Flat Worms

[1entra]

Recently I am starting to get an invasian of flatworms all around the base of both my front and side aquarium glass. I know stuff like flatworm exit gets rid of them but I'd prefer not to use chemical means in my reef tank. so what else eats/helps to get rid of flatworms? I heard 6line wrasse eat them? I plan on getting a 6line wrasse as part of my stock but do not wish to get one just yet as I want it to be one of the last fishes added to my docile system.

How fast do flatworms multiply? Should I wait till I get a 6line wrasse or should I get one asap to help tackle the problem before they become a right nuisance?

All comments/advice is welcome...

 

[Lynden]

Some flatworms are parasitic but most we see just eat algae. If they start sticking to your mushrooms then action must be taken. Any fish that eats benthic invertebrates will probably eat the algae eating ones; the parasites I am not so sure. Dwarf angel maybe?

 

[ostrow]

My fuge is inundated with them. My display has none. I have a radiant wrasse and thank him for this. Almost any wrasse of the halichoeres family will take care of them. 4-line 6-line or 12-line will be more hit-or-miss. Ditto mandarin gobies (but if you can get them to eat at all, they may do so). I am against mandarins though as they die more often than not and this is just wrong IMO -- if it doesn't do well in a tank, leave it in the ocean. Velvet nudibranchs are supposed to be good but are awful shippers, very delicate, so again I put them in my do-not-buy list.

 

[SkiFletch]

Pseudochromis are another great predator of flatworms

 

[gigmeyer]

If you're planning on a 6 line, then I'd wait and see what happens. After adding a 6 line to my tank, all flatworms, pods, bristleworms, and even stomatella varia disappeared relatively quickly. While I wouldn't expect the 6 line to eat all of these things, it is active enough to keep them under ground.

 

[jeasko]

only thing i would say about most wrass is that they are very boystrous and can nip at corrals, so look into which wrass you want before heading out and getting one.

 

[1entra]

Thanks for all the advice and info guys. The flatworms I have are a murky orange/brown colour and all of them appear to be on the glass, cant even see any on my LR let alone my corals!

So you dont think a 6line would be a good idea? How about a orchid dottyback (pseudochromis fridmani... I think thats how you spell it!)

 

[SkiFletch]

Most pseudos under 3" will eat them

 

[Adrinal]

High flow is the best, a few of these things in your display isn't too bad. These guys just can't hang on well. Its when they can hang onto corals and suffocate them with their mass that things get bad. Only get another animal, if its an animal you want in your tank anyhow.
fairy wrasses,
flashers
sixline
.... probably any small wrasse
mandarin fish (not recommending it but they do eat them).
sounds like some of the other folks are having succes with pseudos and such.

remember, every fish is hit or miss, they are individuals with individual taste. Consider it a bonus if a critter does the scavenging for you.
Otherwise, remember your tank is a garden... and you are the gardener.... and sometimes you just have to "pull those weeds".

kudos to you for looking for a natural route first!