Salifert Flatworm Exit

[StevenSeas]

Has anybody had any experience using Salifert's Flatworm exit and any advise for somebody looking into using this product?

[Bill S]

How bad are your flatworms?

The only real negative I've heard about this product is that if you have a big infestation, the die off can dramatically effect water quality.

BTW, many wrasses are good flatworm controllers.

[StevenSeas]

Well over the weekend when my buddy was feeding my tank he way over fed and the population exploded unfortunatley, so with the large population that could cause an issue with a higher concentration of the toxins that they release. I have tried 2 6 line wrasses and my tomato clowns wont allow them to live in my tank... I was thinking since I have to take down my whole system this weekend that i could move it as normal. Then when i begin setting it up again keep all the fish and inverts out of the tank and put all the rock and sand in it with 50 % water. Then dose the tank and remove as many flatworms as possible and run carbon in a HOB filter. Then fill up the tank diluting the toxins by 50% or so. Then do a large partial the following day, replace carbon and place the livestock back into the tank. I could setup the 10 gallon that I use as an ATO resivor as a holding facility until the tank is treated. Would it be best to treat the coral via dip or with the rock and the sand? Any other ideas, suggestions, comments, experinces are welcome.

[StevenSeas]

does this seem like a viable plan?

[Ping]

another option:

leave fish out
attach a piece of rigid airline tubing to an air hose.
clip a mesh bag (I used the type that comes with carbon or other media) to a bucket, or sump if you have one
Syphon as many as you can see, pour water back in tank if you have no sump.
Dose flatworm exit
Run a small amount of carbon overnite. (how large is your tank?=we could reccomend how much carbon required)
Replace fish
lower feeding and light for a week

[alton]

Sounds good to me except I would keep fish and corals out of your main tank for at least a week and test before putting them back in. Also with moving the tank you will bring up other issues which will compound with your flat worm problems. You might want to try a Mandarin if you find any flat worms later?

[StevenSeas]

My DT is 20 gallons w/ 5 gallons of filtration space on either side of the 20 gallons however the water level isnt lower so I cant run anything to the sump. So total tank volume is between 25-30 gallons.
Ping - You dont recomend a partial water change to dilute some of the toxins to ensure the toxisisty of it decreases and the carbon absorbs the majority of it. Why lower light for a week, does it cut back on their food source or just to lower stress on the remaining wanted livestock?

Alton - what would I be testing for? I thought the flatworms released a toxin is there a test for that, or would I be testing for something else? What problems would be compounded w/ the flatworm problem, just the normal stressors on the fish? Luckely they are pretty hardy fish last time i moved them up here the temp dropped to like 65 and they were fine as could be lol, not aiming for that to happen again...too much stress for me lol. And im afraid my clowns would harass any fish I add.

[alton]

With you moving your tank you will be stiriing everything up (I don't know if you have a sand bed) and may get a ammonia spike.

[StevenSeas]

I do have a sand bed but was debating on keeping the sand and a half inch or so of water in the DT during travel to prevent too much of a spike. Im not sure why but i didnt get a registerable spike w/ my last move... idk hopefully it doesnt happen again (crosses fingers)

[Ping]

Sorry, I overlooked the water change

My thought on putting the corals in the treated water is the rock where the corals are attached will harbor flatworms

As for lighting...I dont remember which, but either the adults or jeveniles contain a photosynthetic energy source.

[StevenSeas]

So are you recommending I do a water change then too?


As for lighting...I dont remember which, but either the adults or jeveniles contain a photosynthetic energy source.
Hmm interesting will look into that, thought they just ate some of the microfauna? But they are concentrated on the lower half of my tank so idk how much lessening the light cycle will help but will try at any rate... plus just means more actinic time :)

Ya i was thinking the same thing with keeping the corals in the tank just didnt want to risk them lol but I know they should stay in the tank for a thorough treatment

[StevenSeas]

OK well i decided that before i nuke my tank potentially that I am just going to order blue velvet nudibranchs from work and hope that eradicates the problem. supposedly they dine almost if not whole one the exquisitely tasting flatworms lol

[StevenSeas]

Im hoping something like this happens


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HculvHk4CiU

[Ping]

Yes I would do a large water change

What will the nudi eat when the flatworms are gone

[StevenSeas]

Well I am doubtful in its ability to wipe out the entire population in my tank. Dependent on how fast he eats up the flatworms would determine my next course of action. If slowly then most likely the population will be able to sustain him for a long period of time, who knows I might even try to grow out the lil buggers in a separate area to have a constant food supply. If quickly then I know a few other tanks where he would be welcome to eat up the flatworms and then trading back and forth might work (provided the flatworms repro=duce quick enough) or I could start up a nudi share program much like the sea hare one.

[BSJF]

I believe their life span is very short (a few months).

[BSJF]

Take a quarter inch airline tub and siphon out all of them that you can find, let the nudi find the rest. Siphon every day! I would even freshwater dip the corals that are infested. You can use a hyposalinity dip (1.009) instead of freshwater to reduce the stress.

[sharkboy]

i've used the salifert flatworm exit in the past and it was a success...i had a large population in a 215 gallon tank...i dosed and siphoned out as much as i could and did large water changes...no problems to my corals/fish...good luck!