Flatworm Help. Arrow Crab? Scooter Blenny?

jewban

jewban

Member
So I have a huge Flatworm problem, I did a little reading on this site and see that Flatworm Exit is a popular solution, but like some I defer from adding chemicals to my tank until absolutely necessary.
I have read here and there about an arrow crab or a scooter blenny, though without any concrete support.
Can someone offer me first hand experience of an animal that ate up their Flatworm problem I would much rather purchase and add a crab or fish to my tank than dose with FWE.
Thanks...
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
i assume you are speaking of common red planaria. these animals are ambush predators, which eat pods. the less pods, the less planaria you will see.
a mandarin, or some wrasse will thin the population out, by starving them out.
flatworm exit will kill them, but a mass die-off will put a large amount of toxins in the tank, possibly killing the good with the bad.
if you starve them off, they don't release toxins when they die.
i've read some horror stories associated with the flatworm exit treatment.
also- they are perfectly harmless to corals and any other inhabitants besides pods.
i just had a ton of them in my display, and i added a mandarin and 2 wrasses. i haven't seen one in weeks since shortly after the new additions.
i hope that helps.
 
allansam

allansam

Member
I had a flatworm problem. The LFS said a six line wrasse would eat the flatworms. He has not ate a one. So i bought a scooter blenny and so far so good. I also heard a coral banded shrimp will eat them also.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
My Mandarin Dragonets eat a lot of mine. They didn't eliminate them but the population is kept in check.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2626771
i assume you are speaking of common red planaria. these animals are ambush predators, which eat pods. the less pods, the less planaria you will see.

Just sharing my observations: They're Convolutriloba Flatworms. I find it interesting that the common name is red Planaria and yet they're not red and they're not Planaria. :) They may eat pods but from what I can see they are nealy 100% photosynthetic and can obtain nutrients directly from the water column. So, they may be able to eat pods but they definately can survive long term with nothing but light and dissolved Phosphate & Nitrate.
 
candycane

candycane

Active Member
Originally Posted by ALLANSAM
http:///forum/post/2626929
I don't know whats going on in my tank ,but the flatworms are dissappearing

They are just called Planaria based on their species. Kind of like calling a Cardinal a Red Bird instead of what it actually is. Even though they are Convolutriloba, Planarian or Planaria just means; any species of turbellarian worm where the body is flat and thin and having two eyes. Just because they are "rusty red" they are called red planaria. I dunno, I never really got it myself.
Chances are that in your tank the scooter blenny may just be running them over like a steamroller since it just sort or rides along the substrate. But to my knowledge, this may be a question for Bang, they DO NOT have a pallet for flatworms. Them eating flatworms would be like undoing millions of years of evolution; but who knows - everything adapts at some point. I would think that peppermint shrimp might eat them (all though I have never studied it) just because they don't seem to care what invertebrate it is they eat, just as long as it fits in their mouth.
Flatworms exit is a good product, the problem isn't with the product but with the chemicals the dead flatworms release.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by candycane
http:///forum/post/2626991
Chances are that in your tank the scooter blenny may just be running them over like a steamroller since it just sort or rides along the substrate. But to my knowledge, this may be a question for Bang, they DO NOT have a pallet for flatworms. Them eating flatworms would be like undoing millions of years of evolution; but who knows - everything adapts at some point.
Humans eating Pufferfish is what I would equate it to. Animals also often display alternative behaviours in captivity especially when natural foods are not available.
 
jewban

jewban

Member
So, long story short, FWE is a good product but the dieoff is the harmful stuff. Blennies are not a good idea, I didnt hear anything about an arrow crab. I have a peppermint shrimp and no dice, you think I should try the mandarin approach?
 
mkzimms

mkzimms

Member
blue velvet nudibranch... they eat only flatworms. after they're all gone it will starve, but you could trade it to the next person on the boards who has a flatworm issue.
 
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