what eats flatworms

wtb_exotics · 03/01/2007, 04:52 PM

What eats flat worms?

I've heard mandarins and some dragonets may but none of mine will touch them. I am thinking of some wrasses but don't know which will do best.

Anyone have first hand experiance?

Thanks in advance

serpentman · 03/01/2007, 05:02 PM

I have seen 6-line wrasse eat them. They will not remove them completely from your tank but might help keep them in check. There are some nudibranchs that will eat them as well. However, they can come with their own set of issues.

Trnman32 · 03/01/2007, 06:53 PM

get a six line wrasse heres how I got mine to eat flatworms,take a turkey baster and squirt them into the water column and my sixline went nuts and in 6 or 7 days there were none to be seen!

bertoni · 03/01/2007, 07:26 PM

If you mean the red flatworms, there's no animal that will eat them reliably except a nudibranch. Sometimes, a fish will eat them, but definitely not always.

wtb_exotics · 03/02/2007, 08:07 AM

Thanks all,
I had a six line that ate nothing but my pods and mysids. I will try again an possibly look for a nudi. I am asuming you are talking about he velvet one.

Krazy · 03/02/2007, 09:38 AM

I've also herd that the yellow tail damsels can/will eat the flatworms

zoomfish1 · 03/02/2007, 10:04 AM

Unless your talking about the red flatworm, My red coris wrasse tore them up. They are, however, a bulldozer in the tank.

reeftanker04 · 03/02/2007, 10:24 AM

I had a lunare wrasse a few years back. Everytime I stirred the sand up a little bit the wrasse would gobble up every flat worm he could get to. He loved the things and kept my population down a little bit.

murfman · 03/02/2007, 11:13 AM

I have two yellow coris wrasses and have never seen a flat worm in my 125. I did catch them eating bristle worms the other day too.

dominga · 03/02/2007, 11:31 AM

Six line wrasse is a hit or miss, if you really want to treat your tank for flatworms use flatworm exit. That really works, but you must follow the instructions for dosage.
Good luck

JENnKerry · 03/02/2007, 03:58 PM

Arrow crabs will eat them as well.

bertoni · 03/02/2007, 03:58 PM

The velvet nudibranchs will starve to death after eating most, but not all, of the red flatworms (Convolutrilova retrogemma). I wouldn't bother with one, personally.

03/01/2007, 04:52 PM	#1
wtb_exotics Moved On Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 24	what eats flatworms What eats flat worms? I've heard mandarins and some dragonets may but none of mine will touch them. I am thinking of some wrasses but don't know which will do best. Anyone have first hand experiance? Thanks in advance

03/01/2007, 05:02 PM	#2
serpentman part time superhero Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Deep in the Heart of the Snowbelt (NE OHIO) Posts: 5,698	I have seen 6-line wrasse eat them. They will not remove them completely from your tank but might help keep them in check. There are some nudibranchs that will eat them as well. However, they can come with their own set of issues. __________________ BS in Marine Bio ('96), First SW tank in 1992. Current Tank(s) 300g SPS with 90g frag tank and 40 anemone tank - decommissioned 46g LPS/Softy Cube 300g FOWLR under construction - decommissioned

03/01/2007, 07:26 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	If you mean the red flatworms, there's no animal that will eat them reliably except a nudibranch. Sometimes, a fish will eat them, but definitely not always. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/02/2007, 10:04 AM	#7
zoomfish1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Claremore, Oklahoma Posts: 1,659	Unless your talking about the red flatworm, My red coris wrasse tore them up. They are, however, a bulldozer in the tank. __________________ Zoomfish Current Tank Info: 75g RR, dsb w/90 lbs sand, 150 lb live rock, anemone & LPS tank

03/02/2007, 11:31 AM	#10
dominga Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Milwaukee WI Posts: 262	Six line wrasse is a hit or miss, if you really want to treat your tank for flatworms use flatworm exit. That really works, but you must follow the instructions for dosage. Good luck __________________ "Every move you make I'll be watching you" Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef

03/01/2007, 06:53 PM	#3
Trnman32 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Yulee,just north of jville Posts: 189	get a six line wrasse heres how I got mine to eat flatworms,take a turkey baster and squirt them into the water column and my sixline went nuts and in 6 or 7 days there were none to be seen!

03/02/2007, 08:07 AM	#5
wtb_exotics Moved On Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 24	Thanks all, I had a six line that ate nothing but my pods and mysids. I will try again an possibly look for a nudi. I am asuming you are talking about he velvet one.

03/02/2007, 09:38 AM	#6
Krazy Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,941	I've also herd that the yellow tail damsels can/will eat the flatworms

03/02/2007, 10:24 AM	#8
reeftanker04 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 259	I had a lunare wrasse a few years back. Everytime I stirred the sand up a little bit the wrasse would gobble up every flat worm he could get to. He loved the things and kept my population down a little bit.

03/02/2007, 11:13 AM	#9
murfman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 4,670	I have two yellow coris wrasses and have never seen a flat worm in my 125. I did catch them eating bristle worms the other day too.

03/02/2007, 03:58 PM	#11
JENnKerry Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jersey Posts: 7,384	Arrow crabs will eat them as well. __________________ We Don't Have a Signature..... Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon Reef