polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I knew my time would come and its here. I was looking in my refugium and saw them on a coral there that i was houseing down there. i looked in the main tank and they are all over my toad stool leather coral and who knows what else. i guess this answers the question to why my birdnest is dying. i know that other have had these and i know that there is a thread here about them some where but i couldnt find it. how do i get rid of them? I need to start treatment tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 If you can snag a picture, I could tell you if they are AEFW (Acro eating flatworms). You said your Bird's Nest was dying, so it could be them, but what throws me off is that they're on your leather corals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 (edited) here are some pictures of them on the leather coral. they are going to be large photos so you can see them. they are the best i can get. they are on the edge Edited February 21, 2010 by polarbear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 please anyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 mmmm.....defntly flatworms. There are lots of treatment options, some work and some dont. Ive never had them. Could try Flatworm X. RCA has it i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 is this something that you can treat the whole tank with with out killing anything else? i was reading that some stuff kills other worms or even inverts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBoy251 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 (edited) I nad some on my leather last week and a I did not realize it until a friend saw them. He had the same prob and he and I did is turn the power heads off take the coral out without shaking it in the tank and wash the off in a bucket with water. What I did is I took the turkey base turn the leather upside down and flush it with water. I haven't seen anymore since. I wash the rock as well I did it that way so just incase some were on the rock. GOOD LUCK http://www.melevsreef.com/id/ Edited February 21, 2010 by JBoy251 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 i got all the ones off the top with a turky baster. i read that they hid in the rock work until the lights go out and they multiply like crazy. i need to treat the whole tank and refugium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBoy251 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 did you look at the link I posted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 i did. are they in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBoy251 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 (edited) yes http://www.melevsree...tbs/aefw_tb.jpg check it again it let you know what you can do. This is just a pic so go to the other link posted Edited February 21, 2010 by JBoy251 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Definitely AEFW. Do you have a lot of SPS in your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 only 2 small frags. didnt see them on there tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 (edited) I'm going to chime in with my 2 cents. Back in early December I had a bad breakout of flatworms in my 55gal, they weren't like yours, they were much smaller, but I had them all over the place. The largest one I had was smaller than a BB, most were little larger than the head of a toothpick. I looked at all the options including flatworm exit. I decided I wanted to deal with them naturally and bought a Target Mandarin Goby from Mama. The target goby did a great job and in a little more than a month I was hard pressed to find a single flatworm in the tank. The FW I had mainly lived on the glass, I never saw them on any of my corals, or even on my rockwork, and I looked, very very hard! I don't think the ones I have are reef eaters. ( Here is a link to my original thread http://www.austinree...gs-on-my-glass/ ) However, the Goby decided to go carpet surfing a little over a week ago, and I have since seen a few FW on the glass, so I know he kept them in check and didn't completely eliminate them. But again, I never saw a single one on any of my corals or rockwork. Only on the glass. I plan on getting another Target Goby from Mama soon and I hope he is as hungry as the first. After I had this little problem with the 55gal, I took a closer look at my 10gal and noticed that I have a couple flatworms in that tank on my mushrooms. They have always been there, I have had that tank up and running for over 3 years, and I just thought they were weird little spots on the mushrooms. It was not until I did the research on the big tank that I even realized they were in my smaller one. They are not the same flatworms I have in the 55gal however, as I have never shared anything between the two tanks. The ones in my 10gal look exactly like the ones you have, and just like the ones on the page jboy posted http://www.melevsree...d/flatworm.html The ones on the very right. Except mine blend in even better with the color of the mushrooms, and each mushroom only has 2-3 of them. I am going to remove them from the mushrooms the next water change I do using an airline tube as a siphon. I think I have been lucky while I have flatworms in both of my tanks, they seem to have no negative effects on anything. While yes the mushrooms do have a couple on each, the mushrooms still multiply and grow like crazy, so they aren't being hurt that bad. I personally would work on siphoning them out, or get a target goby to try to deal with them naturally. I know a lot of people on this and other boards have had success with Flatworm Exit, but I also read quite a few horror stories about it. I don't think I will ever use it on my tanks. Just my 2 cents. Edited February 21, 2010 by o0zarkawater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 thank you for your input. it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acropoorer Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 The flatworms you are describing sound like red planeria. They should be harmless unless you kill them with flatworm exit in which case they can emit a poison that will cause problems in your tank (not a problem unless you have a lot). Generally they require a lot of nutrient in the water, so a cleaner tank will generally reduce there numbers. When I first had them I went with what all the lfs's advised but was surprised to see that the most aggressive eater of these guys was the blue green chromis. Reef stores will sell you sixlines, mandarins and gobbies for the problem but I have only observed blue greens eating them. I have always had them in my system, but never see them in my show tank since adding the blue greens. You can use flatworm exit which in my experience hasn't had any ill effects on other specimens. However, if you have a lot of them you have to be careful about the poison they emit when you treat. Cleaning up built up nutrient will help more (built up crude in sand beds and tank bottoms). I have a bare bottom frag tank and when I let crap build up in the bottom they over populate on the crude. As a rule I don't worry about them as they go away when I clean the tank bottom and the chromis keeps eats most of the ones that are more visible. Treatment never seems to completely get rid of them (come back in a few months) but might if you treat multiple times. Again, they should be harmless to corals unless they are the acro eating type (which will stay on acro's not all over your tank). You should be able to blow or suck them off your coral. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimReefer Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 take it by my experince with these, i tried salifert flatworm exit and blue vet, (yea they will kill ALOT but not all) best bet is to freshwater dip everything rock, sand and coral, i know it sux i have a big tank and it took a half a day to do it, it is a sure thing though, i bought both chems. and they came back, but with free water they didnt and i didnt loose any fish that way and havent seen 1 in a year now, safest and surest i promise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedelgado Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 + 1 on what acropoorer said. no need to dissassemble tank,dip or poison. They really arent harmful. However they do seem to thrive where there is an abundance of crud and no natural predator present. I would 1st look at the way the tank is set up and try work on areas that trap detritus, low flow ect.And 2nd I would try a predator like the chromis dale mentioned. I use a green wrasse (he is a killer). I tried a six line in the past(its what everyone reccomends) he wasnt much of a hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 (edited) i have a lot of crud in my sump. should i clean it our and remove all of the water from there and then refill it? I always thought that your were supposed to leave the sump alone. i have a blue filter pad like you see in the picture but Im not sure if it is enough to trap everything. Should I change to a filter bag and let it hang down in the water? Edited February 21, 2010 by polarbear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedelgado Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I like that filter set up you have there! As long as it is functioning properly and you are maintaining it(not letting it clogg and bypass) I would keep it. I would not do too much at once as far as disturbing detritus and what not( you dont want a big nutrient spike). I would definately take a shop vac or something and remove as much detritus as you can from the sump during your next water change. Then in the coming weeks slowly look at the tanks set up and work on areas that may be collecting crud due to lack of flow rockscape packed too tight ect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 thanks for the input. ill suck some of it out when i do my next water change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBoy251 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 As Mike said focus on the area you are seeing the prob so not to mess your tank up to much. As said when I saw them this what I did. I turn the power heads off take the leather with rock that was surrounding it and without shaking them in the tank to avoid any falling off. I then wash them off in a bucket by turning them upside down and taking a turkey baster and flushing them with it so as everything falls from the to the coral and into the bucket. Its been over a week and I haven't seen any more since. Did you find the info on them from the link on other treatment to try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 yes i did thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 +2 with acropooer. I knew there was a reason why I bought blue/green chromis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 i dont have room for extra fish so i have to go a different route. any other suggestions for me Dave? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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