Help ID flatworm

[steallife904]

Well i noticed the other day some red stuff on my bird nest colony... While working on the tank today i noticed a lot more which seemed to be on dead parts of the inner and back of colony. I used a baster to suck some off and put on a plate. they are redish looking (real red looking in tank). Trying to determine how freaked i should be and what i need to do. I have never had this issue before. Not even sure how they got in, i dip all frags in coralRX. I also wonder if they have been in tank but never exploded until now since i had no fish in tank for a few months so nothing to eat them like my wrasses and stuff???? Trying to get a pic uploaded. Let me know any help you can advise. thank you

 

[steallife904]

Hope this pic attaches

 

[steallife904]

Another pic

 

[steallife904]

Another

 

[bobssecrtsn]

it looks like Red Planaria Flatworms, No harm to corals, But if it was behind your BN, I suspect that area has low flow. Scratch that, They can get invasive and block light for the corals. Salifert flat worm exit might work, but i tried a whole bottle and i still have them. you can try to get wrasse's or suck them out every day until you can beat them from producing more...

 

[steallife904]

ok so they are not actually eating the coral but can block out light and irritate them, right? I think I will pull the colony out and dip in coralRX. maybe that a few times over a few weeks will help? Will go pick up a wrasse over the weekend. Will any wrasse eat them?

Anyone else have any feedback? Thank you,

 

[markalot]

The only wrasse I've found to eat them is a little Pygmy wrasse. I have them in by big tank but they are small and never an issue on corals. When I setup my first tank I had them in plague proportions but as the tank matured they shrink up to little specs and then usually unnoticeable.

Keep in mind that if/when they die they release a toxin that can kill everything. Flatworm exit can kill them but if you have a lot and they all die you can nuke the tank.