stray living ones, and I'll be getting rid of them. I simply didn't have the water for back to back treatments and it got to the point where I simply couldn't fill up 20 gallons worth of jugs and carry them around anymore. The RO/DI unit should be in tomorrow so I can do a nice big waterchange tomorrow evening or Monday.

 

I love the Aquaclears; long been a fan of them.

 

Did you happen to notice any seastars come out from hiding after the treatment? I saw two mini-brittles come out, and the next day one had lost half its body. Nothing else showed any bad signs; and my peppermint shrimp molted. Actually, everything else looks *much* happier; and Im wondering if that was coincidence.

 

In any case, yea, I'm going to do a strong dose and get the rest out of there. Hopefully that'll end them for sure. I may put up a third powerhead front and center to blow off extras into the water column, like I did on the sides as well.

[markdadof2]

Checked my tank just a bit ago and of course I saw a few fllatworms! I will nuke it again today. I hope the ones that are left are weak and will die off this time. If not I'll do it again tomorrow

LisaJill - I did notice on my first dosing a tiny brittlestar that came out, which is certainly out of character for the daytime with these guys.

Good luck!

[Guest LisaJill]

Ah, it wasn't just me then. I wonder why the stars are responding. Mine lost half its body (it had only two legs by the next day; if I hadn't seen it the first day I'd be all like, "neat worm!")

 

In any case, this is necessary, and I feel bad for the stars. But yea, I'll probably do another treatment and am debating giving up my mandarin dreams (I'm borderline on the tank size probably, but I think I could do it.. probably not worth the risk especially with an anenome) and getting a wrasse. I don't want a 6-line though, so we'll see.

[kriswaters]

Ahh, the chemical treatment of pests....so much fun ain't it??? Mark and Lisa...I added my six line to my 55 gallon after my two clowns. He has never picked on any of the fish in the tank and happily co-exists with the two. To date (1 + year later) he is still about 2 1/2 inches long. He is certainly a welcome addition to my tank.

 

If you do decide, make sure that openings are covered as they do tend to jump!

 

Kris

[mrgreenthumb]

Have yout tried adding any other wrasses yet or fish that look like wrasses? My six line won't bother any fish unless they are a wrasse or a fish that looks like a wrasse. My six line chassed my lineatus wrasse to death(sad) and the lineatus was 3 times bigger than the six line. I love my six line and credit him/her to the fact that I havn't had any pest problems as he/she is always and I mean always cruising and picking away.... That reminds me I need to pick one up for my frag tank....

 

 

Ahh, the chemical treatment of pests....so much fun ain't it??? Mark and Lisa...I added my six line to my 55 gallon after my two clowns. He has never picked on any of the fish in the tank and happily co-exists with the two. To date (1 + year later) he is still about 2 1/2 inches long. He is certainly a welcome addition to my tank.

 

If you do decide, make sure that openings are covered as they do tend to jump!

 

Kris

[markdadof2]

I am still looking for a six line...no one seems to have any in stock! If you see one around let me know and I will go get him/her.

thanks.

[rider]

you could always try a pvc pipe with caps on each end and holes drilled in it. Stick a piece of shrimp in it at night time and leave it in there over night. ohh yeah, attach a fishing line to the pipe. then in the morning just pullit up with the fishing line and toss the worms.

peace

[spectra]

I am still looking for a six line...no one seems to have any in stock! If you see one around let me know and I will go get him/her.

thanks.

 

 

 

Mrgreenthumb bought one todayDOH! He got it at one of those unknown fish stores(nutty) He told me it was the only one there though as I am looking for a wrasse and am probably going to just get a sixline also.