flatworm exit in huge amounts question

ostrow · 05/31/2006, 09:57 AM

I am sick of my fuge and am pondering nuking it. FW all over, choking the chaeto to the point it dies off, etc. Very ugly. Mandarin has no chance.

I tried FW once, 3/4 of a bottle and they came back with a vengence.

So, here's my idea and I need some feedback here. It's a 75G fuge. I would isolate it from the rest of my system, siphon what I can until the water level drops maybe 1/4 or 1/3.

Then dose a whole bottle, leaving it in for 45 min or so. Then siphon/drain to about half full, re-fill, and run heavy carbon or even Chemi-Pure or both for a couple hours.

Then the idea is to do another dose after a couple hours.

I'll remove most of the chaeto first and maybe rinse in freshwater (another reefer here claims he does this regularly and it works for him and the chaeto survives) to kill FW that are on/in that. Return it at the end.

Question is, will I have any snails or worms left, will the rock and sand be forever ruined?

sabodish · 05/31/2006, 10:02 AM

i can tell you from experience, if you nuke a ton of FWs your tank will suffer. i nuked so many at once, my water turned yellow for 2 days and the smell was sooooo bad. i think if you isolate your fuge and do as you say and drain all that FW toxin infested death water you should be fine.

ostrow · 05/31/2006, 10:05 AM

None in display, all in fuge. This is just about the fuge. I will take it off line. I am concerned before doing this double high dose about the future viability of the fuge (rock, sand) and short-term life prospects of the good inhabitants.

fishpimp69 · 05/31/2006, 10:14 AM

i have had some serious issues with flat worms in the past. (In my main Display) What I tried was dosing 2-3 bottles of FWE in 10 min. intervals. THis had no effect on the fw. It seemed like they grew a tolarence to the stuff. So what i did was wait a week, and just started putting half a bottle in every couple days this worked without me even having to change my carbon. No deaths to life in the tank except for the fw. So i would say you should have no probleming nuking them. You might want to try adding more than the bottle says to.

ostrow · 05/31/2006, 10:29 AM

Yeah, I was thinking an entire bottle in the 75gal fuge that'll be maybe 2/3 full. Then another bottle. I was going to siphon and carbon in between. Maybe I won't? I've also posted in the Salifert forum we'll see what Habib has to say too. Thanks though feel better but still hope to hear other experiences.

drgabe · 05/31/2006, 10:36 AM

If you are concerened about resistance then do this:

- One gallon of water
- Add some flat worms
- Add one drop of FWE at several minute intervals
- note how many drops needed to cause stress to flat worms

Multple drops by number of gallons in system/tank/fuge
Dose that number

the entire bottle will certainly cause harm the inverts in your fuge ostrow. I'd do the above and with lots of water changes to the fuge while it is offline. The toxin release from the little buggers will be bad. But with carbon and water changes, I think that you will be safe from the harm.

Or listen to Calfo and Dr. Ron - they say they'll go away after awhile. 9 months later, and mine are still right here with me.

RichConley · 05/31/2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ostrow
None in display, all in fuge. This is just about the fuge. I will take it off line. I am concerned before doing this double high dose about the future viability of the fuge (rock, sand) and short-term life prospects of the good inhabitants.

If you have them in your fuge, you have them in the display. Theyre probably just in low numbers. They WILL come back if you just nuke the fuge.

If theyre just visible in the fuge though, why do you care? They dont impact pod populations, so it shouldnt effect a mandarin...whats the problem here.

ostrow · 05/31/2006, 11:28 AM

As I said:

Quote:

Originally posted by ostrow
FW all over, choking the chaeto to the point it dies off, etc.

I believe the multiple "stops" between fuge and display, plus the presence of a Radiant Wrasse and Mandarin Goby in the display, leave them in such low numbers as to be invisible or non-present in the display.

graveyardworm · 05/31/2006, 11:39 AM

Most likely they are in your display as well, and something there is eating them. I have 2 Clarkii Clownfish which eat them. There is at least one other member here with a damsel fish that eats them. There is a chance that your True perc is eating them. I have green chromis which doesnt touch them.

RichConley · 05/31/2006, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ostrow
As I said:

I believe the multiple "stops" between fuge and display, plus the presence of a Radiant Wrasse and Mandarin Goby in the display, leave them in such low numbers as to be invisible or non-present in the display.

Right, but i severly doubt that they're getting ALL of them. You're just going to get more in the sump.

