First reef tank - am I tackling flatworms properly?

[journee]

Hello! I am starting my first reef tank after months of research and a really lucky facebook marketplace package deal for a tank + stand. I have done more research than I will probably ever use, but value experience of others over my own research.

I cycled my tank with live sand/rock from an established tank known to have flatworms already. I think this is a welcome challenge in dealing with pests and learning how before I introduce livestock, so I don't mind at all. I wanted to know if anyone has any tricks of the trade I may be missing out on due to my lack of experience in dealing with flatworms? Current plan of attack is to blast the rocks/sand then siphon out visible ones followed by a Salifert flatworm-exit treatment.

Oh and heres my tank!

 

[Turkeysammich]

I’m normally a fan of keeping the bio but your aquarium looks new. Like new bio. Not mature at all. I would kill everything by washing with freshwater and start over. Save yourself the headaches.

 

[B the Nano Reefer]

Welcome to the hobby. You are unlikely to ever completely eradicate flatworms (though not impossible I guess). Would never recommend that a beginner introduce rocks known to have flat worms into any system let alone a new system. But now that you have, siphon and flatworm exit is likely only a temporary solution.

The one positive is that you don’t have any live stock so you can do multiple pretty potent treatments of flatworm exit. It will take multiple effective treatments over a few weeks to have the most success and break the cycle (since flatworm exit will do nothing to eggs).

Or start over…

 

[journee]

Welcome to the hobby. You are unlikely to ever completely eradicate flatworms (though not impossible I guess). Would never recommended that a beginner introduce rocks known to have flat worms into any system let alone a new system. But now that you have, siphon and flatworm exit is likely only a temporary solution.

The one positive is that you don’t have any live stock so you can do multiple pretty potent treatments of flatworm exit. It will take multiple effective treatments over a few weeks to have the most success and break the cycle (since flatworm exit will do nothing to eggs).

Or start over…

Yeah I'm willing to do a really heavy dose over a few weeks, but figured there were some tricks to it. What would someone do with a really mature tank that they didn't want to break down if they got flatworms?

 

[B the Nano Reefer]

Yeah I'm willing to do a really heavy dose over a few weeks, but figured there were some tricks to it. What would someone do with a really mature tank that they didn't want to break down if they got flatworms?

Population control vs total eradication, in most cases. Flatworms are a PITA

What type of flat worm are you dealing with exactly?

In addition to an insane amount of manual removal and some chemical treatment those with more real estate have success also introducing biological treatment like a 6 line or yellow Corris wrasse. These are hit or miss sometimes depending on the specimen. There are others I’m sure. Also a certain nudi but wouldn’t recommend.

 

[journee]

Sorry, I'm so new I dont know what PITA is or even the different kinds of flatworms T_T I did take this really close-up picture of one though on the first day I noticed them!

Also thank you for teaching me, good to know!

 

[B the Nano Reefer]

PITA = pain in the ass

My guess, would be red planaria if they’re pretty tiny.

Multiply fast. Other than being visibly unpleasant on rocks and corals, in small numbers they’re just a nuisance. When they multiply uncontrolled they can irritate corals. When they die they release a toxin which means if large enough numbers die at once, could impact other livestock.

If you have the option to restart and fresh water dip all rock and fresh water rinse all sand, I would. Easier to do that now. May seem daunting but you will be glad you did in the long run.

Otherwise, manual removal and chemical treatment for the foreseeable future. If stocking permits, a six-line, yellow Coris or Melanurus for ongoing management.

 

[Darkxerox]

I've never had luck with biological control with these. I'd drain the tank like others said, refill with RODI water, let it circulate for at least a day (stir up the sand a ton) then get one of the club's Genesis rocks to re-seed after doing a water change and bringing up salinity.

 

[MichaelB]

These can grow to plague proportions very fast. Flat worm exit worked for me. But it took like 6 bottles and 6 weeks. In one tank I still have a few.

Fwe will kill adults but not eggs so goal is to break the cycle. Miss even 1-2 and problem returns. Looking at the tank i would honestly do freshwater dip. Or do a triple dose of fwe twice a week for 3-4 weeks in a row. If you had tons of fish you csn sphion out the dead ones to prevent toxin spreading not a issue for you according to your picture.


That tank maybe cycled but I wouldn't call it anywhere close to a mature system. So I would just use rodi for 24hours personally. Fwe can get expensive and your not garenteed to get them all even flowing my advice. I had wrasses they controlled numbers but they multiple faster than wrasses could eat them. So that was control at best not eradication.

They also feed on copepods so if pods numbers rise in future expect the flatworms to spike in numbers as well like a ebb and flow.

Either could work but for cheapest and sure way to nuke them do fresh rodi water headache free. We have clean biobricks and rock in club that could easily reseed your tank.

 

[journee]

These can grow to plague proportions very fast. Flat worm exit worked for me. But it took like 6 bottles and 6 weeks. In one tank I still have a few.

Fwe will kill adults but not eggs so goal is to break the cycle. Miss even 1-2 and problem returns. Looking at the tank i would honestly do freshwater dip. Or do a triple dose of fwe twice a week for 3-4 weeks in a row. If you had tons of fish you csn sphion out the dead ones to prevent toxin spreading not a issue for you according to your picture.


That tank maybe cycled but I wouldn't call it anywhere close to a mature system. So I would just use rodi for 24hours personally. Fwe can get expensive and your not garenteed to get them all even flowing my advice. I had wrasses they controlled numbers but they multiple faster than wrasses could eat them. So that was control at best not eradication.

They also feed on copepods so if pods numbers rise in future expect the flatworms to spike in numbers as well like a ebb and flow.

