Vincerama2
Guest
I'm amazed. I couldn't stand the massive FW infestation I've been shackled with for 2 years (I got it from a casual trade..and like most casual things, you get bugs! 
) <- cheap attempt at humour!
Anyway, it was so bad that the low flow corners of the tank would have a carpet of them!
I bought FWE at least a year ago, but was afraid to use it, once I read the warnings on the instructions about toxic "flatworm body juice".
Finally, I couldn't take it (plus the stuff is not cheap, so I didn't want to just let it go to waste) So I spent several days just vaccuming them out (using a simple tube with a mesh/netting bag tied to the end. The type of bag you would use to put a bag of carbon in a filter. I put the bag end in my sump and just started siphoning them. It took days to get out what I could.
Finally I dosed the tank (at 1.5 drops per gallon) and within minutes, two things happened. 1) All the flatworms started curling up and letting go of whatever they were holding onto, which allowed me to siphon up their corpses and 2) My certith snails all fell off the glass and most of my snails shrank into themselves.
I then ran a cannister filter stuffed full of carbon (to remove both the FWE and the "body juices") after about 5 minutes, and it's been running on the tank for a week now. And I did about 10% water change.
The snails have all recovered, though I was worried they had bit the bullet. I can still see pods and britsle worms, and no corals are dead...but NO flatworms!
Amazing! I went from (seriously) thousands of flatties to none (so far). And as far as I can tell, nothing is dead.
My quarantine tank is infested at the moment, but it will get a dose tonight.
And from now on, nothing enters my tank without a week or two in the quarantine tank, and after a dip in FWE!
Oh, on a side note, whenever people refer to a FW dip for new corals, I was never sure if they meant "FlatWorm exit dip" or "FreshWater dip". I'm sure a dip in freshwater would curl those buggers up too.
Anyway, I just thought I'd tell the tale of my FWE experience, since it turned out successful, rather than a tank full of dead corals and snails!
V
) <- cheap attempt at humour!Anyway, it was so bad that the low flow corners of the tank would have a carpet of them!
I bought FWE at least a year ago, but was afraid to use it, once I read the warnings on the instructions about toxic "flatworm body juice".
Finally, I couldn't take it (plus the stuff is not cheap, so I didn't want to just let it go to waste) So I spent several days just vaccuming them out (using a simple tube with a mesh/netting bag tied to the end. The type of bag you would use to put a bag of carbon in a filter. I put the bag end in my sump and just started siphoning them. It took days to get out what I could.
Finally I dosed the tank (at 1.5 drops per gallon) and within minutes, two things happened. 1) All the flatworms started curling up and letting go of whatever they were holding onto, which allowed me to siphon up their corpses and 2) My certith snails all fell off the glass and most of my snails shrank into themselves.
I then ran a cannister filter stuffed full of carbon (to remove both the FWE and the "body juices") after about 5 minutes, and it's been running on the tank for a week now. And I did about 10% water change.
The snails have all recovered, though I was worried they had bit the bullet. I can still see pods and britsle worms, and no corals are dead...but NO flatworms!
Amazing! I went from (seriously) thousands of flatties to none (so far). And as far as I can tell, nothing is dead.
My quarantine tank is infested at the moment, but it will get a dose tonight.
And from now on, nothing enters my tank without a week or two in the quarantine tank, and after a dip in FWE!
Oh, on a side note, whenever people refer to a FW dip for new corals, I was never sure if they meant "FlatWorm exit dip" or "FreshWater dip". I'm sure a dip in freshwater would curl those buggers up too.
Anyway, I just thought I'd tell the tale of my FWE experience, since it turned out successful, rather than a tank full of dead corals and snails!
V