Radiant wrasses are awesome. I love mine. How long you had yours? (Mine eats FW too)

I've never heard of FW bothering chaeto.

ostrow · 05/31/2006, 11:44 AM

They are covering the chaeto. Literally. Like rust-colored cyano in appearance without the bubbles! Not sure why.

Love the radiant. Had it for maybe 6mos, wiped out monti nudis in days.

If I wipe out the FW in fuge, leaving mandarin in there, it should I'd think control any reappearance as the goby and wrasse do in the main. You'd think.

Or I could dose the whole system but that'd be a drag... no?

05/31/2006, 09:57 AM	#1
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	flatworm exit in huge amounts question I am sick of my fuge and am pondering nuking it. FW all over, choking the chaeto to the point it dies off, etc. Very ugly. Mandarin has no chance. I tried FW once, 3/4 of a bottle and they came back with a vengence. So, here's my idea and I need some feedback here. It's a 75G fuge. I would isolate it from the rest of my system, siphon what I can until the water level drops maybe 1/4 or 1/3. Then dose a whole bottle, leaving it in for 45 min or so. Then siphon/drain to about half full, re-fill, and run heavy carbon or even Chemi-Pure or both for a couple hours. Then the idea is to do another dose after a couple hours. I'll remove most of the chaeto first and maybe rinse in freshwater (another reefer here claims he does this regularly and it works for him and the chaeto survives) to kill FW that are on/in that. Return it at the end. Question is, will I have any snails or worms left, will the rock and sand be forever ruined? __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

05/31/2006, 10:05 AM	#3
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	None in display, all in fuge. This is just about the fuge. I will take it off line. I am concerned before doing this double high dose about the future viability of the fuge (rock, sand) and short-term life prospects of the good inhabitants. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

05/31/2006, 10:29 AM	#5
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	Yeah, I was thinking an entire bottle in the 75gal fuge that'll be maybe 2/3 full. Then another bottle. I was going to siphon and carbon in between. Maybe I won't? I've also posted in the Salifert forum we'll see what Habib has to say too. Thanks though feel better but still hope to hear other experiences. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

05/31/2006, 11:39 AM	#9
graveyardworm Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nottingham, NH Posts: 7,251	Most likely they are in your display as well, and something there is eating them. I have 2 Clarkii Clownfish which eat them. There is at least one other member here with a damsel fish that eats them. There is a chance that your True perc is eating them. I have green chromis which doesnt touch them. __________________ -David- President - New Hampshire Reef Club There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress

05/31/2006, 11:44 AM	#11
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	They are covering the chaeto. Literally. Like rust-colored cyano in appearance without the bubbles! Not sure why. Love the radiant. Had it for maybe 6mos, wiped out monti nudis in days. If I wipe out the FW in fuge, leaving mandarin in there, it should I'd think control any reappearance as the goby and wrasse do in the main. You'd think. Or I could dose the whole system but that'd be a drag... no? __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

05/31/2006, 10:02 AM	#2
sabodish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Holly Springs, NC Posts: 1,703	i can tell you from experience, if you nuke a ton of FWs your tank will suffer. i nuked so many at once, my water turned yellow for 2 days and the smell was sooooo bad. i think if you isolate your fuge and do as you say and drain all that FW toxin infested death water you should be fine.

05/31/2006, 10:14 AM	#4
fishpimp69 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: philly Posts: 509	i have had some serious issues with flat worms in the past. (In my main Display) What I tried was dosing 2-3 bottles of FWE in 10 min. intervals. THis had no effect on the fw. It seemed like they grew a tolarence to the stuff. So what i did was wait a week, and just started putting half a bottle in every couple days this worked without me even having to change my carbon. No deaths to life in the tank except for the fw. So i would say you should have no probleming nuking them. You might want to try adding more than the bottle says to.

05/31/2006, 10:36 AM	#6
drgabe Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 630	If you are concerened about resistance then do this: - One gallon of water - Add some flat worms - Add one drop of FWE at several minute intervals - note how many drops needed to cause stress to flat worms Multple drops by number of gallons in system/tank/fuge Dose that number the entire bottle will certainly cause harm the inverts in your fuge ostrow. I'd do the above and with lots of water changes to the fuge while it is offline. The toxin release from the little buggers will be bad. But with carbon and water changes, I think that you will be safe from the harm. Or listen to Calfo and Dr. Ron - they say they'll go away after awhile. 9 months later, and mine are still right here with me.