View Full Version : plan to escape from the flatworms
mkengr45
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 11:26 AM
Heres the story, I have a 20g long that has 30 lb live rock, and lots of corals, mostly softies and a few brains. This tank is infested with flatworms and "zoo eating" nudibranch, and this sucks.I want to transfer all my stuff from the 20 over to a 37gallon tank already set up with LR and sand, and I dont want any friggin bad critters in the new tank (flatworms or zoo eaters). Should I
1) fresh water dip all corals and live rock (zoo's, shrooms, open & closed brains, ricordia)
2) shake everything like crazy under water and hope to knock off everything
3)use "flat worm exit" chemical, and then transfer everything before the water gets too toxic from the worm deaths.
let me know what you all think. Thanks for reading.
Randy
Isis
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 01:33 PM
I hate the idea of using chemicals in tanks... have you considered getting something that would eat the flat worms??
dan
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 02:20 PM
some one told that dotty backs eat flatworms. is this true?
Nano_Steve
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 02:35 PM
ive heard of sixlines takin out flatworms pretty effectively. i had a few in my 10 and when i got the wrasse i never saw em again.
hope it helps, steve
DeletedAccount
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 03:14 PM
My coris wrasse wiped out my flat worms...
matt
Mon, 9th Feb 2004, 05:48 PM
I've used flatworm exit, and it works well. Here's what I would do:
1. Try to remove as many flatworms as possible manually from everything you plan on putting in the new tank. This can be shaking, blowing them off with a powerhead, whatever. I'd limit the freshwater dip to as few things as possible. Maybe, instead, you could remove some water from your tank, put it in a bucket, put a triple dose of the flatworm exit in that water (like 3 drops/gallon) and dip your corals/rock in that for a few minutes.
2. Once everything is in the new tank, treat it with a heavy (double) dose of flatworm exit. The toxicity comes from dead flatworms. If you've removed almost all of the flatworms from the stuff going into the new tank, you should have very few in the new tank. You're not using any of your old sand, are you? And, I'd definitely dip/shake any pieces of rock going into the new tank.
3. Let the flatworm exit work in the new tank for a day, then remove it with carbon under some pressure. Again, you won't have much to worry about if you have done a good job removing the flatworms from the stuff going into the new tank. The treatment is just to make sure there are no survivors to reinfest your new tank.
::pete::
Thu, 12th Feb 2004, 05:49 PM
I just hit my tank with it and and it works.
I removed as many as I could get and after dosing continued removing them as they started coming out from crevices and floating into the water column. I would recommend getting them at first site and not waiting as it will decrease the toxins they release (the fewer the worms the better). It has been over 2 hrs and I see no signs of stress on anything. I have the carbon running to clear the chemical as well as the toxins. It worked so well that in 30 seconds they started floating.
mkengr45
Thu, 12th Feb 2004, 05:56 PM
thanks for all the advice, I will let you know how it goes.
Randy
malofish
Thu, 12th Feb 2004, 07:14 PM
If you havea sump you can suck the falt worms into 2literbottle turnedinside out and cut in half stuffed with filterfloss. Start the siphon and put the tube in the bottle, the flatworms will stay in the filterfloss and the water will go backinto the sump! Then find an old canister filter or a mag350 and fill it with carbon. Run this after you use the flatworm exit. It should cover the poisons emited by the die'n flat worms. Just an Idea.
Medinafish
Thu, 12th Feb 2004, 07:48 PM
I think running the carbon is a good idea. However, if would also use Polyfilter to remove any residual toxins.
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