My friends tank has flatworms.. Can I trade with him?

[synyster11]

I was just given two lose mushrooms from a friends tank that has flatworms. I have not put them in my tank yet and have them in a bag right here in front of me. I can see about 20 flatworms on each mushroom. I have none in my tank now…… Would a freshwater dip take care of these or is this a stupid risk. Keep in mind there are not attached to a rock. I am thinking a fresh water dip would get the worms and I can see if any survive pretty easy. What I am wondering is.. Are some of these so small that I cant even see them on the shroom and will end up in the tank.

 

[kahnsell]

Do not introduce them to your tank!!!!
You need to get the flatworms off of the rocks before you put them in your tank. You should do a flatworm Exit drip for the new corals. Do a search and you will find out how to do it.
Good luck...

 

[synyster11]

These shrooms are loose "no rock" so I can see them on the underside of the shroom. I was thinking I could just do a fresh water dip and it would kill them. Is this not the case?
What scares me is that idea that one or two little tiny ones will get by me.....

 

[clarkiiboi]

From what I read here, I really hope you did a flatworm exit dip. I dont know how well a FW dip would do. By now they are in the tank---what did you decide to do?

 

[crusinlow]

anyone got a pic

 

[thomas712]

Please don't say you added them. Flatworms are a royal PITA to get out once they start. I am plauged with them again, they can hide in tiny places and it only takes a few to wind up with several hundred or thousands of them.
When they die they leave toxins in the water that can kill when there is sufficiant die off of the flatworms.
You do not want to introduce them to your tank, IMO, IME.
Thomas

 

[synyster11]

Well I put the shrooms into my QT tank. I had to move some corals out of it first but there is only one small coral in there left with 2 anemones and some fish. I did two 8-10 second fresh water dips with the two small shrooms "no rock" just shooms and the flatworms that were attached came flying off in about 2 seconds and died in about 4 seconds. The second dip was just for safe measure as I could see nothing left on them. I will keep an eye on them on the qt tank for a while since that tank is going to be used to QT the new fish I am getting in the next few months.
Ok, so if there is a good chance my LFS around have flatworms that means that every coral I buy I am going to have to do this flatworm exit dip first. Sometimes, I hate this hobby.....

 

[krishj39]

Eh, flatworm exit dips aren't much of a pain, it's a simple process that only takes a few minutes. As far as prevention of pests go, I think flatworms are just about the easiest.