flatworm id please

[dgunn]

I discovered this flatworm in my filter bag while cleaning it out. Is it harmful?

thanks

 

[pagojoe]

It looks to be a juvie, but yeah, that's the common mollusc-eating polyclad flatworm that keeps showing up in peoples' reef tanks.

Cheers,


Don

 

[dgunn]

If it is mollusk eating should it be removed to save my snails?

 

[pagojoe]

Unless you would rather have the flatworm than the snails, probably so. They can pretty much kill any snail or clam that they are large enough to wrap up.

Cheers,



Don

 

[Trip 22]

One night 2-3 hours after lights were out I noticed something just like that. As soon as I put my flashlight on it, it slithered back into the rock. The best way to describe it is it was about 1" wide and it was over 2 - 3" long. It was purple. The past month I have purchased over $125 of various snails including Turbo Snails. They have all died within the month except for 2 Nassarius Snails. I always thought my 2 boxer crabs were the culprits. I would catch them with the shell dangling from the legs and them having an expensive meal! Could this flatworm be the real cause? I have only seen it twice. Is there any way to catch them?? Do they usually stay in the same rock? I am not buying any more snails till I find out why they keep dying. Thanks

 

[lhoy]

If you are putting $125 worth of snails in a 14 gallon tank, I would suggest the reason that they are dying might be for a very different reason than a predator.

That is an awful lot of snails for a small tank.

Lee

 

[Trip 22]

Well the prices of snails have skyrocketed! 2.99 for 15 Nassarius.....2 Turbos 6 each....plus I got 5 each of 3 diff type of snails.....I replaced them twice. I was just going on what the LFS said was good for my tank. At that point 1 had 1 Nassarius left. Thanks for the reply but it didn't answer my question at all.

 

[chrisstie]

OMG thats the worm that is in my tank i have been trying to find to catch ever since i saw it the other night.

Both of my clams have been fine *so far* .. but i did notice a strange dead nassarius snail.. any advice on how to a)find this thing or b) what to do for my mollusk population if I cant find it