Flat worm id?

[MichaelB]

I found these in my frag tank today.

I've never seen any of these or anything like them in any other tank.

No new corals added in since setting this tank up. With the exception of moving hammers and torches to this tank from main tank.

Tank only has snails, crabs, and lots of pods- no fish.

2 days ago I feed all my tanks a mixture of mysis and benepets. (Something I haven't done in many many months.)
Maybe contribute to seeing this many idk?

I haven't ever seen even one of these before today.


Again never seen these in any other tank.
Sump was seeded with rock from 65gallon tank breakdown and two rocks from the tank that @Darkxerox broke down. No other corals were added from any one else in over 2 months.

Any idea what precisely these are?

Google image said they are harmless. But didn't get a name to know where to start so couldn't really compare these with any other pictures to find a match.

 

[Turkeysammich]

You’ve had those for a long time to have that many. I forget the name off the top of my head. But yeah they are supposed to be harmless. I believe that everyone has some sort of flatworm. Some are microscopic. I seen some at 40x and 100x.
In my 190. I tried to eradicate them. With flatworm exit. Over and over and over. Total waste of time and money.
Some wrasse are supposed to eat them but I don’t see them eating them in the past.

 

[RandyC]

Red planaria

 

[tribbitt]

Mine kind of disappeared over time. I have a springeri but I don’t think it’s been eating them, I think the tank just matured

 

[Turkeysammich]

Red planaria

Eh. Not red my brotha. They are beigeish.

 

[MichaelB]

These are 100% white forgive photos. Lights are blueish

 

[psidriven]

feeding shouldnt contribute to them as they should be photosynthetic. i read some flatworms release toxins when bothered/killed, so read up before attempting to remove them.

mine changed color. started off light beige, then now dark brown. got a yellow wrasse and springeri damsels and number seems to be going down, not eliminated though. yellow striped possum wrasse did nothing. surprisingly, the ones in my sump xenia fuge don't seem to propagate as much as the ones in my DT.

 

[MichaelB]

Long as they don't eat corals was my first concern.

 

[psidriven]

those planaria ones don't eat corals but may bother some zoas by smothering them.

 

[Invictus]

Time for a 6 line or springeri. Certain mandarins have been known to eat them as well

 

[MichaelB]

Time for a 6 line or springeri

After fallow period is over. I will add fish. Wanna make sure i fully wait it out

 

[RandyC]

Eh. Not red my brotha. They are beigeish.

Red planaria are not always red. Can be tan, brown or rust colored. They usually have at least an orange dot near the tail, but always have that characteristic fork as a tail.

 

[tribbitt]

Time for a 6 line or springeri. Certain mandarins have been known to eat them as well

Tbh i’m not convinced springeri eat flatworms and I don’t think i’m alone in this. It’s a really nice fish regardless, but don’t expect it to solve this issue

 

[MichaelB]

Red planaria are not always red. Can be tan, brown or rust colored. They usually have at least an orange dot near the tail, but always have that characteristic fork as a tail.

So its a possibility in your estimates?

 

[MichaelB]

If I try flat worm exit stuff, not saying I'm at that point. Could it harm crabs, snails, or pods? I don't think it effects corals at all?

I have no fish in this system so not against it if it works without high likely hood of harming cuc.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

They are a photosynthetic planarian
Springeri damsel and melanurus wrasse
Did the job for me

 

[Turkeysammich]

Red planaria are not always red. Can be tan, brown or rust colored. They usually have at least an orange dot near the tail, but always have that characteristic fork as a tail.

I Learn something new today. All these years. Thinking beige flatworms.

 

[Invictus]

If I try flat worm exit stuff, not saying I'm at that point. Could it harm crabs, snails, or pods? I don't think it effects corals at all?

I have no fish in this system so not against it if it works without high likely hood of harming cuc.

Is this in your frag flat? If so, wouldn’t be too much work to remove all the inverts.

I know for sure it has a high likelihood to kill brittle stars.

I would always suggest the more natural predator route first.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

@MichaelB
I just sent you a text

 

[MichaelB]

Is this in your frag flat? If so, wouldn’t be too much work to remove all the inverts.

I know for sure it has a high likelihood to kill brittle stars.

I would always suggest the more natural predator route first.

No brittle stars in frag tank, only main tank. Just bristle worms. Yea i could possibly move cuc to another tank. I have the cuc for 210 split between two tanks already. The giant snails are in my nem tank.