Free Live Rock

[ctkecth]

I have the opportunity to aquire three beautiful pieces of live rock to form the base of my new 90 gallon set-up. The guy who is giving it to me informed me that I will also be aquiring flatworms. Not sure if I want to introduce them into my system. I saw the rocks they are beautiful pieces with fantastic coraline algae, there will be no die off as the rock is about five or ten minutes from my house. Do I take them and deal with the worms or not?

 

[renogaw]

could always get a fish to take care of the flatworms.

 

[ctkecth]

What fish would eat them? He did not think any would- but he is also a coral guy.

 

[renogaw]

always have read that sixlines will eat bristle and flat worms.
offsubject: does your login name mean you're from CT?

 

[ctkecth]

Yup. Live in Washington

 

[zman1]

I would never knowingly put flatworms in my tank!!!!! Your tank, your call. I would at least flatworm eXit them in a separate trash can first. I have been through a AEFW infestation, got if from a frag. Never will I add frags again without first dipping in Flatworm eXit.....

 

[renogaw]

ahh, a little west there's a couple of people from hartford area on here. its nice to see more people from CT here--it seems texas, florida, and california have the monopoly

 

[lion_crazz]

I totally agree. I would definitely flatworm exit them in a separate container a few times before adding the rock to your tank.
A sixline wrasse usually will not eat flatworms. There is not really a fish that will always do it.

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
I totally agree. I would definitely flatworm exit them in a separate container a few times before adding the rock to your tank.
A sixline wrasse usually will not eat flatworms. There is not really a fish that will always do it.
then i apologize. 2 websites (including this one) and a book all say sixlines will.

 

[lion_crazz]

I am not knocking you, the books, or the websites. I am just speaking from my own personal experience. I had a very bad case of flatworms once, and I tried 2 different sixlines, and neither of them touched the flatworms.

 

[renogaw]

didn't consider being knocked this board has a lot more accurate info than a lot of other sourses simply due to life experiences.
being the first rock in his tank, should he still get it and use the flatworm exit?

 

[lion_crazz]

I see nothing wrong in picking it up, but I would flatworm exit it and put it in a 10 gallon quarantine tank to suck off the remaining flatworms.
When I had my case, I just took a siphon hose and sucked every one off the rocks.
It's amazing how many came off when the suction hit the rocks.

 

[zman1]

There is also a nudibranch that eats them. I'd personally prefer the chemical option, that one works every time. the fish could be hit and miss or nudi dying before one flat is eaten. The chemical approach also killed a lot of the little white brittle stars when I used it.

 

[rhino]

This may sound stupid but here goes. What is the problem with flatworms? I got some live rock recently and I cured it for 1 month and since putting it my tank my water is horrible. It isn't clear and smells polluted. When it was curing I found a slug like worm in the rock and figure that more are dieing off ing the rock and polluting my tank. Any thoughts?

 

[teen]

my sixline ate flatworms off the tank glass, but would not touch the ones that were on th LR or sand bed.
if your tank isnt high in nutrients, the flatworms will die off over time anyway from starvation.
i agree though to take the rock and do a flatworm exit treatment.

 

[lion_crazz]

Flatworms will cover everything once they start reproducing and will make your rock look terrible and will begin to cover your corals as well.

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by zman1
I would never knowingly put flatworms in my tank!!!!! Your tank, your call. I would at least flatworm eXit them in a separate trash can first. I have been through a AEFW infestation, got if from a frag. Never will I add frags again without first dipping in Flatworm eXit.....
im pretty sure that flatwrom exit was proven to not kill acro eating flatworms. do you also use a lugols dip or tropic marin pro coral cure?

 

[zman1]

Actuallly the Acro Eating FlatWorms eats Acros and the other eat pods. Not sure what high nutrients has to do with it.

 

[zman1]

Originally Posted by teen
im pretty sure that flatwrom exit was proven to not kill acro eating flatworms. do you also use a lugols dip or tropic marin pro coral cure?
you sure your not referring to Red Bugs

 

[teen]

im sure