Are all flat worms bad?

[cmondo]

I found flat worms in my tank. I only have a few sps as of now and I am wondering if all flat worms are bad to some degree? I have tried finding information about flat worms, but the only information I could find was about acro eating flatworms and thankfully that is not what I have. Thanks for any help.

Chris

 

[HumanIMDB]

My girlfriend and I are pretty sure we spotted a flat worm on Friday night, so I am tagging along to find out the answer as well.

 

[jacob30]

No not all are bad.

 

[cmondo]

Thanks for the help jacob. Next logical progression is....Does anyone know of a website or a thread that can help me figure out which kind I have and if for sure they are harmless? Thanks

 

[jacob30]

Are they red or brown? I've a few little brown ones in my reef and I just leave them. I tried the FWE and it caused more problems than just living with the browns. I hear the reds can get out of control.

 

[HumanIMDB]

The one we saw was mostly translucent with brownish spots.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Tonight, after the lights went out on the aquarium, I was walking by it and I saw that most of the bottom was moving. When I turned on the room lights, I saw this:

<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290009.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290009_tn.JPG" border=0></a>
<i>(click for a larger image)</i>

I am pretty sure it is a flat worm, the question is, is it bad and how do I remove it if it is?

This one is <b>A LOT</b> bigger than the one we saw the other night! I estimate it's size to be between 3" and 4" in diameter, maybe bigger.

Here are a couple more pictures, they are blurry but they give you an idea of it's shape and how it moves:

<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290004.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290004_tn.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290006.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290006_tn.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290008.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290008_tn.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290011.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/aquarium2.2/blob/PA290011_tn.JPG" border=0></a>

You see it disappear into a hole in the rock...

 

[pickle311]

holy crap, what the heck is that? It is shaped like a flatworm but way bigger than anything I've ever seen. The common flatworms that we see are tiny and usually very hard to see with the naked eye, espcially that acro eating ones.

 

[chinobling]

Pretty cool, but seriously, that things huge! I'd like to find out what that is too.

 

[jdieck]

That looks like a carnivorous Pseudoceroidae, IME (I had one) they are snail eaters.
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=923818#fs
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=923820

 

[HumanIMDB]

Well that would explain why we seem to have lost two snails in the last week...

Okay, so how do I get it out?

I've seen Flatworm eXit by Salifert, is that product any good?

 

[jdieck]

Not sure Flatworm exit will work with it. Otherwise just wait for a similar oportunity like the one you had when taking the picture to pull him out.

 

[Acroholic]

I found these guys after a freshwater dip of some zoo's...not exactly sure what they are....they don't seem to have caused any damage to anything in my tank as far as I know....

 

[cmondo]

Wow that this is huge. It appears you have a bigger flatworm problem then I do. The ones that I have are brown and about a quarter of a centimeter. The "tail" is two pronged if that helps out at all. I do not have a good camera at my disposal, so getting a picture of these little guys is probably not going to happen. So if anyone can help from that little description that would be cool.

Chris

 

[Acroholic]

LOL...no, these pictures were taken with a biological microscope.....they are actually only aprox. 1/2mm in total length...the cilia are not even visible with the naked eye.