Either could work but for cheapest and sure way to nuke them do fresh rodi water headache free. We have clean biobricks and rock in club that could easily reseed your tank.

Thank you so much this seems like a good plan thank you for showing all the options too. Do you think it would be faster to re-cycle the whole tank than it would be to try to fully eradicate them? Its only a 20 gallon with no fish in it so I kinda figured treating it medicinally and heavily would do the trick quickly but now, from your answer and others, its seeming like that isn't the best play to make. hmmmm

 

[journee]

I've never had luck with biological control with these. I'd drain the tank like others said, refill with RODI water, let it circulate for at least a day (stir up the sand a ton) then get one of the club's Genesis rocks to re-seed after doing a water change and bringing up salinity.

Wow I'm shocked this is such a huge wreck for the tank in the way people have explained it to be - this must be really killer if you have a super mature tank with expensive livestock and corals. I had no idea it was this serious! Here I was thinking I was just getting a lil lesson in pest control and it would be over in a couple days

 

[Alexander1312]

Wow I'm shocked this is such a huge wreck for the tank in the way people have explained it to be - this must be really killer if you have a super mature tank with expensive livestock and corals. I had no idea it was this serious! Here I was thinking I was just getting a lil lesson in pest control and it would be over in a couple days

So, yes, I do not call my tank fully mature, but this is the case for me, inherited from a time I did not know much about proper dipping methods.

Believe me, if there was a good treatment method I would have applied it to my tank. Managing the issue is my path of treatment, not eradication.

Since you are only starting out, take the advice given and restart.

There is a treatment with Elimiphos, a lanthanum chloride product, or I am personally even thinking these days of a blue velvet nudibranch, but all of this makes not much sense in your situation.

 

[Darkxerox]

Wow I'm shocked this is such a huge wreck for the tank in the way people have explained it to be - this must be really killer if you have a super mature tank with expensive livestock and corals. I had no idea it was this serious! Here I was thinking I was just getting a lil lesson in pest control and it would be over in a couple days

It's one of those things that if you can avoid it, then you have one less headache to deal with. They die almost instantly in potassium chloride or freshwater so it's easy to keep from getting into your tank once you have proper dipping procedures.

I've had them in my 29g tank for probably 15+ years and they're a nuisance, but nothing lethal unless you nuke them. It's been on my list of things to redo but I probably won't until this tank breaks eventually.

 

[Slingfox]

I am not sure what kind of flatworms you have but for SPS folks, acro eating flatworms are considered to be the worse and most devastating pest. Common recommendation is it takes a complete tank breakdown or restart to eradicate them. There are less extreme ways to do address them (ie, dip all coral every week for months on end sometimes works) but this is not something you want to attempt if it can be avoided.

If I were you I would do a complete restart. If it was me I would be so paranoid I would likely just drain the tank and leave everything dry for a month (or keep the rocks in freshwater during that time). Live rock is a great way to start a new tank but not if the rock contains one of the most notorious and difficult to eradicate pests.

 

[MichaelB]

Yes at 20 gallons no fish, no clean up crew either snails hermits etc?

It's a no brainer to reset the tank. Dealing with flatworms can be a nightmare especially for someone just starting out.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

I have dealt with and helped other with red planaria flatworms many many many times.

It is labor intensive, biological controls are almost mandatory for long term management if you can't eradicate from a complex system.

Freshwater kills these things very quickly. They love to collect on lighted surfaces and I have dipped a frogspawn coral colony of 40+ heads in a bucket of rodi and watched thousands fall off like dying leaf

You want to dip as much as you can. Corals, rocks, pumps... Get as many of the FW out of your tank as you can. They release toxins when they die.

Next is to start siphoning out as many as you can. If you have limited saltwater, you can siphon into the sump/bucket and use a filter sock to catch the FW. Blow out nooks and crevices to dislodge any FW you can.

If the FW are not coming out with a siphon, then a partial dose of FW Exit will weaken them.

I have stopped at this point and used a yellow coris wrass to keep the FW population under control.

I have also had good luck with FW Exit. Siphon the FW out as they die, blow out the tight spots. Run carbon.

If I had a new tank with FW, i would just start over.

 

[Coral reefer]

Might as well turn this into a tank journal. Welcome. Fix the problem now or live with it forever

 

[PjFish]

I second everyone opinion of now is the time to irradiate flat worm in one swoop! But if you do chose Flatworm exit.. Fill a container with a quart of tank water then add a few flat worms from your tank. Start adding drops of flatworm exit pausing and stirring between drops until you see them actually die, curl up, freak out scream then die again!!!! Nothing more satisfying lol.. This will then tell you how many drops are lethal. Then just multiply the drops to gallon ratio and repeating with every treatment thereafter. I took out all inverts before treatment..My dose was double per directions on box that actually worked. Not sure why either their product varies or flatworms have different tolerances used to the juice. This worked in smallish established tanks. I wouldn’t use it large tanks just to risky since Ive read reports of this stuff nuking tanks.

 

[PjFish]

Cycling a tank is one of the easiest and quickest part of the hobby fun to watch life emerge and proliferate. Not dealing with the devil your first card game! Practice dipping corals and starting with healthy livestock ick free..High Tide Aquatics sells healthy quarantined fish plus everything you need starting out in the hobby. Best of luck

 

[journee]

Cycling a tank is one of the easiest and quickest part of the hobby fun to watch life emerge and proliferate. Not dealing with the devil your first card game! Practice dipping corals and starting with healthy livestock ick free..High Tide Aquatics sells healthy quarantined fish plus everything you need starting out in the hobby. Best of luck

This is a super good response and way to look at it. Ill probably do the restart today. Thanks for all the info