# Flatworms



## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

Hello All,

I have flatworms!

I have dosed flatworm exit twice already. The first time I followed the instructions exactly. The second time i made sure the dose was stronger than the instructions. Could those of you whom have used flatwormexit please help me in trying to figure out, why a lot of flatworms are still alive? I thought I would have solved the problem after the second, stronger dose.


Thanks,

PACMAN


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## matt210g (Apr 24, 2009)

*Flatworm Exit*

I too had a really bad outbreak of flatworm. I treated it as follows
2 weeks daily siphoning all the rockwork
removed all live stock to quarantine tank. Freshwater dipped everything before it was quarantined
Freshwater dipped all live rock that I could remove from the tank and then re turned it to display tank. Continued freshwater dipping all rock for 1 week.
First does of exit 2 x recommended qty. 
Did massive water changes daily for next 3 days (50% plus)
Treated the tank again with balance of the exit..Daily water changes again for 3 days.
Gradually added back live stock doing freshwater dip as it was re introduced.
It has been 3 months without any return of the flatworms.
I did have a mini cycle of the system after about 20 days but it soon ran it`s course and all appears well now.

It was a busy week of soaking wet shirts and buckets of water but worth the effort.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I still have flatworms.


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## Octavian (Sep 30, 2009)

I had my tank running since novemeber 2009. Never had or seen any flatworms. Just wondering how bad does it really get if there is an outbreak of these worms.


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

I didn't have too many to begin with, but I did notice that they were increasing in numbers. I thought it would be best to attack em now. I can only imagine if left untreated how many would live.

I have 2 types. 1. the greenish ones with red dots (i think these are the ones to watch out for) 2. Rust-brown-ish, slightly transluscent ones that are shaped like pacman ghosts (hope that description helps). These guys still remain in my tank, and I want to eliminate them. I am not sure if these are the ones to watch out for as well


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

How bad it can get? I can fill you in on that. it gets utterly disgusting. there are so many they are like autumn leaves all over your rocks, all over the subtrate, corals and sides of the tank. I had them BAD during the 3 month neglect. It is UGLY. mine were mostly redish brown. revolting. 

I syphoned mine off using air hose and hard plastic tube to go along and inside rocks, sometimes a couple times a day until their numbers were well reduced. I wenr hunting. turned filters off looked behind rocks. 

I suggest if you got shells for hermits, remove them for a day or so. treat them stronger. little sods get in there. if doing the exit use a pump and blow the rocks out. it'll get messy. do waterchange (getting what flatties you can get) then use the exit with enough water for emergency.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

You can use stronger meds too, but they'll have non-specific effects and kill other critters like other worms and pods. Prazipro is effective against them, but thye will kill other worms as well.

One thing that can work to sequester them is to increase flow - they can't handle really high flow areas. And once therey're in a particualr area, they can be easier to get out.


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## talon (May 7, 2009)

My suggestion is use FlatwormExit, after 2 weeks treat again, then 4 weeks treat one more time.


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

i already dosed twice.... going to do a 3rd super dose tonight


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

ok so i dosed for the 3rd time. This time i dosed over 2x the suggested dose. I think some may have survived. If so, the flatworms I have are resistant to flatworm exit! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh


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## talon (May 7, 2009)

How long they come back again after you dose first time and second time?
Before dosing, try put a flash light beside the tank corner after light off.
They trend to bright area then siphon them as you can.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

that is possible that they are developing a resistance :/


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Depending on what you have in your setup, try lowering your salinity (do this gradually not to shock your system) and then try adding meds.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Lower it to what?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

One of my customers is going through the same issue right now and we lowered to 1.017 while dosing back to back days then on the 4th day slowly started to bring it back up. You will have to do this gradually and watch your live stock for any side affects.


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

Im not sure im up to that. I wouldnt necessarily know what to look for regarding adverse changes to my livestock.


I'm hoping i wiped out enough worms so that the population is not sustainable.


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## matt210g (Apr 24, 2009)

When using the exit make sure that your skimmer is off and that you have no reactors inline (carbon, GFO etc). If you have rock work or any in tank object (incl corals) that you can easily remove, if you freshwater dip it for about 10 seconds it will kill a ton of the worms. The issue with flatty's is that they become toxic when they die so the massive kill off will make your water toxic (as well as very stinky). Be prepared to do massive water changes shortly after the application. Dilligence is the key here, stick with it and syphon and dip as often as possible. As I recall I was at it for at least 2 hrs a night for 2 - 3 weeks before I even used the Exit. However my tank was overwhelmed by the little buggers.... 

There are Nudibranchs that eat flatworms as well as a few types of wrasse (leopard as I recall). However once you have eliminated the flatworms the nudibranch will not likely survive. Could share with a fellow reefer perhaps. He could become a community flatworm destroyer ??


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