I am fixing to have to use FWE on me reef and have a couple of questions. I have a pretty heavy outbreak and was wondering once a i suck out as many as i can before i use the FWE and after i use it, how often do i need to do a water change and how much? This is on a 90 gallon w/ 25ish gallon sump. Also how much carbon, what kind is best, how often do i change the carbon and where in the sump should i place it? Please inform me if i have left anything out as i do not want to kill everything in the tank. Thanks for the help in advance.
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Flat worm exit ?'s
- Thread starter gixxer600
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Just did this on my 37 gallon this last weekend. I siponed as many worms before using the FWE. Then after adding it, I put a packet of amgen in the sump and then continued to siphon the worms out over the next 1.5 hrs. I then did a 25% water change. This seem to significantly reduce the population. I noticed a few worms over the next few days but I added a scooter blenny and a coris wrasse. In your tank, I would suggest adding a melanus wrasse after you do the treatment. You may be able to add the wrasse without treating . Good luck.
I have had great success with scooter blennies to get rid of flat worms, let him eat them for a few weeks and then when you think they are all gone hit the system with FWE and follow instructions as directed. The only deviation I did was use seachem's purigen instead of carbon. Resulted in no fish/coral death or bleaching... Good luck with those pesky little guys. Pm me if you still have that cube, the money stack is looking way better now
I would, erring on the side of caution, do a larger water change than the instructions say. It can't hurt and could help. Also, carbon is less effective in the sump than in a reactor... far less. I'd pick up a TLF Phosban Reactor 150 or something similar for the carbon. You don't want to short cut anything. Remove all you can manually, dose. As soon as you see them start to die, run lots of carbon and do the water change when instructed (maybe a little earlier, as long as they've had time to die). The goal is to get rid of all the toxin you can, so more filtration as well as early/large water change is a positive thing. Good luck.
If there is *any* way to get the fish into another tank before you treat, *please* do so. I lost 7 of 13 fish in 2003 after treating with Flatworm eXit. For what it's worth, I don't think it was the product that did this, it was the toxins produced by so many dead flatworms.
I'd done a 30 g water change (on a 120) beforehand, sucked out as many flatworms as I could (there were LOTS!)... had a canister filter packed with carbon, polyfilter etc. In short, I did everything correctly and followed directions to the letter, but I still had devastating losses.
The corals were a bit annoyed but fine (I didn't have anything too difficult in there).
In hind sight, if I could have done anything differently, I'd have moved the fish FIRST, then treated.
Jenn
I'd done a 30 g water change (on a 120) beforehand, sucked out as many flatworms as I could (there were LOTS!)... had a canister filter packed with carbon, polyfilter etc. In short, I did everything correctly and followed directions to the letter, but I still had devastating losses.
The corals were a bit annoyed but fine (I didn't have anything too difficult in there).
In hind sight, if I could have done anything differently, I'd have moved the fish FIRST, then treated.
Jenn
What? Is it flatworm season or something?
Here is a recent thread that should help.
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51906">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51906</a>
Totally agree with Jenn. With a heavy infestation, do anything you can to get the fish out prior to treatment.
Here is a recent thread that should help.
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51906">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51906</a>
Totally agree with Jenn. With a heavy infestation, do anything you can to get the fish out prior to treatment.
Thanks for the help. I already have a Mellanarus wrasse in there but i dont think he is any match for the problem. Right now i am just at my breaking point with theses things and dont want to create devistation in my tank. I will try and get some kind of reactor on there but funds are extremely tight right now and that was not on the have to have list. But hopefully everything will go fine.
I'm tagging along. Here's a question for you reef vets out there. I just broke down my 120g and now starting a 60 cube build. I read a lot of flat worms and all other types of worms that catch a ride from the live rocks into your tank. Now I have an idea that came to mind. Why not treat your tank with FWE while your tank is cycling? You shouldn't have any livestock in your tank for the first month so isn't it a good idea to treat right after you put your rocks into the tank and fill her up with water? So in case you do have some kind of worms in your rocks they would all be dead and even with toxin release, it has nothing to hurt right? After that you have a whole month to do slow water changes or to just replace the tank water altogether. Or you can just throw your rocks into a BIG bucket and fill it up with some saltwater and use the FWE in there then rinse with clean water before putting the rocks into your tank. This is just an idea that popped into my mind since I'm going to have my new tank up pretty soon and I don't want any of those worms in my system at all.
Now if we treat the rock before hand or during cycling. Would it affect the cycle process somehow?
Now if we treat the rock before hand or during cycling. Would it affect the cycle process somehow?
Hnguyen, those sound like perfectly workable plans to me. Personally, I like the "FWE dip" for the rocks idea better, but I'd think either one is solid.
