Flatworm Infestation - Best treatment?

[Enad]

Hi all, this may not be the best section to post in so apologies if not.

I just noticed in my sump that I have a pretty significant flatworm infestation. I'm attaching a picture but it's hard to get a good picture as they're VERY small right now. This is just a few of them, there are dozens if not 100+ of them on the rest of the plastic nem box.

I noticed 1 or 2 larger flatworms on my Alveopora colony recently and dipped it, but I guess there were eggs or something and they ended up in the sump. I think these are too small to spot if they are in my display somewhere, which I'm sure they are but right now I am specifically seeing them on the plastic anemone box in my sump.

Now I know there are a few treatment options, so I'd love some recommendations. I believe these are standard red planaria based on the larger ones I spotted earlier.


Any help would be appreciated!

 

[VirginiaReefer]

what kind? small red/rust colored ones?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all, this may not be the best section to post in so apologies if not.

I just noticed in my sump that I have a pretty significant flatworm infestation. I'm attaching a picture but it's hard to get a good picture as they're VERY small right now. This is just a few of them, there are dozens if not 100+ of them on the rest of the plastic nem box.

I noticed 1 or 2 larger flatworms on my Alveopora colony recently and dipped it, but I guess there were eggs or something and they ended up in the sump. I think these are too small to spot if they are in my display somewhere, which I'm sure they are but right now I am specifically seeing them on the plastic anemone box in my sump.

Now I know there are a few treatment options, so I'd love some recommendations. I believe these are standard red planaria based on the larger ones I spotted earlier.


Any help would be appreciated!

Never invited are flatworms but best plan of attack is to siphon as many as you can with a 3/8' tube and then add a fish that will eat them such as Lunare-yellow coris or 6 line wrasse or a springieri damsel
Option B is to use Flatworm exit by salifert but it does not address any eggs that are likely in the system
For eggs, next 14 days look for any and scrape off outside of tank

 

[Enad]

Yeah, right now they're very small and under white light they are a light brown. The larger ones I saw were reddish brown.

 

[Enad]

Never invited are flatworms but best plan of attack is to siphon as many as you can with a 3/8' tube and then add a fish that will eat them such as Lunare-yellow coris or 6 line wrasse or a springieri damsel
Option B is to use Flatworm exit by salifert but it does not address any eggs that are likely in the system
For eggs, next 14 days look for any and scrape off outside of tank

I can try to Siphon but they are incredibly small at this point and I imagine if I'm seeing them all over my nem box, they're probably in plenty of places I cannot see.

I think I have a Springeri Damsel in my display? Honestly it was my first fish years ago and I don't really know exactly what I bought. It's a solid blue damsel.

I can try to pick one up temporarily for the sump. Might not be a bad idea. I've heard a 6 line is a bit better at parasite removal, would that be the better option for the sump?

I think Flatworm Exit would be a good path forward as I cannot reasonably locate where this infestation is stemming from.

Any tips for using Flatworm Exit?

 

[VirginiaReefer]

I can try to Siphon but they are incredibly small at this point and I imagine if I'm seeing them all over my nem box, they're probably in plenty of places I cannot see.

I think I have a Springeri Damsel in my display? Honestly it was my first fish years ago and I don't really know exactly what I bought. It's a solid blue damsel.

I can try to pick one up temporarily for the sump. Might not be a bad idea.

I think Flatworm Exit would be a good path forward as I cannot reasonably locate where this infestation is stemming from.

Any tips for using Flatworm Exit?

i beat these once with this exact advice. if you can pull rocks out into a bucket of tank water from a water change treated with flatworm exit do that and read about the process since dead ones release toxic chemicals. I did a springeri damsel with manual removal(siphoning as many as i can during water changes. made sure water parameters were good and havent seen them since

 

[Spare time]

A regular scooter dragonet should work.

 

[Enad]

i beat these once with this exact advice. if you can pull rocks out into a bucket of tank water from a water change treated with flatworm exit do that and read about the process since dead ones release toxic chemicals. I did a springeri damsel with manual removal(siphoning as many as i can during water changes. made sure water parameters were good and havent seen them since

Definitely not able to remove my rocks. I have a mature reef and my rocks are pretty heavily covered in coral. Too small right now to spot in the display but obviously I'll keep my eyes open. I'll prep for a large water change once I do the treatment though. Hopefully Lentil(my damsel) is eating the small ones in the display as we speak!

A regular scooter dragonet should work.

I've got Mandarin Dragonets, any idea if they'll lunch on flatworms too?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I can try to Siphon but they are incredibly small at this point and I imagine if I'm seeing them all over my nem box, they're probably in plenty of places I cannot see.

I think I have a Springeri Damsel in my display? Honestly it was my first fish years ago and I don't really know exactly what I bought. It's a solid blue damsel.

I can try to pick one up temporarily for the sump. Might not be a bad idea. I've heard a 6 line is a bit better at parasite removal, would that be the better option for the sump?

I think Flatworm Exit would be a good path forward as I cannot reasonably locate where this infestation is stemming from.

Any tips for using Flatworm Exit?

Dose at 85% of recommended. The dead ones need to be siphoned daily as they can release low level toxins

 

[VirginiaReefer]

Definitely not able to remove my rocks. I have a mature reef and my rocks are pretty heavily covered in coral. Too small right now to spot in the display but obviously I'll keep my eyes open. I'll prep for a large water change once I do the treatment though. Hopefully Lentil(my damsel) is eating the small ones in the display as we speak!



I've got Mandarin Dragonets, any idea if they'll lunch on flatworms too?

i couldnt pull mine out for the same reason, dosed my tank and killed a ton, sucked out as many as i could and all dead ones, ran carbon for a few days. but overall just manual removal with some close together water changes when they were out and about along with a springeri damsel took care of it mostly. i dont think the dragonets will go for them.

 

[Enad]

i couldnt pull mine out for the same reason, dosed my tank and killed a ton, sucked out as many as i could and all dead ones, ran carbon for a few days. but overall just manual removal with some close together water changes when they were out and about along with a springeri damsel took care of it mostly. i dont think the dragonets will go for them.

I believe I have a Chrysiptera cyanea damsel - standard blue damsel. Any idea if these guys are effective flatworm eaters?

 

[Spare time]

I've got Mandarin Dragonets, any idea if they'll lunch on flatworms too?

Probably. I just know of a case where a scooter dragonet wiped them out.

 

[Enad]

Here's the terrible picture I meant to attach.

 

[Enad]

I ended up taking the nem box out and sitting it in fresh water for awhile. Seeing as this is where the bulk of the infestation seemed to be, I'll probably wait and see if they reappear in force before doing any treatment. Still may go for a 6 line in the sump just to pick off any stragglers.

It's interesting, I inspected the rock that my little Nem is attached to(the one that resides in the aforementioned nem box), and I didn't see any flatworms on that what so ever. Odd that they'd all be attracted to this plastic box. Additionally, I couldn't spot any flatworms when using a flashlight on the skeleton of my Alveopora colony where I originally saw the two larger flatworms.

In any case, I'll keep the thread updated.

 

[VirginiaReefer]

I believe I have a Chrysiptera cyanea damsel - standard blue damsel. Any idea if these guys are effective flatworm eaters?

i dont know personally. google it and maybe someone has used them