Amphiscolops sp flatworm (I think) - will they kill all my Tisbe Pods?

Zpmada · 12/21/2020, 10:52 AM

I'm trying to prepare my 75 gallon for a Mandarin Dragonette and I think I came across a Amphiscolops sp Flatworm that was swimming near the surface in my sump. I had turned the flow off because I just poured a bottle of Tisbe pods into my refugium and wanted to wait until the display lights turn off and the fish went to sleep before pumping the Tisbe pods into the display. The flatworm on the surface looked like it was going after Tisbe pods that I had just added to my sump. I think that it was a Amphiscolops sp because it was white with a forked tail. Actually, I floated the jar of Tisbe pods in the refugium to equalize the tempature before pouring them in, and some critters were l attached to the exterior of the jar but I wasn't able to identify them. Perhaps they were getting ready to eat the Tisbe pods too? I'm just worried that I won't be able to sustain a Tisbe pod population because something other than the dragonette will eat them all.

Will these flatworms eradicate my copepod population? Should I treat the tank with flatworm eXit and re-seed it with Tisbe pods after I get rid of the flatworms? I'm trying to get a nice Tisbe pod population before adding a Mandarin Dragonette. I have about 110 lbs of rock in the system. Oddly, I don't see any flatworms on the glass near the powerhead like I used to have in my old tank. I had no idea I had them until I saw this one swimming near the surface.

Thank you

Sk8r · 12/23/2020, 10:45 PM

Your first problem is to get rid of the flatworms. Then worry about the pods. I'm not sure what flatworms do eat, but I can recall genetics lab, where they happily ate each other if one was mashed up. (It was one of the early RNA projects.) So they are carnivores.

Sugar Magnolia · 12/24/2020, 08:31 PM

Short answer, yes. Those particular flatworms eat copepods. If you want to establish a copepod population you'll need to eraicate the flatworms. I'd suggest syphoning them out rather than using Flatworm Exit.

Zpmada · 12/31/2020, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Short answer, yes. Those particular flatworms eat copepods. If you want to establish a copepod population you'll need to eraicate the flatworms. I'd suggest syphoning them out rather than using Flatworm Exit.

Thank you for the response. I have trouble understanding how I can eradicate them simply by siphoning. They are tiny and I can't see them unless they are on the glass. Seems like I'll never get the ones on the rock/sand. Oddly, I've only noticed them on the glass in my refugium in the sump, never saw one in the display tank. I don't have any wrasse. My livestock are Royal Gramma, Clownfish, Chromies, Cleaner Shrimp, and Bicolor blenny. Clean up crew is snails and red leg hermit crabs (supposedly less aggressive toward snails). No idea what is controlling them in the display tank, maybe the Royal Gamma?

Also, I did treat the tank with Flatworm Exit before reading your post 10 days ago. I still have them and still saw them in the sump the entire past 10 days during and after treatment. I treated 2x the dose and only saw a couple swimming, not hundreds like most people fear. The Flatworm Exit expires in 2-2023 so it's still good. Today I added mixing pumps to my sump and turned off the return to contain the medication and die off toxin to the sump area. I tripped the dose of flat worm exit for the sump alone and hope this does it. I'll do a major water change in the sump before turning on the return pump. Then I'll treat the entire system double dose to get anything in the display but by that time I don't think there will be many if any to worry about die off. Then I'll do it again in 7 days to get any eggs that hatched. Hope this works.

Also, I don't know how to siphon the sump since it is ground level and I don't have gravity to help siphon. I don't have any pump that would work with a hose to siphon. (just wave makers types). So, I plan to use a small bucket to remove the water from the sump.

Zpmada · 12/31/2020, 09:39 AM

Interesting, I just read the blue green chromis I have are great at eating flatworms. Perhaps that is why I don't see them in the display. Would it be stressfull putting one in my 20 gallon long sump that is divided in 3 if flatworm exit doesnt work? How long for one to eradicate the flatworms in my sump? I imagine 7 days for any egg to hatch so maybe 10 days to be safe?

