Whats up friends! long time since i even logged on…been super busy working, even went to indiana last week to pick up a skid steer my boss bought on ebay for our new dirt track…
Anyway Rob… sixline… my favorite fish. I’ve got a big fat one that i’ve had since the tank was 6months old. never any aggression, but i added it last. i have heard they can get bossy if they are added too soon in the stocking list.
I’ve seen mine devour MANY flatworms ( thats why i bought it also hahaha). it also tore up monti eating nudis for me… eradicating them… JUMPERS ABSOLUTELY! Mine jumped out twice in his first year…but not since, maybe it learned lol. luckily both times we were right next to the tank. I scared it out once with the algae magnet, the other time it jumped out when the lights clicked off…
I hope to get out to a meeting soon, i miss all my friends!
[quote=“reefman66, post:22, topic:6711”]
Welcome back to the other hobby John. Glad to hear from you again. We all miss ya. Hope to see you and the kids at the next meeting.[/quote]
Wazzup A! are you still in the states? hope family is well, tell Nok hello
[quote=“mortyn02, post:23, topic:6711”]
Awesome to hear from you John. We miss you! Hope all is well and to see you soon.[/quote]
Hey Matt! how’s the little guy doin?
sorry to jack ur thread a little Rob… just keep siphoning and ignore ::
So, another round of siphoning the flatworms out, and another nuking today. There were more than I expected…and perhaps I’ll nuke one last time in a week.
However…the event apparently turned this serpent star on…literally. He went all “Godzilla” on the peak of my Pink Digitata and started a “public display of affection” shall we?
So fun to have mimic’d a small part of the ocean here in my office. But I still hate you FLATWORMS!
No, he’s good. After spreading his seed he returned to his lair. Actually after this dosing NOTHING looks as pissed off as last time. I’m assuming there was less toxins released this time due to the smaller population. No waterchange this time, just a fresh 9oz. of carbon… (which is actually less then they suggest, 1lb per 50gallon). Everything looks good.
Man, this infestation is crazy! I’ve dosed the tank 2x already, and there are still tons on the rocks 2 days later. ARGH! No idea how these things are surviving as they die off in masses when I dose! Only thing I can think of is that the dose kills the living flatworms but not the offspring? Time to research the Planaria life-cycle. /sigh…
Back in 2001 i use Levamisole Hydrochloride to rid my massive red planaria infestation from a frag system. i over did it a bit and lost a blue hippo. scaleless fish are more sensitive. It used to be a common pig dewormer sold at tractor supply. but FDA has banned it now for food stock in favor of saome new drug. so its no longe available in the USA.
but many of the guys in the club have used a prescription dog heart wormer tab. that has worked much better. Saltcreep used it once. had good luck. there should be some blogs on reef central about it. but dot use any old dewormer. they are all deadly to salt water fish and corals apparently except this one particular one.
I think it was Heartguard, Ivermectin? It requires a veteranarian prescription… that should be on reef central too and the proper dose. or some one here will chime in who has used it.
I once had a similar brittle star spawning when getting rid of flatworms. This was a mass scale (over 100) spawning. The toxin from the flatworms caused it. In an effort to keep the species alive they all spawned. However most of the brittle stars died. I hope this is not your case but it is very possible. Carbon & water change could save them. I know they are considered freebies on live rock but I would have done things different had I known what was going on at the time. If they die I can give you a few, got plenty.
Thanks John, for the correction. i guess my memory is starting to go.
Hmmm, just looked around the kitchen and found my little jar of Levamsole hydrochloride powder, left over from 2001, in top of the fridge. probably last jar in america. I wonder if its still good? dry, yellow powder.
I have heard, fish wholesalers use it to treat their stock before shipping. deworm their fresh water fish.
treating a reef requires a different dose and time exposure. i got a little carried away with dose and duration and bleached some coral, and lost a fish. but no more red flat worms. mine were like a blanket on the entire sandbed, rubble rock and glass. about 1/4 inch deep. gobs of them. i syphoned the bulk out then treated. but left it in over night. then water changed and filtered with carbon and poly filter. a little too long.
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