Flat worms

[kevan]

I know this has been discussed but is there any fish that will deal to flat worms (manderin or six line wrasse maybe)?

[reef]

The fish you mention should eat them, however if you have too many they cant keep up.

[kevan]

Thanks its not my tank but my brothers its full of them .

[wasp]

You have to do a treatment with flatworm exit first to get numbers right down close to zero. The 6 line may then take care of the survivors.

[puttputt]

My sixline keeps the main tank clean of them, refugium has plenty - added diversity. They are one of those pests that were much maligned early on in this hobby, but increasing awareness now that the don't affect anything and can be controlled naturally.

You need to control nutrients as they will multiply quickly in nutrient rich water.

You can zap them with flatworm exit, but different opinions exist over whether this is necessary, and worth the effort if there are other ways to keep them under control

[wasp]

Thanks for sharing Puttputt.

There has been debate about biological control of flatworms. From what you have said it is obvious there must be something in the tank eating them, wether the 6 line, or whatever.

Good info.

I have also observed my 6 line eating them.

[puttputt]

Its either the sixline or the long nose butterfly, althought the sixline had done the work before the LNB was put in.

Same situation with the monti nudibranches. Had plenty of them, lost a few colonies etc. removed as many as I could manually over a month or 2 but never eliminated them. Added the sixline, or butterfly, and I now have none. May be hard to believe, judging by other stories of trying to eliminate these things, but for at least 2 months now, I have had zilch, nothing, no nudis. My Montis are growing great, and are checked often - no bugs.

[wasp]

Yes, that's why I put in a 6 line, just incase they eat those pesky nudis should I get any. An insurance policy.

Course, the evidence for this is only "anecdotal" :lol:

[puttputt]