What are these things?

[two11devan]

Hey all. I have noticed a bunch of little red thigs covering my sand bed and my live rock. I have no idea what they are. They almost look like little red flakes. They are rectangular in shape. I think they may be some sort of a flat worm. Only guessing b/c I saw a couple move around today. They only slide about 1/8th of an inch and just sit there. I wish I had a poic but i don't have a digital camera. Sorry! Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[fishfreek]

Are they kind of like a nautical flag?

IE they are rectangular in shape on three sides but one side is as if you pushed the center of the box in to form a V?

Sounds like the infamous flatworms. These can become a nasty plauge.

 

[reefrunner69]

Sounds like red flatworms....

Flatworm Exit

 

[two11devan]

Great.....I take it these guys are a bad deal....whats the best way to get rid of em?

 

[stresco]

Yup...sounds like flatworms to me. I have them too. In fact, I am starting the treatment of my tank for them tonight at 11:00PM.

 

[reefrunner69]

The Flatworm Exit, wasn't a mantra, it is a treatment, by salifert. Heard nothing but good things about it

 

[stresco]

The Flatworm Exit, wasn't a mantra, it is a treatment, by salifert. Heard nothing but good things about it

Thats what im gonna use. Just trying to phych myself up for it. Gotta watch the tank for 6 hours after treatment, then add carbon. :?

 

[kreach]

Salifert's Flatworm Exit is simply awsome! It took care of a nasty flatworm infestaton we had awhile back. It also can be used as a dip for new corals and rock to help keep from introducing new flatworms into your tank.

 

[two11devan]

Haha....thanks kevin. I'll give it a shot. I guess I gotta find 6hrs to watch the tank in order to do it. :?

 

[stresco]

Done!!!!!!!!

I used a PH to blow as many of them off the rocks before I started and syphoned as many of them as i could out of the tank (with 5 gal of water). I replaced the water i removed with fresh saltwater. Then i added 65 drops of the Flatworm exit to 1 cup of tank water. I figured 1 drop per gallon of water, in a 55gal tank with a 10 wet\dry, and a 10 gal fuge, with 3"dsb and about 120lbs of LR in the system, would equal about 65 gal of water (best guess :? ). I had about 1.5lbs of GAC ready in a micron bag. I poured the water with the Flatworm Exit into a high flow area of the tank. Within 5 minutes I had a storm of dead flatworms floating around in the tank . I syphoned as many of the dead ones out that I could (about another 5gal of water). I then replaced the water with fresh salt water and added the GAC to my sump. I waited about an hour, and added another 26 drops of FWE into the tank, just in case the GAC started pulling it out too soon. Then this morning i did a 20gal water change, and syphoned out all the dead flatworms i could see in the sand. Of course i removed a lot of sand with all this syphoning, so i added about 2 cups of fresh sand to the system. When i rinsed the pre-filter and dumped the water i could see hundreds of dead flat worms. It was a massacre, but it had to be done...

 

[snapcrackler]

Wow!

How does the flatworm exit solution specifically target flatworms and not other organisms? That's cool.

 

[kreach]

It was a massacre, but it had to be done...

There's an evil sort of pleasure in watching them twitch and die, isn't there?

 

[stresco]

There's an evil sort of pleasure in watching them twitch and die, isn't there?

Hehehehe Yes there is! Its a satisfying type of pleasure

 

[stresco]

Im not sure how it targets just Flatworms and not other inverts as well, but i did find a thread on RC that says you can use a perscription grade heart worm medicine for dogs to treat your tank for flatworms. Maybe Salifert just uses it's active ingrediant.

 

[reefrunner69]

I do not believe that works for flat worm, that is the treatment for redbugs, (amphipods) in acropora.

 

[stresco]

Maybe you are right Kevin, it has been a while since i read that post.

 

[reefrunner69]

I hope I am anyway, cause I am gonna have to be doing the treatment for red bugs in the near future (I gotta wait till I can afford a new detrivore kit + overnight shipping of said detrivore kit), and I don't want to learn that it is getting less specific on what it kills.

 

[daclozer]

try a long nose hawkish also.. I had one decimate a bad infestation...