Flatworms

[Jmvanness]

So I was checking on my macros last night and I see some flatworms in the refugium. They vary from clearish white to brown, maybe .25" long with the tail end ending on points on either side. Not seeing them in the dt or any other part of the sump. Just wondering how worried I should be.

[victoly]

I'd knock em out :/ get em while they're not problematic.

[esacjack]

are you only seeing them on the algae? If so, they're not likely AEFW (Acro Eating Flatworms). However, any/all flatworms are capable of killing corals, primarily due to their ability to rapidly reproduce. The more food they have, the faster they reproduce. When you reach a certain point a few scenarios may come to play.

1) Somehow, someway, they'll die off, and start releasing toxins into the water (run carbon!)

2) They'll definitely take down your macro algae (With the exception of chaeto, I have yet to witness them munching on it)

3) They'll munch on algae growing on the surface of your corals, which in turn (and in large numbers) has the potential to fatally depriving them of light, or causing them to shed/melt/rtn

4) Regular siphoning of your fuge and night time inspection of your DT sandbed/algae problem areas, to aid in preventing this spread will seem futile.

5) You'll end up either dosing your tank with FWE or using a natural means, i.e. damsels/coris.. I.e. fish.

If it were me, I would shut down your return/overflows. Then I'd dose the fuge with FWE (following the directions closely), then begin a series of water changes in the fuge, start your carbon reactor back up (if you have one) and let it run for a few hours. FWE will not kill ALL flatworms, the non coral consuming planaria is a prime example.

[subsea]

Red planaria would be a problem. When smashed against the glass, a strong smell of idione was on my finger tips.

In 44 years of reef keeping I have nuked a tank only once, you guessed it, Red Planari. I did a second treatment in two weeks. Not all flatworms are bad.

Patrick

[esacjack]

Patrick is correct, there are some very beneficial flatworms (and some are also very beautiful).

[Planeden]

are you only seeing them on the algae? If so, they're not likely AEFW (Acro Eating Flatworms). However, any/all flatworms are capable of killing corals, primarily due to their ability to rapidly reproduce. The more food they have, the faster they reproduce. When you reach a certain point a few scenarios may come to play.

1) Somehow, someway, they'll die off, and start releasing toxins into the water (run carbon!)

2) They'll definitely take down your macro algae (With the exception of chaeto, I have yet to witness them munching on it)

3) They'll munch on algae growing on the surface of your corals, which in turn (and in large numbers) has the potential to fatally depriving them of light, or causing them to shed/melt/rtn

4) Regular siphoning of your fuge and night time inspection of your DT sandbed/algae problem areas, to aid in preventing this spread will seem futile.

5) You'll end up either dosing your tank with FWE or using a natural means, i.e. damsels/coris.. I.e. fish.

If it were me, I would shut down your return/overflows. Then I'd dose the fuge with FWE (following the directions closely), then begin a series of water changes in the fuge, start your carbon reactor back up (if you have one) and let it run for a few hours. FWE will not kill ALL flatworms, the non coral consuming planaria is a prime example.

uggg, isnt that the one you said i may have....to the google i guess.

hey, but in this i learned that everyone saying FWE is flatworm exit and not freshwater extreme or some other freshwater dip . i left FWE on a need to know basis and hadn't decided i needed to know that yet.

[Derek]

A hoeven's wrasse was my savior when I had an outbreak of flatworms. They were literally covering my frog spawn colony. Within two or three weeks after putting in the hoeven's wrasse they were all gone. Now the hoeven's is a beloved friend in my tank.

[Jmvanness]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll think about it.