Flat worms = pain in the but

[fishy7]

ok. I have a bad case of these guys and do not want to treat with Flat worm Exit.
I have tried the following:
1) BV nudi
2) 6 line
3) Suck a bunch out during a water change.
I just added a large Arrow crab hopeing he will start chowing down.
What the heck do these guys eat want to cut off food supply?
Thanks for any help.

 

[reefreak29]

hello ,
flatworms are very difficult to get rid of, first the best preditor imo would be the yellow canary wrasse(never garanteed though) second very large water changes like 100 percent yes you pretty much have to empty your tank out to eliminate these

 

[scotts]

Why do you not want to use flat work exit? I have not had to use it (knock on wood) but I have read enough people on here say that it works, including at lest two of the mods. So that is good enough for me, if I had to use it I would.

 

[petjunkie]

I've used flatworm exit before on full reef tanks no problem, just follow the directions to the T and you'll be fine. That said you will likely have to treat a few times before you get them all. Have you tried cutting off all food and leaving the lights off for a week? The brown ones are photosynthic so that may lower their numbers a little.

 

[sprang]

I have a bad prob. too, and My friend says that they can kill your tank with the toxins they leave when they die. I really don't want the risk, but nothing else seems to work! Anyone know what is in flatworm exit that kills the flatworms, and not your other inverts?

 

[krazekajin]

flatworm exit has to be used exactly like the instructions say, because it is not the chemical in flatworm exit that can harm your tank, it is the secretions that the dying flatworms have. Thus, it is important to have lots of fresh saltwater so you can do large water changes and lots of carbon.
I am currently battling flatworms and I am hesitant to use Flatworm exit.
One person said that if you take airline tubing (smaller diameter tubing has a greater suction than larger diameter tubing) and put a very fine mesh bag on the end, you can can siphon out the flatworms, and keep putting back the siphon water into your tank because the flatworms get trapped in the mesh bag. This allows you to siphon out for a long time without having to keep mixing up fresh water.
Reeffreak<
Why does emptying your tank help?

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by KrazeKajin
Reeffreak<
Why does emptying your tank help?

your pretty much starting over

 

[fishy7]

Is there anything they are attacted to? Kind of like bugs to lights?

I am feeling like flatworm exit is the only way to make this happen

 

[curlsoc]

I'd swear I heard someone say to put a flashlight up to the tank and they will come like bugs to the light. Worth a shot!

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by reefreak29
hello ,
flatworms are very difficult to get rid of, first the best preditor imo would be the yellow canary wrasse(never garanteed though) second very large water changes like 100 percent yes you pretty much have to empty your tank out to eliminate these
I've got a case of white flat worms and have syphoned some out with a turkey baster, which has kept their population from rebounding, though I've heard the same things from numerous people about the yellow canary/coris wrasse and will probably be getting one myself. They're not much $ and it will probably be better to have a natural solution in the long rum, imo.

 

[fishy7]

thanks for the suggestions. I thought of using a PH to suck them out and filter through a net and the water goes back through the sump...