Need help with flatworms

[tangman99]

I am dealing with my first ever problem with flatworms. I am not sure what type they are though. I have seen the description of bad red planaria and I'm not sure if that is what I have. My digital camera is getting repaired so I can't get a picture.
The largest are about 1/4 inch long and round on one end and like two round ends on the other end with a v shape between them. I wish I could think of a better explanation. They are a pink or almost purple color and I thought they were coraline algea before I saw one move around. The only place I see them are on my mushrooms and there are quite a few of them.
Attached is a simple drawing that resembles the shape and color of whatever it is all over my mushrooms. I've heard a six line wrass is good for getting rid of the them. Is that a good idea? I don't want to use flatworm exit unless I have too due to the risk of them polluting and killing my live stock.
Thanks for any help.

 

[nicky1.8t]

some wrasses will eat them, but they multiply very fast. They could take your tank over fast! I know you dont want to use flat worm exit, but I would think about. I would rather take a chance with losing some shrimp or something, instead of a whole reef.

 

[njfish77]

drawing looks like something else, not a flatworm

J/K anyways ive never heard of purple flatworms best bet would be get a pic somehowO(the shape description does sound like them thow

 

[tangman99]

Originally Posted by njfish77
drawing looks like something else, not a flatworm

J/K anyways ive never heard of purple flatworms best bet would be get a pic somehowO(the shape description does sound like them thow
Yeah, I almost used "that" as a description of one ran over by a truck, but I came to my senses before I hit the submit button. They have to be a flatwork because they are paper thin. I noticed them a few weeks ago and it does appear that I have more now, but they seem to confine themselves to my shrooms. There are none on my devils hand and I can't see any on the live rock.

 

[funkyman]

Ahhhhgghhh!! It's an outbreak of.....of......
ZEPLINS !!!

Seriously though, Flat Worm Exit is an excellent product. Follow the directions very closely, and everything will turn out fine. When I used it, I did it a second time 3 or 4 days after the initial treatment to get any stragglers.

 

[viper_930]

I've used Salifert's flatworm exit, and I still have the red planarias. I've heard of people using 2-4 times the recommended dosage with 100% flatworm dieoff. I used the recommended dosage and the only side-effect was that my SPS corals browned out, but I believe it's because my water change wasn't big enough; I only did a 15% water change. Something closer to 30-50% would have been much better. JME
TangMan99, change your avatar to something more appropriate. Thx

 

[tangman99]

Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
I've used Salifert's flatworm exit, and I still have the red planarias. I've heard of people using 2-4 times the recommended dosage with 100% flatworm dieoff. I used the recommended dosage and the only side-effect was that my SPS corals browned out, but I believe it's because my water change wasn't big enough; I only did a 15% water change. Something closer to 30-50% would have been much better. JME
TangMan99, change your avatar to something more appropriate. Thx
I also heard to use a lot of carbon also to help clear the water. I'm just not sure yet.
About my avatar, I have had that avatar for 3 or 4 months and no one has said anything about it. I have only been posting in the Aquarium lately so I have not been in the regular forums. I'll go ahead and change it though.

 

[chipmaker]

Spend a bit of time with a turkey baster and you will be surprised how many can be sucked out of the tank in short order. I stick a iece of hard airline tube 8in the end of a typical turkey baster so it has more added length to it, and hang a brine shrimp net over the edge of the tank, and start sucking up those flat worms, and empty it into the brine shrimp net which serves as a filter to retaiin them and allow the water to flow back into the tank.Any of the flat worm remidies dealing with chemicals would be my last resort.

 

[gtiguy]

A sixline wrasse ate all my nuisant flatworms as soon as i got him home, but he was so small in my 65 he dissappeared after a week, =(

 

[benter]

I used a blue velvet nudibranch, and rigged an airline tubing as a siphon hose and sucked them into a bucket. The airline tubing flow was slow, so it gave me quite a bit of time to suck them out. In 1 gallon of water you would be surprised how many you can get. The slug finished the rest off..

 

[tangman99]

I hooked up a tube today with a media bag over the end and syphoned off my mushrooms. I got a lot of them but there are many more. I may pick up a 6 line wrass tomorrow and see how he does. I'm not really sure if I'm going to use the Flatworm exit yet or not. I'm thinking it may be a good idea before I get too many.