Please help identify flatworms

[ReefWhatYouSow]

So I'm assuming I got these flatworms from the LFS as I just bought a good bunch of coral from them. These corals were dipped twice before going into the tank. Once at the lfs and once at my house. I really want to make sure they aren't AEFW. And yes, you will see a half eaten green slimer but not sure if they are what are it.

What I am hoping is that they aren't detrimental and I can maybe go a more natural way with this (velvet midi ranch). One problem with eradication is that I have a rock wall so it isn't as easy as dipping some corals.

Please let me know your thoughts on both what it is and how to go about fixing it.

Thank you in advance!

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

Anybody?

 

[shifty51008]

Pic? What corals did you just buy?

 

[homer1475]

Pics help.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

Sorry. I thought that I loaded them.

I had bought a good amount of acropora mini colonies and fragged than up. Left for the weekend and noticed that I lost half of them. The only thing I saw on them was amphipods. That was in my frag tank.

Now I'm finding them in my DT. And it looks as if there might be two kinds of pest. Little black bugs that look to be the size of pepper, and then these blackish flatworms that you can easily see in the second pic.

Hopefully these will help.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

They look like regular flat worms to me. Do you have a wrasse? If not it would be a good addition to your tank.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

They look like regular flat worms to me. Do you have a wrasse? If not it would be a good addition to your tank.

I actually have a few; McCoskers, Melanarus, Yellow Tail, and just added a Lubbocks and a Exquisite. The only one of these that I know to
Pick at the rocks is the Melanarus. Not sure if he eats flatworms though : /

 

[shifty51008]

With those pics they are just your standard red planaria. Aefw's will blend into the coral really well and hard to see

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

With those pics they are just your standard red planaria. Aefw's will blend into the coral really well and hard to see

So how bad do things need to be before I use something like flatworm exit to get rid of them?

And is there a good way for me to see the AEFW if there are any?

 

[shifty51008]

They will even out their numbers depending on how much food their is for them. The lower the nutrients the lower their population will be. If you do use flatworm exit, follow the instructions to the T. Spend a week before hand and syphon out as many as you can everyday before useing it and have carbon ready. But it does work well. In my last tank i knew i had them but sence i kept the nutrients low i hardly ever saw them and they never caused any damage so i left them as they still clean the tank.

To see aefw's you have to look at the acro's very close but you can usually see the outline of them around the dead area's of the acro

 

[shifty51008]

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/650

 

[C.Eymann]

I would say use flatworm exit sooner rather than later, also use about x2 the amount of carbon that is recommended.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

I would say use flatworm exit sooner rather than later, also use about x2 the amount of carbon that is recommended.

That's what I thought as well. Stop them before they multiply in the tank.

My only hesitation is that I put in three new fish prior to seeing the flatworms. Will the FW exit cause more stress? Should I maybe let them get better acquainted first?

Also... The amount of flatworms I see are not heavy... Yet. Which is good but who knows how many are on the actual rocks. I've only seen them on the frags. I also haven't seen any on the glass.

 

[MondoBongo]

those look like the flatworms i had in my QT system. i tried multiple treatments with FWE with no real long term success.

they finally went away on their when i got the water quality up in that tank. they thrive in dirty water.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

those look like the flatworms i had in my QT system. i tried multiple treatments with FWE with no real long term success.

they finally went away on their when i got the water quality up in that tank. they thrive in dirty water.

I have been feeding a little more than normal since adding fish but they had to be brought in from somewhere. I went ahead and pulled out the pieces that I saw groups on. I'll try some manual removal and getting the water quality up as well.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

What does everyone think of some natural removal? Maybe a couple velvet nudibranchs?

 

[C.Eymann]

That's what I thought as well. Stop them before they multiply in the tank.

My only hesitation is that I put in three new fish prior to seeing the flatworms. Will the FW exit cause more stress? Should I maybe let them get better acquainted first?

Also... The amount of flatworms I see are not heavy... Yet. Which is good but who knows how many are on the actual rocks. I've only seen them on the frags. I also haven't seen any on the glass.

FW exit itself is not harmful to anything, it's the flatworms themselves that release toxins when they die off.

I have heard of people 1/2 dosing treatment first, then doing a second full dose. Supposedly trying to kI'll them off by fractions and not all at once that can have bad results if the population is large.

Like I said treat now while the problem is small.

 

[shifty51008]

For every one you see there are a hundred hideing, trust me, when you use the flatworm exit and they start dying you'll see what i mean, that is why it is impotrant to spend a week first getting out as many as you can first.

 

[shifty51008]

What does everyone think of some natural removal? Maybe a couple velvet nudibranchs?

They will just keep them in check i doubt they will ever get them all, better water quality is the best option imo.

 

[C.Eymann]

For every one you see there are a hundred hideing, trust me, when you use the flatworm exit and they start dying you'll see what i mean, that is why it is impotrant to spend a week first getting out as many as you can first.

Forgot to mention that, definitely agree. Also run about 2x the recommended amount of carbon, if you don't have one already, get a media reactor to run it in.