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flatworms stink!


Eckreef

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So here is my story.

About 6 weeks ago i got a frag and noticed a small red spot on the base when putting it into my tank. Didn't think much of it at the time until I noticed several more red spots a few days later and they were slowly moving. Low and behold they were red flatworms. doh.gif I tried siphoning and a 6 line wrasse but after 6 weeks they were taking over the tank but thankfully not causing any damage. Due to this plague I have now "officially" learned my lesson on dipping corals.

I have been reluctant to use any medication on my reef but after reading multiple good reviews on Salifert's flatworm exit I reluctantly decided to give it a try.

I siphoned out as many flatworms as I could see and dosed the tank appropriately. Within minutes I had a flatworm snowstorm that was impressive. Literally thousands appeared from every nook and cranny. Based on my reading the medication is not harmful to the other reef inhabits but the toxin released from the dying flatworms is. I continued to siphon flatworms for the next hour and had a filter pad in the sump that caught a lot. I ran a TLF canister with GAC the whole time to try to remove the toxin. I have continued to run carbon and did a 20% water change after 5 hours.

Now for my problem...the medication seems to have worked great however my inhabitants are not happy.

The fish are fine.

All my SPS, Acans, favia, ricordea look ok with good color but have not had any polyp extension for 2 days.

My frogspawn really gave me a scare yesterday as it looked like it was melting. It released a slime that looked like white cotton candy (no the brown jelly thankfully).

I immediately placed it in a QT tank and siphoned off the slim. It still has tentacles though they have been severely retracted. I also did a 10% water change with the water I had on hand. I placed the frogspawn back in the DT today and it is looking like it will pull through but still very retracted.

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I will do another 20% water change tonight.

All measurable parameters are fine (pH, S.G. Alk, Ca, Mg, and NH4, NO3, NO2 and phosphates are all zero)

Now what? I assume I just ride it out...was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions or similar experiences.

I have several cups of carbon in the reactor and it was new 2 days ago. Would replacing it make a difference?

Thanks,

John

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I hope your stuff pulls through. That definitely sucks that the flatworm toxins do that to corals. I have a few frogspawn frags. I can part with one of them if you need to replace yours.

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Water change - Carbon - Water change - Water Test - Water change lol

I went through the samething in December and almost lost everything....

Try to remove as many as possible, I used a power head to blow around rocks etc.

Good Luck!

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Water change - Carbon - Water change - Water Test - Water change lol

I went through the samething in December and almost lost everything....

Try to remove as many as possible, I used a power head to blow around rocks etc.

Good Luck!

Carbon will definitely help. If you have any leathers in the tank that are struggling I would definitely get some carbon. You don't want their stress toxins to exacerbate the problem.

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I had to use the flatworm exit several years ago, and my experience was similar to yours as far as how amazingly quickly it worked. However, I think I did have to repeat the treatment a while later. I didn't have as many delicate corals at the time as you do, so I didn't have any die off, but I do remember my GSP was mad for a long time. It wasn't nearly as bad with the second treatment.

I agree with the others as far as just keep skimming, filtering with carbon and changing water til you come out the other side. Good luck!

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I did a couple of months ago and then had to retreat a second time. They seem gone now, though.

The only think I have noticed is GSP being retracted. Everything else seems ok. I have read that skimmer production is usually low for a while after treatment, but I didn't see much difference. In fact, my skimmer production has been UP for several weeks after treatment. wacko.gif I don't know if that is related or not.

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Actually, now that you say that, Dave I think that was the idea. It's been so long ago, I don't remember exactly, but it seems like someone told me a specific amount of time to wait between treatments.

Like I said, it's been years and I haven't seen a FW since.

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