recommended treatment for red flatworms

[esacjack]

anyone have any good insight? just spotted one in my tank, and want to cease any progression.

[+o0zarkawater]

When I had normal planaria (just on glass and rocks, never on a single coral) I bought a target mandarin for a natural cure. He went to town.

I also bought flatworm exit but never got around to using it. I hear it is pretty good, as long as you sihpon out what you can first, trap one and check how resistant your particular worms are in a small bucket with FWE, then dose the tank again in a week or two to kill any that were eggs.

Also, dip EVERYTHING before it goes in your tank. I dip stuff when I move it from one of my own tanks to another. I don't care if it came out of the nicest tank I've seen in Austin. It's getting dipped before I put it in my system.

[esacjack]

The odd thing is, I religiously dip all my corals and started with dry rock. It's only one that I've seen so far, its small and reddish brown and was attached to the glass, not the coral. It's only a 10 gallon tank so I'd hate to put a mandarin in such a small tank. Maybe I should change dips. Currently I'm using Lugols, but maybe its time to invest in some Coral-RX?

[+KimP]

As far as dipping coral, if the flatworm exit doesn't kill eggs, do you think other dips do? Like coral rx? I've wondered before when dealing with them myself.

[+o0zarkawater]

im not sure anything kills eggs 100%

I use coral RX then a freshwater rinse.

If you don't see many, I would just siphon out whatever you do see, and see how it goes from there. Not sure about nuking a 10g with FWE. Although the WC after dosing would be pretty easy.

[jestep]

Springer's damsel is sometimes effective enough by itself to get rid of them. It's a peaceful fish worth having anyway if you need another tankmate.

[Robb in Austin]

Sounds like its a plain ole planaria. IF so, I'd try a wrasse first. Six line would be my choice but a coris or melanarus would work too but will get too big.