Jestersix

Flatworms

Solitaryensis

Solitaryensis

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Hi Everyone:

I think I got flatworms (red planaria) from some chaeto I got from a fellow reefer. The chaeto is covered in it but oddly enough none of it has made its way into my display and I’ve had the chaeto for about a month now. My GUESS is that my yellow coris wrasse or leopard wrasse are eating the few that are making its way to the display but im concerned it’s only a matter of time before it gets worse. Besides getting rid of the chaeto, anything else I should do now? I’ve read about eradication methods but wanted to hear from others first. Thanks!
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Coral reefer said:
They are pretty harmless. What’s your concern? Lowering nutrients seems to help get rid of them.
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You know, I haven’t dealt with them in ages and from what I remember, they were harmful to corals, especially acros but sounds like that’s not true?

I have major issues lowering my nutrients so that’s prob not realistic.


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I have them in my tank, but not all that many. I see them on lps sometimes, haven’t noticed them on acros at all. Don’t seem to bother anything.
 
harmful to corals if they hit plague proportions and they cover every illuminated surface (i.e. corals) but other that they are relatively harmless. Also they are photosynthetic which could explain why they're all over your chaeto.

There are ways to eradicate them, flat worm exit is a good one but you have to be careful because they do release toxins on death and if you have said "plague proportions" it could be fairly bad. Another option is to use flatworm exit just externally, pull all the chaeto out into a bucket (or 10g tank or what not... throw in a small power head, do the FWE treatment there to kill them, and keep your tank chaeto free while you do it (I think it recommends 2 doses over a day or 2? I forget), then you keep those toxins out of the water. Siphon out any you see sump, or if you want to go crazy, turn off your return pump and do the treatment in sump only, then drain all that water and call it a water change, presumably if any are in your display said wrasses should keep the population in check.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone! The photosynthesis part makes sense - I only seem to see them in the morning after the refugium light has been on all night. While it sounds like they can be harmless if kept in check, I’d rather avoid the possibility of it becoming an issue. Better now while it’s limited to the sump versus when they make it to the displays.

I think I’ll remove the chaeto from the sump, which is disappointing because this is the first clump of chaeto I’ve had success with, despite having pretty high nutrient levels.
 
do you want to save the chaeto? Put in a 5 gallon bucket. treat the bucket with Flat work exit, rinse well with clean water. return chaeto to sump. Dump the bucket water.
 
Apon said:
do you want to save the chaeto? Put in a 5 gallon bucket. treat the bucket with Flat work exit, rinse well with clean water. return chaeto to sump. Dump the bucket water.
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Yes, but prob not worth the effort. On that note, can anyone spare some chaeto in the east Bay Area?!!


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So I got my chaeto from a fellow reefer and it looks like yours. I’m still new so how can you identify them 100%. Maybe I’m missing it in the picture. Thanks for the help.
 
Cheato survives tap water pretty well.
RandyC said:
No need for flatworm exit if you don't mind indiscriminate killing. Just soak your chaeto in ro/di in a bucket for 20-30 min. Pretty much will kill most pests. Chaeto will be fine. But of course that won't remove the red planaria from the tank.
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This, but I wouldn't even waste RODI water. Tap water or tap water with a few drops of dechlorinator like prime if you want to get really fancy.
 
Great advice everyone! Since the chaeto is growing well and the flatworms aren’t making their way to the display, maybe I’ll try soaking a small clump.


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A Aaron said:
So I got my chaeto from a fellow reefer and it looks like yours. I’m still new so how can you identify them 100%. Maybe I’m missing it in the picture. Thanks for the help.
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The worms are small and almost square in shape. They should move when you touch them and as others have noted, photosynthesize so you’re more likely to see them after fuge lights have been on.


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Got it thanks. I got my chaeto from a local refer a month or more ago and it just made me think oh crap! I looked carefully though and I think I’m clean. Thanks.
 
A Aaron said:
So I got my chaeto from a fellow reefer and it looks like yours. I’m still new so how can you identify them 100%. Maybe I’m missing it in the picture. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Well if you're like me with moderately horrible eyesight using a magnifying glass of some sort definitely can help but here are some links to give you an idea of what to look for. But if you stare at them they definitely do move, almost like an amoeba movement.

https://coralrx.com/2018/12/28/red-flatworms-convolutriloba-retrogemma-red-planaria/
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?media/red-planaria-flatworms.85/

Just google red planaria for plenty of other pictures/resources.
 
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