first i want to say happy new year to every one in Manhattan Reefs. i was looking at my tank yesterday and i saw some weird flat worm i have the one that is called convolutriloba retrogemma http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_corals/data/543/450Flatworms.jpg and i saw them on my glass and then on some of my corals , so far the only time ive seen them stress my zoo was once they were on top of it but then came off of it, i have a55 g reef tank with a urchin pro skimmer , phosban reactor with media and im also goin to run carbon, i was reading that i can get a wrasse for it? should i worry? i also saw them on my glass. pls help me guys.:irked:
flat worms
- Thread starter jadakiss
- Start date
I onced bought a refugium of a mr member that was full of them . I put a skinny mandarin in there 2 days later there were no more flatworms and I had a fat mandarin to put back in my setup but I didnt take a chance with the refugium I cleaned it out.A wrasse should also eat them.
- Location
- Ronkonkoma, NY
I have had some luck with a Dragon Goby
NIGHTCRAWLER
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- centereach
Six Line Wrasse for red flat worms
NIGHTCRAWLER
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- centereach
http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html good article
- Location
- Kew Gardens Queens
Last year I had a really bad infestation of flatworm so I bought an armored wrasse from wonderful world of fish and he took care of the problem in no time. I think they are much hardier than a mandarin to be honest. If you do get one just remember they like to be feed a cpl of times a day. Good Luck!
Pedro Nuno Ferreira
Liquid Breathing
- Location
- Portugal - Vila Nova de Gaia
Hi
Bellow is some more information about pest flatworms that you can find in this web site
I hope for the best and hope this further information helps you.
Cheers
Pedro Nuno ;-)
Bellow is some more information about pest flatworms that you can find in this web site
One other possibility to fight a wide variety of flat worms is the Blue Velvet Nudibranch (Chelidonura varians), still as mentioned above, it is quite sensitive to water parameter variations, however if you don not want to put another fish in your tank or fear for aggression by the other fish already living there, it is a good possibility.Flatworms
Identification
While Flatworms, also known as Planaria, can become a problem in just about any saltwater aquarium; the aquaculture industry has encountered two distinct types of flatworms that are now fairly common in the United States.
Rust Brown Flatworm
The first and most common type of flatworm can become a nuisance quickly in the home aquarium. These organisms are tan, brown or rust colored with a red dot, and reach a size of up to 1/4" in length. They are oval and slightly elongated with two tail-like appendages at their posterior. This brown flatworm has been identified as Convolutriloba retrogemma, and will proliferate rapidly in aquariums with elevated nutrient levels. The populations of these pests can increase to a point where they will actually perch on corals, and block the light from reaching the corals' tissue. Some experts believe that the flatworms actually feed on the zooxanthellae from coral tissue, thus damaging the corals themselves.
Acropora-Eating Flatworm
The Acropora Flatworm is starting to become prevalent in the United States, and has been recognized in Germany for the last few years. This unidentified species is a more aggressive species of flatworm that consumes the actual tissue of Acropora sp. corals at a rapid rate. This flatworm is white to opaque in color, and is mostly oval in shape, making them very difficult to notice in the display aquarium. They seem to prefer species of Acropora that have shorter polyps, and are most commonly found on Staghorn types and Tricolor species. This flatworm is very invasive, and immediate action should be taken if noticed in your aquarium.
Symptoms & Signs
The Rust Brown Flatworm can be seen on top of corals, and normally in areas of low flow in the reef aquarium. The Acropora-Eating Flatworm can be recognized by the rapid tissue loss in certain colonies of Acropora, and their presence will be known by the gold to brown egg masses that they leave behind on the bare coral skeletons.
Treatment
The best way of controlling flatworms is by prevention. Maintaining low nutrient levels in the aquarium with the use of carbon and aggressive protein skimming, along with increased water flow will help to reduce the populations of these pests. Proper quarantine of new specimens, and all aquatic life before they are placed in the display aquarium will keep the initial introduction of flatworms to a minimum.
With severe infestations, you may have to employ a combination of all methods mentioned above in order to eliminate or even control the populations of these pests.
- Natural means of control include: Wrasse of the genus Pseudocheilinus, such as the Six Line Wrasse (P. hexataenia), Halichoeres Wrasse, such as Yellow Wrasse (H. chrysus), Macropharyngodon Wrasse such as the numerous Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon sp.), and Dragonets such as the Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus). The Blue Velvet Nudibranch (Chelidonura varians
) is very effective at consuming flatworms in the aquarium, but is very sensitive to changes in water chemistry and has a short life expectancy in the home aquarium.
- Although the species mentioned above will consume flatworms, they may not feed on all of the different species that inhabit the aquarium, nor will they typically rid the aquarium completely. Also be sure that your aquarium is appropriate for the fish, as some of the species do have special requirements and increased care levels in the home aquarium.
- Another method of removing flatworms from an infected colony is by performing a brief freshwater bath or dip. Flatworms are very sensitive to salinity changes; by dipping the colony in dechlorinated freshwater for 5 to 10 seconds and then shaking the colony while submerged in the bath of freshwater, will cause the worms to lose their grip and fall to the bottom of the container. Be sure the freshwater has the same temperature and pH as the aquarium's water in order to reduce the amount of stress on the colony.
- The last method involves manual removal. Siphoning seems to work the best, as the flatworms do not keep a very strong grip on the colony. A small diameter airline tubing works very well for soft leather coral colonies and some species of mushrooms. Be careful not to damage the coral with too strong of a siphon. For the more delicate mushrooms and LPS corals, small syringes work very well. It is possible to get the syringe very close to the flatworm and gently draw the worm into the syringe without harming the coral.
I hope for the best and hope this further information helps you.
Cheers
Pedro Nuno ;-)
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