Renting Wrasse for flatworms - question...

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SkinnyPete

Aquarium Advice Freak
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Feb 4, 2005
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So, I've been battling flatworms for what seems like forever. I've been keeping them at bay, but have been doing a lot of work on the house during the spring and haven't been siphoning out as often as usual.

I also have seahorses so I need to have low flow and feed often. The only fish I have in there right now are the two seahorses and a mandarin eating frozen mysis daily - and a cleaner shrimp. I have an empty 20 gallon tank that I may move everyone to temporarily so that I can go buy, well "rent", a six-line wrasse to help eat the flatworms. I HAVE to get rid of these things once and for all, so i was planning on leaving the wrasse in the tank for a few weeks as i continue to siphon out flatworms, then nuke the tank with fw exit and move everyone back.

My question is - I know every fish is it's own fish, but are six lines pretty proven as far as eating flatworms? Are two six lines compatible? I've got a 110g so I know I have the room. Would two weeks be enough time for them to at least make a dent before the fw nuke? I do plan on returning the fish to the store or selling them to someone in my local club when they're done.

Thanks. And just as an fyi - I have posted questions about fw in the past and have done a lot of research on them so i know about light, siphoning, overfeeding, flow, etc. I'm more curious about the wrasse information.

Thanks all.
 
How do you plan on catching a 6 line in a 110 gal tank? I would like to see this.. I just tried to catch a 6 line in a 55 with most of the lr out and it did not happen..
Every fish is diff so its a 50/50 shot on them even eating them.
Good luck and keep us posted on the FW battle. I have about 1000 or maybe 2000 {lost count} in my 55 that I plan on nuking in a few weeks so LMK how you make out.

Good luck.
 
I've never seen a 6-line completely erradicate them. I've seen them keep them in check on an ongoing basis, but not something you could put one in and expect it to remove them all. Your best bet is going to be a super-dose of FWE. You need to do 3-6x the recommended dose, though.

I've done that without removing the animals with great success, but I don't have seahorses, FWIW.

If I were you, I'd remove the animals, do the FWE superdose (6x). Siphon out as many of them as you can during the first hour because they do release toxins when they die. Wait 24 hours and do a massive water change (75%). I'd even go so far as to give the rocks a swish in fresh water for good measure before I returned the animals back to their home.

Half hearted attempts to remove them will just create a resistant strain which will be harder to get rid of the next time.
 
Yeah, I wasn't expecting the six-line to completely wipe them out - but, more just to make a dent before the FWExit treatment....but, I guess if I'm removing the animals ANYWAY, the amount of toxins from the flatworms won't really matter that much.

Excellent point about removing the six-line. I didn't even think about that. It took me forever to catch a yellow tang nevermind two six-lines. Great thought, and that alone has me rethinking that idea. I'm sure it would have hit me the minute I introduced them "Wait a minute, how am I gonna get them out?" Thanks.

So, I did treat with the recommended dosage of flatworm exit 8-9 months ago and it didn't completely wipe them out. Hopefully I didn't create a crazy zombie 28 Days Later rage infected species of flatworm in the process. Otherwise, I'm in trouble.

Okay - so I guess the plan is, move the fish, maybe keep lights off for a couple days (that seems to temporarily at least cut back numbers), then nuke the tank with what dosage? Seriously 3-6xs????? That's like 3 bottles. Then, I do a massive water change, and dose again? I've read dosing again with 2xs recommended dosage the next day and keeping that dosage in the water for a week will help to keep them from returning.
 
Leaving the lights off sounds like a good second step.

Yeah, I'd do 3 bottles. Since you don't have animals in there the water change can wait 24 hours and then replace the lion's share of the water from the system (whatever you can effectively get out). Then you shouldn't have to dose again. I think the second day dosage is assuming that you're doing a massive water change in between.

Siphon out as many as you can during the process, just in case you aren't able to remove all of the water after the initial dose.

Good luck. You definitely want to get them for good this time around!
 
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