What types of fish eat flatworms?

[NaturesPalette]

The fish guy at the store mentioned wrasses. Will any kind of wrasse do the job? Are there any other fish that eat them?

Thanks in advance!

[hypertech]

6 line, then yellow and green seem to be the most popular.

[mattb]

What kinds of flatworms? It's pretty hit or miss.

[twincitiesreefer]

i have had two six lines for a year and a half now,I havent seen no red bugs flat worms or aserina stars,but not saying that wasnt due to the quarinteen and dip process either

[NaturesPalette]

I think they're brown rust flatworms...kinda reddish, some are brown and EVERYWHERE. Will these fish also wipe out my pods?

i have had two six lines for a year and a half now,I havent seen no red bugs flat worms or aserina stars,but not saying that wasnt due to the quarinteen and dip process either

Do you mean a freshwater dip for about a minute? Was that for the rock? Just curious although too late now. :-)

Thanks you two!

[gogregerson]

I think they're brown rust flatworms...kinda reddish, some are brown and EVERYWHERE. Will these fish also wipe out my pods?



Do you mean a freshwater dip for about a minute? Was that for the rock? Just curious although too late now. :-)

Thanks you two!

A sixline will wipe out your pods too.

[FastFish720]

You can do a short freshwater dip, but I prefer to use SeaChem Reef Dip for about 10 minutes.

[David Grigor]

No fish is guaranteed to eat them so be sure to pick the fish because you like the fish. If it eats the flatworms then that's just a bonus.

Another wrasse that besides the 3 mentioned that have the potential to eat them is the red or the green christmass wrasse if your looking for a bit more ornamental wrasse.

With any wrasse but the coris ones especially, need to keep the tank covered or use a canopy that has no open back.

[latazyo]

I am trying to decide between a yellow coris and a six line for my tank for the same reasons

my tank is eel proof because I have a snowflake eel

my worry is that since the yellow coris needs a sandy bottom to bury itself in, that it will come into too much contact with the eel........would you guys agree that the six line is better for me for that reason? (I like the yellow coris slightly better than the 6 line, but I love 6 lines, nonetheless, so I would be happy with either)

[tico mike]

six lines are notorious for being bullies to other wrasses so make it the last wrasse you add or the only. If your tank is big enough and established I would try a mandarin or radiant wrasse. I have both and they are constantly eyeing up the rock work and glass. In fact my mandarin is often scouring all over the glass (acrylic). Originally I had the small "harmless" flatworms and a few of the square red ones. I haven't seen either in I don't know how long. They were mostly on the glass (as far as I know) and I think that's why the mandarin still hunts on it.

[latazyo]

yeah it would be the only wrasse I add

my tank is not big/old enough for a mandarin

[REEFSTOCK]

While annoying, these worms are only bad if the population gets so large they are covering corals. Also if you don't maintain the population there is a chance they would eat all the algae and die off. At which point they would release toxins.
These are the fish I have had that clear the tank of them:
Melenarous (at home, no chance to check the spelling)
fairy wrasses / flasher wrasses
six line
mandarin fish/both species.

I agree with DG though. Don't get these fish just for clearing the tank. If they already fit your bill then clearing the tank is an extra bonus, if they choose to do so (they are individuals, with individual taste :))

I never get an explosion in my displays because the flow is just too high for them to hang onto anything.
If you want to avoid them at home. dip and QT :)

[Chris Goetz]

All good info guys.
I have a related question. I have some of the annoying but harmless ones in my current 62g, but I'd really like to get rid of them before moving everything to the 120g.
What would you suggest for this? I plan on siphoning out as many as I can, but should I remove all the inverts and treat the tank too?

I do have a mandarin as well, so if treating the tank will kill off the pods too, I might have to rethink it.
Thanks,
Chris

[NaturesPalette]

A mandarin will eat flatworms???? I thought they exclusively ate pods.

[gogregerson]

A mandarin will eat flatworms???? I thought they exclusively ate pods.

It's one of those hit or miss things. Just don't buy a mandarin expecting it to eat and live off of flat worms.

[REEFSTOCK]

Both of mine do. But let me echo GoGogregerson, "hit or miss".

[FastFish720]

As far as preparing your new tank. Pretty much you take out all of the fish and inverts and place them into a new quarantine type system. Observe them for any signs of flatworms and also observe the glass. As far the the live rock goes, you pretty much get to dry it out and start with base rock. Also chuck the sand.

It's not an easy problem to solve.

[David Grigor]

In BJs 29g tank on every water change I would blow the rock off with a turkey baster then siphon the gravel. After a couple of months of doing this weekly, I haven't seen any since and that was about 6 months ago. There aren't any real predators in that tank either. It was more effective than trying to treat the tank with exit. But the tank only being a 29g it was an easy weekly task and could pretty much reach anywhere with the sihpon hose.

[NaturesPalette]

If you do use "exit" how much water do you have to change? I mean whatta we talking here, 50%, 20%, 80%? Also, how long after using it do you do the water change?

Look, The guy I got the tank from told me I have enough pods in there for a Mandarin. It's true, they are EVERYWHERE, all sizes. I also have the infestation of flatworms. Frankly, I don't like the look of wrasses (I was going to get a wrasse and just return him later for a credit) and I was going to possibly get a Mandarin someday anyway. I've done TONS of research on them and I know it's "hit or miss" with Mandarins in general. I'm prepared to buy and rear pods for future use as well as try various methods for teaching it to eat other food. But he'd have to stay in the old tank where the pod population is until the new one is established with a good colony which would take time.

Point is, I'd way rather go the fish route than using flatworm exit and risk killing off other "good" things I have living in there in the process. I don't want to start a Mandarin war here, but I really think it's worth a try.

[David Grigor]

Point is, I'd way rather go the fish route than using flatworm exit and risk killing off other "good" things I have living in there in the process. I don't want to start a Mandarin war here, but I really think it's worth a try.

Have you even attempted to siphon them out yet ?

Attempting to keep a mandarin in a 34g is just not responsible.

Honestly, your the very first one I've ever heard to say there are no attractive wrasses to choose from.

[NaturesPalette]

Attempting to keep a mandarin in a 34g is just not responsible.




http://joshday.com/mandarinfish.htm


About syphoning, yes I have, but there is quite an infestation I have. And if I'm the first person who thing wrasses aren't attractive I guess that makes me unique.

[David Grigor]

1 success story for every 100+ failures that go untold.

Take out all the rock one at a time, swish each rock around in a bucket of saltwater then siphon the sandbed without any rocks. This will get the flatworms back under control. Then, just incorporate the turkey baster to blow off your rocks and siphon as part of your weekly water change routine. Involves no chemicals or sacrificing fish.

[wes]

I used to siphon them out with a piece of airline tubing before I got my yellow wrasse. it's EASY. please try that before you get a mandarin.

[NaturesPalette]

I used to siphon them out with a piece of airline tubing before I got my yellow wrasse. it's EASY. please try that before you get a mandarin.

I will, I thought about it again and while I'm sure someday I will try a Mandarin I know now is not the time. I'll do the swishy thing David mentioned too. I wonder if I'll get some of those pesky bristleworms out too...