I'm not sure if I'm infected or not..

[jefftse]

I was looking at my frags in the frag tank today and saw there are some bugs that looks like tiny pods, but it also look like red bugs, or flat worms on a lot of the plugs.. I don't know if they are harmless or they are pest. As far as I can tell, they are only on the plugs or disc.. they are not on the actual coral but I could be wrong of course... Is it a way for me to tell what they are?

[smallreef]

Macro picture to see and post here

[Coral Hind]

Yeah, we can't offer much advice without the pictures. Do some internet image searches and see if what you have matches what you don't want to have.

[jefftse]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ridetheducati]

Those are flatworms.

[jefftse]

really... what do I do?

[zygote2k]

Those look like the Red Planaria/ flatworms that are common in and amongst WAMAS members. You can treat the tank with Flatworm Exit or Levamisole HCL to rid yourself of these pests. Many people say various types of wrasses will eat them, but it looks like you have them in plague proportions and only a tankful of wrasses would keep them in check if they even eat them.

I've recently treated 5 tanks with eXit and had varying results-

1) My tank. I used 2x dosage and it wiped them all out within a few hours with zero effects on tank residents.

2) 156g reef tank. 2x dosage killed 4 fish but eliminated all flatworms.

3) 75g reef tank. Took 3 tries with 2x dosage to finally kill them.

4) 240g reef. 2x dosage and killed 99% of them. Still see one or two occassionally, but so does the sixline wrasse...

5) 165g fishless reef. 2x dosage and eliminated them with no other effects.

 

I currently work on a 500g tank that is infested with them but I am hesitant to treat because of the sheer size of the tank and the 2) 12" Tridacna clams. Paul Baldasano told me that they will eventually go away on their own, but eventually to him might mean a couple of years.

[jefftse]

Do they hurt the coral?

 

I don't see them on the corals at all.

[Jan]

If the population gets out of control they will cover the corals blocking the light and that's how they hurt your corals. They multiply fast. Faltworm exit reduces the population significantly. A wrasse will eat them as well. You have to be on top of it to eradicate them from your system. I think Rob was able to get rid of them in his system using flatworm exit.

 

Do they hurt the coral?

 

I don't see them on the corals at all.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Jan

[Coral Hind]

Those don't look like the red planaria. They don't seem to have red spot on them and the red planaria are much larger. Those do seem to have the lighter almost white spot and that type doesn't seem to cover corals at all but instead sticks on the non-living surfaces. My experience with those is they don't seem to be affected by FlatWorm Exit, even at much higher doses.

[flowerseller]

Flat worm exit works well but like any treatment, follow the directions carefully.

I find yellow coris wrasses to be effective as well as many other wrasses except 4 and 6 line.

I like yellows because they are not as brutal on the other small hermits and snails.

 

FYI,

we will be doing a discussion at the Frag Fest Extravaganza (FFE) on Sunday the 26th in McLean.

[jefftse]

The weird thing is that I don't see them in my display tank. I think maybe my ozone and UV kill them before going to display?

Is yellow wrasse a jumper? Its a 20g with a pair of platinum clowns.

 

I'm going to think it over before doing any treatment. I may make a flat worm vacuum this weekend. It doesn't seem the corals will die any time soon.

[Coral Hind]

There might be something in the display that is eating them. I have witnessed the clear flatworms feeding on these smaller flatworms as well as pods during the night.

 

Yes, the yellow wrasse, like all the other wrasses, have been reported to jump. A simple screen top will prevent that.

[jefftse]

I have screens on my display and my bluespot found his way to jump out 2 days ago... I need to find small mesh...

[jefftse]

I need to buy a Velvet Nudibranch. where can I get one today???

[jefftse]

I just ordered 200 bucks worth of fish... let see how it turns out....

[Ryan S]

[jefftse]

LOL.. I couldnt' even sleep last night..

[ridetheducati]

As long as the FWs are not smothering corals and traveling to the main display, I would not worry.

[Jan]

I don't agree with this. It's a pest. I wouldn't lose sleep over it but i'd be concerned. I'd be upset if I got them in my display tank from a LFS or another member.

 

As long as the FWs are not smothering corals and traveling to the main display, I would not worry.

[jefftse]

I know I definitely got them from a member since I only bought them within the club.. It is what it is.. I got a bunch of fish coming tomorrow and hopefully one of them is very hungry for FW

[jefftse]

sad thing is that I do dip every coral.. don't know how it even got in the very first place!

[Jan]

How do you dip?

 

sad thing is that I do dip every coral.. don't know how it even got in the very first place!

[Der ABT]

those things are tiny, when was the last coral introduced....i can understand if they start off that small but if its been a few weeks i would think they would be bigger than that...well at least thats my understanding of red planaria....

 

+1 on how you dip....im guessing coral rx or revive but if they arent working??

 

 

David, how did you get rid of them...since you seem to have had these lill guys before....need another stickie for my treatment file just in case

[Jan]

I mean how do you dip in terms of how long do you leave your corals in dip and what do you look for. Some folks litereally dip. I mean in and out. I leave my corals in dip for a while then I look at what has dropped off. I een look with a magnifying glass. I also FW dip all zoas, some shrooms and all clams.