Purple worm infestation

[moonstreak2005]

My daughter has a 29g mixed tank that has been established for over a yr. Nothing new had been added for several months. All of a sudden the tank is overrun with very tiny flat purple worms. They are all over her corals and the corals are slowly dying. I looked up flatworms and although they look similar, I can't find any that are purple. Any idea? Any known way to get rid of them? She has tried putting a target mandarin in there a couple times, but they die in a day.

 

[Buffy]

Try this link, further down on the page are flatworms and there is one that is kinda purple.

Worm Hitch Hikers

 

[moonstreak2005]

Thanks Buffy, I checked it out, they don't look quite the same but it has to be some type of flatworm I'm guessing since they're definitely flat. While trying to hunt for something that looks like what's in her tank I did read that blue damsels will also eat flatworms so I told her to try throwing a couple of those in there and see what happens. There's nothing in the tank they would hurt other than hopefully the worms.

 

[carey]

I'm not sure about the damsels, but flatworm exit worked for me in my 20g. It took several treatments but they are finally all gone. And I had an absolute infestation, I mean like thousands of them. It was horrible...

 

[joy13]

Blue damsels and yellow coris wrasses are the best at natural flatworm eradication however don't expect them to get them all and if you have less aggressive fish don't use either one. I would only get one damsel as well.

If you go the flatworm exit make sure you follow the directions carefully and retreat the tank after about 5 days so the eggs have a chance to hatch.

 

[Buffy]

So do the flatworms just sorta come to life like everything else in the tank appears to just materialize?