getting corals from Skye ?

[skyedolphan]

PLease read

GRRRRR>>> just found a few flatworms in the frag tank AGAIN I can not seem to get these PITAs erridicated I will FW exit tomorrow. BUT want everyone aware that they have been spotted again

so PLease LMK if you would still would like your frags or not them or not

mods please move if need be I just wanted to make sure people see it

 

[skyedolphan]

OK next ? would be once I change over the fragtank what are peoples recommendations and experiances with a fish for natural protection ?

I have trieda 4 line unfortunaltely he didnt live more than2 days I have a 6 line in the main for over 4 yrs and never see them in there exept once in a great wile on the elegance

thinking about a target manderin as they are suggested to eat them and my frag is fullof pods and run off the main which would continually keep it well supplied thoughts please ?

 

[Ray]

disapearing wrasse, I have even seen them pull brittle worms out of the rocks and eat them.

 

[Liam]

yellow coris wrasse or a melanarus wrasse,i have both no problems

 

[skyedolphan]

Liam how is the coris? are they jumpers ?my frag tank will not be covered although I guess I could throw egg crate over it?

as for the other wrasses dont know anything about them do they like sand as there will be no sand either

 

[Liam]

Liam how is the coris? are they jumpers ?my frag tank will not be covered although I guess I could throw egg crate over it?

as for the other wrasses dont know anything about them do they like sand as there will be no sand either

they do need sand but if you want to keep them in a BB frag tank you can do like bec does and just put a little tupperware of sand in the tank and they will use that.My tank is open and i have never had a problem with jumping,more often than not they head for the sand when startled rather than the surface but nothing is for certain with anything in this hobby is it.
Both fish i mention hunt continually though i never see what they are eating but they look plump and happy.

 

[starrfish]

Hey Dawn - sorry to hear about your FW problems. I still have the frags I got from you in QT. I treated them with interceptor and levamisol when I brought them home. Will the levamisol kill FW? I've inspected the frags a few times and haven't seen anything, but I really don't know what to look for because I've never had these pests.

 

[KAS]

Daire, I do not believe either of those chemicals will kill the regular brown flatworms. Most people have been using 'flatworm exit'. I believe greenex will work also but might stain the silcone seals green.

A regular flatworm is reddish brown and maybe an 1/8th on an inch long and 1/16th of an inch wide. They are visible with the naked eye.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Just my opinion, but I think that Dawn is probably only talking about the red photosynthetic flatworms. I assume we are not talking about the Acro flatworms. IF it is just the red photosynthetic flatworms (Convolutriloba retrogemma), then the Levamisole dip is supposed to be extremely effective on them (this is what Inland Reef Aquaria was at one time selling as Flatout, FWIW). It will also kill the Acro flatworms I understand, but compared to the Acro flatworms, Convolutriloba retrogemma are total wimps in this dip. Lemamisole is quite tricky to use in a tank against Convolutriloba retrogemma, as you can kill other things, but as a dip it is easy to use.

While we are on the topic, I've yet to come across any other form of flatworm (other than the two I've just mentioned) that we commonly find in our tanks that is a problem (that doesn't mean they aren't out there of course). I have a large clear form that I occassionally see at night on the glass in some of my tanks, and I've also seen a small brown form for many years that does not cause any problems, meaning, it does not grow to plague proportions, does not eat any corals or things I want to keep, and generally keeps out of sight (hide under stuff).

All flatworms are not bad flatworms.

 

[starrfish]

Thanks Karen & Greg - these corals are still in QT, so I'm going to inspect them closely. I have not seen anything crawling on the glass so I really don't think I have them. I do a water change in the QT every day or two so maybe I'm syphoning them out without knowing it. BTW - Dawn is talking about the non-harmful (but PIA) flatworms - NOT the acro eating variety.

Daire

 

[cobraz]

I have seen pictures in books and web sites - but they are not that good.
Does anyone have a closeup picture of the Flat worms Dawn is talking about - so I can see if that is what has been harassing my Zoos. I do not see anything but - some are closed are some are just gone ... could be one of these guys.

 

[starrfish]

Check out this thread - has some good info and pics of various pests.

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=20666

 

[jovreef]

FWIW ... Flatworms die in Fresh water ... Why does everyone insist on dipping soft corals in Levamasol to rid themselves of flat worms????????

Levamasol take 5-6 hours, very stressful, & has a slim chance of not working 100%.

Fresh water works 100%! takes 2 min max to rid yourself of all the flatworms (usually all gone in 1 min)! stressful yes...but only for 2 min unlike 6hours

 

[Greg Hiller]

>FWIW ... Flatworms die in Fresh water ... Why does everyone insist on dipping soft corals in Levamasol to rid themselves of flat worms???????? <

Why? It all depends upon what type of a coral you are trying to dip. A few seconds in fresh water is enough to kill some Acropora and Montipora genera corals.

 

[jovreef]

yes I know... that is why I said "soft corals" I've herd about one guy dipping his sps in fresh water and ridding himself of the acro eating kind, his acros survived too ... but I'd never have the OO to do that!

 

[Greg Hiller]

Oops....sorry, guilty of reading to fast again....gotta stop that.

 

[skyedolphan]

ya mine are the non problematic regular old brown/redish PITA FW

I am doing the FW exit today so far 40 drops ina 25 gallon tank shut off from main system just finished doing 25% water change on it added another 15 drops seen 2 while syphoning not quite dead everything in the tnak looks fine exept my mini serpant stars but they have always bounced back after the last2 tries ..wewill see when I change the system out I think I am going to re fresh water dip everything and see how that goes .

 

[starrfish]

FWIW ... Flatworms die in Fresh water ... Why does everyone insist on dipping soft corals in Levamasol to rid themselves of flat worms????????

Levamasol take 5-6 hours, very stressful, & has a slim chance of not working 100%.

Fresh water works 100%! takes 2 min max to rid yourself of all the flatworms (usually all gone in 1 min)! stressful yes...but only for 2 min unlike 6hours

I don't dip in fresh water because I never have JUST softies to treat - I always have a mix of sps and softies. So then I would have to do two different dips - the fresh water one would have to be brought up to the right temp and ph, then the interceptor/levamisol. Too much work.

 

[marco67]

Damsel !!
I've used both velvet, and the orange tails with great results.
and think about it ...what better fish to use they are cheap, good looking and you can't put them in your real tank.....

OK next ? would be once I change over the fragtank what are peoples recommendations and experiances with a fish for natural protection ?

I have trieda 4 line unfortunaltely he didnt live more than2 days I have a 6 line in the main for over 4 yrs and never see them in there exept once in a great wile on the elegance

thinking about a target manderin as they are suggested to eat them and my frag is fullof pods and run off the main which would continually keep it well supplied thoughts please ?