Mandarin vs. flatworms

[ScubaSteve]

A while back I had posted about flatworms in my tank and how I should get rid of them in the process of moving. Well I have now moved the tank and there are still a few flatworms left and I want to get these buggers before they get out of hand.

I have read all the different ways of dealing with flatworms (wrasses, Shield Nudi's, etc), so that really isn't the discussion I want to have here. What did catch my eye in a whole bunch of posts talking about using Mandarins to control flatworm populations.

I have wanted a mandarin for some time now and, well, the same could the said about getting rid of the flatworms... seems like a match made in heaven. I know that they do not preferentially eat flatworms (so I have been setting up a copepod rock pile) but they will apparently eat them. I wanted to see who around here has had any success with using Mandarins on flatworms and how effective they were?

[ScubaSteve]

No body?

[Doug]

My green mandarin ate flatworms, as did my 6 line. Neither made any impact on their population though. I have also heard of the yellow banana wrasse eating them and yellow tailed blue damsels, although I think I would prefer the flatworms to them.

[ScubaSteve]

I tried a 6-line.. wouldn't touch them even if its life depended on it and then he kept trying to jump out of the tank, so into my friend's nano he went. I recently moved the tank and was able to make a serious dent in their population in the process but there is a small population of survivors and I want to a) get rid of them or b) keep them under control.

Good to hear that a green mandarin will eat them (likely it's a 50/50 chance they do), so I might give one a try while I rebuild my pod population ('pod rockpile, soon to be sump/fuge, etc).

And I totally agree with you on the yellow tail blue damsels. I think they are only second to my maroon clownfish in terms of "fish that are complete a**holes".

[Doug]

Yea, its about a 50% chance they will eat some. I dont recall if the psychedelic mandarin is better than the green but mine was a standard green.

[whatcaneyedo]

My green mandarin eats them. However I barely had any before adding it so I cant say whether it has made much of an impact or not. All I know is that I used to be able to find them if I looked hard enough but now I cant.

[Frenchie2]

I got flatworms and got a yellow wrasse and psychedlic mandarin. My yellow wrasse did a fabulous job and I suspected the mandarin had something to do with it too as he is getting fatter and fatter (I don't even feed it - he feeds on copepods and probably flatworms). My yellow wrasse jumped out the boat recently (through egg crate cover, can you believe it), and I found the population of flatworms increasing quite a lot. So, I believe the mandarin helps a bit but definitely the yellow wrasse did an outstanding job!

[daniella3d]

Same here. I have 2 green mandarins and they don't eat flatworms. Don't buy mandarins for controling flatworms as you will be disapointed and the mandarins would die if you don't have enough copepods or if you are not willing to take the time to train it on frozen food (many don't accept frozen anyway).

I have tons of flatworms and I watched my mandarins many times in hope they will snatch a few but nope...and now considering velvet nudi. I don't want a 6 line because it would compeat with my mandarins for food and there is a good chance it would not even eat flatworms and I would be stuck with a fish detrimental to my system that I had a hard time fetching out.

chimical is out of the question so I don't have much choice left but the nudi wich only live for about 3 months.

Originally Posted by Doug

My green mandarin ate flatworms, as did my 6 line. Neither made any impact on their population though. I have also heard of the yellow banana wrasse eating them and yellow tailed blue damsels, although I think I would prefer the flatworms to them.