Zpmada · 12/31/2020, 10:45 AM

Just an update as it has been a few hours. When I started, I wiped any flatworms off the glass with a paper towel (hopefully they stuck on the paper but they're white and blend in with the white paper towel). Come to think of it, they all looked smaller than normal so maybe they were eggs that hatched after the first treatment 10 days ago. A few hours later I only saw two moving rather quickly on the glass, one went free-floating when I shined the light on it. I think 3x does was needed in my case. I saw an amphipod or Mysis shrimp acting normal so I don't think it hurt the other critters in the sump. So far it's looking good. I don't recommend that others start at 3x the dose incase they have hundreds die off all at once. Follow the instructions when starting...

12/21/2020, 10:52 AM	#1
Zpmada Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Posts: 95	Amphiscolops sp flatworm (I think) - will they kill all my Tisbe Pods? I'm trying to prepare my 75 gallon for a Mandarin Dragonette and I think I came across a Amphiscolops sp Flatworm that was swimming near the surface in my sump. I had turned the flow off because I just poured a bottle of Tisbe pods into my refugium and wanted to wait until the display lights turn off and the fish went to sleep before pumping the Tisbe pods into the display. The flatworm on the surface looked like it was going after Tisbe pods that I had just added to my sump. I think that it was a Amphiscolops sp because it was white with a forked tail. Actually, I floated the jar of Tisbe pods in the refugium to equalize the tempature before pouring them in, and some critters were l attached to the exterior of the jar but I wasn't able to identify them. Perhaps they were getting ready to eat the Tisbe pods too? I'm just worried that I won't be able to sustain a Tisbe pod population because something other than the dragonette will eat them all. Will these flatworms eradicate my copepod population? Should I treat the tank with flatworm eXit and re-seed it with Tisbe pods after I get rid of the flatworms? I'm trying to get a nice Tisbe pod population before adding a Mandarin Dragonette. I have about 110 lbs of rock in the system. Oddly, I don't see any flatworms on the glass near the powerhead like I used to have in my old tank. I had no idea I had them until I saw this one swimming near the surface. Thank you Last edited by Zpmada; 12/21/2020 at 10:58 AM.

12/23/2020, 10:45 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Your first problem is to get rid of the flatworms. Then worry about the pods. I'm not sure what flatworms do eat, but I can recall genetics lab, where they happily ate each other if one was mashed up. (It was one of the early RNA projects.) So they are carnivores. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/24/2020, 08:31 PM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Short answer, yes. Those particular flatworms eat copepods. If you want to establish a copepod population you'll need to eraicate the flatworms. I'd suggest syphoning them out rather than using Flatworm Exit. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

12/31/2020, 09:39 AM	#5
Zpmada Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Posts: 95	Interesting, I just read the blue green chromis I have are great at eating flatworms. Perhaps that is why I don't see them in the display. Would it be stressfull putting one in my 20 gallon long sump that is divided in 3 if flatworm exit doesnt work? How long for one to eradicate the flatworms in my sump? I imagine 7 days for any egg to hatch so maybe 10 days to be safe?

12/31/2020, 10:45 AM	#6
Zpmada Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Posts: 95	Just an update as it has been a few hours. When I started, I wiped any flatworms off the glass with a paper towel (hopefully they stuck on the paper but they're white and blend in with the white paper towel). Come to think of it, they all looked smaller than normal so maybe they were eggs that hatched after the first treatment 10 days ago. A few hours later I only saw two moving rather quickly on the glass, one went free-floating when I shined the light on it. I think 3x does was needed in my case. I saw an amphipod or Mysis shrimp acting normal so I don't think it hurt the other critters in the sump. So far it's looking good. I don't recommend that others start at 3x the dose incase they have hundreds die off all at once. Follow the instructions when starting...