However, if you didn't have FW in your other system there should be no need... if you are adding rock from elsewhere, probably a good idea.
A dip in RO water will kill flatworms too, so really a 5 minute RO bath for the rock ought to do the same thing. It would also take out most any good critters in the rock too, though.
I have been trying to find the effect of an RO dip on the nitrifying bacteria population of LR, and have come up with nothing solid. Another member has a bad FW problem and he wants to do an RO dip on all the rock in the tank (plus siphon) before dosing the tank, but we want to make sure he won't cause a cycle... having to dose the tank is enough to worry about without that hanging over your head.
However, if you didn't have FW in your other system there should be no need... if you are adding rock from elsewhere, probably a good idea.
A dip in RO water will kill flatworms too, so really a 5 minute RO bath for the rock ought to do the same thing. It would also take out most any good critters in the rock too, though.
I have been trying to find the effect of an RO dip on the nitrifying bacteria population of LR, and have come up with nothing solid. Another member has a bad FW problem and he wants to do an RO dip on all the rock in the tank (plus siphon) before dosing the tank, but we want to make sure he won't cause a cycle... having to dose the tank is enough to worry about without that hanging over your head.
back at you cr500.
I'll be getting new rocks altogether. My 120 was also a SW tank which I still have running with just sand. I was planning on getting out but got suckered on getting back in before I even step foot out the door. Only reason why I didn't mention dipping it in RO water was because I heard it kills all marine animals right? Thats why i figured just treat it before or during your cycle with no livestock. It should make life easier.
I guess to make my question more clear is if i treat my rock with FWE when I add my rock into my tank and then do a 100% WC. Will it affect my cycle in anyway. Other then the fact that i start the cycle all over again.
I'll be getting new rocks altogether. My 120 was also a SW tank which I still have running with just sand. I was planning on getting out but got suckered on getting back in before I even step foot out the door. Only reason why I didn't mention dipping it in RO water was because I heard it kills all marine animals right? Thats why i figured just treat it before or during your cycle with no livestock. It should make life easier.
I guess to make my question more clear is if i treat my rock with FWE when I add my rock into my tank and then do a 100% WC. Will it affect my cycle in anyway. Other then the fact that i start the cycle all over again.
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Why not get a flat worm eating fish? This will keep them out of your display, and the ones in the sump will make sure that fish stays fat and happy.
brianjfinn;597562 wrote: Why not get a flat worm eating fish? This will keep them out of your display, and the ones in the sump will make sure that fish stays fat and happy.
Thats a good idea and one I always consider with every tank I had. But if you happen to come across one that refuse to eat worms then your out of luck. I still feel its better if you remove them prior to introducing LR into your tank and have a worm eating fish in your tank once cycled as a backup.
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Hnguyen;597567 wrote: Thats a good idea and one I always consider with every tank I had. But if you happen to come across one that refuse to eat worms then your out of luck. I still feel its better if you remove them prior to introducing LR into your tank and have a worm eating fish in your tank once cycled as a backup.
I still don't understand why people want to remove them so badly (unless, of course, you have a type that eats coral or other inhabitants).
And if you get a fish that doesn't eat them, trade it in for another. I would think, especially with mandarins, the fish that don't eat them are less common than ones that do.
Ok so if i already have a fish that is supposed to eat FWs (Mellanarus Wrasse) what other type of fish can or should i get to help out with the issue. i am thinking about just trying to siphon(sp) out as many as possible in about 2-3 water changes over a 1-2 week period so that my fish that eats them can keep up with the population. Could i add a Yellow Coris or some type of blenny that could help out?
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gixxer600;597722 wrote: Ok so if i already have a fish that is supposed to eat FWs (Mellanarus Wrasse) what other type of fish can or should i get to help out with the issue. i am thinking about just trying to siphon(sp) out as many as possible in about 2-3 water changes over a 1-2 week period so that my fish that eats them can keep up with the population. Could i add a Yellow Coris or some type of blenny that could help out?
How long have you had the Melanurus, and did you purchase from a LFS? You may be able to work out a trade if you tell them what's going on. I would also try mandarins if your tank is big enough.
I have had the Melanarus for about 2 months now and i got him from a fellow reefer on here, so unfortanantly no trade available. Do maderins eat FW's? That would be great if they did but dont have a clue. My tank is a 90 gallon that has been running for about 9months to a year.
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gixxer600;597797 wrote: I have had the Melanarus for about 2 months now and i got him from a fellow reefer on here, so unfortanantly no trade available. Do maderins eat FW's? That would be great if they did but dont have a clue. My tank is a 90 gallon that has been running for about 9months to a year.
I have seen Mandarins decimate a flatworm population. Again, your mileage may vary, but if I were in your position, I would definitely try a Mandarin. Your tank (I assume you have a sump with a fuge) should be able to support one.
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