Brown Rust Flatworms?

[Airwarf]

I'm 99% sure these are brown rust flatworms, but wanted to confirm. I've seen them before in the refugium but never in the DT.

I've been overfeeding in the past week to promote elevated nutrients for my macro algae. The chaeto has been dissolving away over the last two months and I was trying to give it more food. I didn't expect these guys to bloom from it...

Is there anything I should do to remove them from my softy corals? Is it worth a fresh water dip?

 

[Big G]

The two most common methods are physical, using a 6 line wrasse to hunt them down and keep their numbers in check. Though some wrasses don't work as well as you want. The second is chemical, using Flatworm Exit. The danger is if you have large numbers and kill them off all at once it can create a toxic situation in your tank. So most would suggest you physically remove as many as possible before dosing Flatworm Exit. Lastly some say that they are part of a normal reef and actually do a bit of cleaning in you tank and to let them be. Here's a link to a thread that may help.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-is-the-best-method-to-kill-flatworms-in-a-reef.39327/

 

[cloak]

A quick freshwater dip is another option. The osmotic shock should have them falling off in a matter of seconds. FWIW I did this to an Elegance coral one time without any problems. Also, you might want to build yourself a siphon similar to the one pictured in the link below. A tool like this can work wonders sometimes. GL.
http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-to-eliminate-flatworms-red-planaria
http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-to-eliminate-flatworms-red-planaria

 

[dansreef]

Not knowing more about your system.... hard to give much advice. @Big G 's response is spot on.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Did you do any coral dips before hand? With Bayer Advanced or Coral X dip?

 

[Airwarf]

Not knowing more about your system.... hard to give much advice. @Big G 's response is spot on.

What info would you need to know?

Parameters:
SG: 1.025
temp: 77
pH: 8.3
ALK: 8.3 dKH
NH3: near zero - none (over feeding the past week)
NO2: none
NO3: <10 - none
PO4: .1 - none
Ca: 440
Mg: 1250

 

[Airwarf]

A quick freshwater dip is another option. The osmotic shock should have them falling off in a matter of seconds. FWIW I did this to an Elegance coral one time without any problems. Also, you might want to build yourself a siphon similar to the one pictured in the link below. A tool like this can work wonders sometimes. GL.
http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-to-eliminate-flatworms-red-planaria

Excellently simple siphon filter. I didn't realize they were that easy to remove. This will probably be the route I go if their numbers get too high. I'm going to cut down on the overfeeding and see if their numbers drop down.

Thanks

 

[dansreef]

What info would you need to know?

The kind of information I would want to know would be tank size, type of reef....corals etc...that you are keeping. Types of fish that you have. As Big G mentioned.... six line wrasse... and others have been known to munch these. Of course... adding one may not fit with your tank plans. I have also seen yellow choris wrasses also relish these. There are other fish that could be great predators. The picture shows a torch coral.... do you have more LPS, SPS, Softies....etc....

As for freshwater dips.... sure... that will help... wont solve the issues unless all of your corals are easily removed and dipped. And you have a way to remove other equipment that may be a place where these flatworms hang out. If you miss one or two....etc.... then all you are doing it knocking the population down.... only for them to rebound....meaning a lot of work for a temporary fix....

I am of the camp that natural solutions such as siphoning flatworms out and finding a predator is better than doing Flatworm Exit... Of course....that is my preference and may not be share by you. I have flatworms in my large tank. I have a bunch of predators that eat them. I have spingeri damsels, green spotted dragonette and a wrasse. They do an ok job of keeping the type of FWs I have in check. The FWs do no harm to anything in my tank. So for me, this works. For you.... that may be different.

More information as I requested can provide you additional and hopefully more relevant insights and advice....that is all.

Good Luck.

 

[Airwarf]

The kind of information I would want to know would be tank size, type of reef....corals etc...that you are keeping. Types of fish that you have. As Big G mentioned.... six line wrasse... and others have been known to munch these. Of course... adding one may not fit with your tank plans. I have also seen yellow choris wrasses also relish these. There are other fish that could be great predators. The picture shows a torch coral.... do you have more LPS, SPS, Softies....etc....

As for freshwater dips.... sure... that will help... wont solve the issues unless all of your corals are easily removed and dipped. And you have a way to remove other equipment that may be a place where these flatworms hang out. If you miss one or two....etc.... then all you are doing it knocking the population down.... only for them to rebound....meaning a lot of work for a temporary fix....

I am of the camp that natural solutions such as siphoning flatworms out and finding a predator is better than doing Flatworm Exit... Of course....that is my preference and may not be share by you. I have flatworms in my large tank. I have a bunch of predators that eat them. I have spingeri damsels, green spotted dragonette and a wrasse. They do an ok job of keeping the type of FWs I have in check. The FWs do no harm to anything in my tank. So for me, this works. For you.... that may be different.

More information as I requested can provide you additional and hopefully more relevant insights and advice....that is all.

Good Luck.

Sure, sorry for delayed reply:

Tank:
60g cube w/ Eshopps medium cube refugium sump (~80g total capacity)
Chaeto in the refugium light on 24/7
Eshopps S-120 Skimmer

SPS:
Pink Birdsnest
Green Birdsnest
green encrusting Montipora

LSP:
Green Starburst polyps
Branching Frogspawn
Branching Hammer
Walling Hammer
Duncan
Acan

Inverts:
1x Coral Banded Srimp

Fish:
2x ocellaris clownfish (captive bred)
2x Yellow clown goby
1x diamond goby
1x red scooter dragonet
2x Anthias (Indian Ocean; female)
1x Pygmy Angle

The Dragonet picks around constantly and eats frozen foods. There are pods in the tanks that I think he eats from, but not sure if he's eating the FW too.

So far I've only seen the FW on the branching frogspawn (in the pic) and the walling hammer. I think my approach is going to be similar to yours. If the FW population gets out of hand I'll probably start by siphoning the hot spots out. I'm hesitant to add any more livestock since my rockscape is running out of hiding holes for everyone. Also I've had a 6 line before, and MAN can they be total ******s.... So probably wont venture down that road again lol.

Thanks for info and any more input you might have!

 

[dansreef]

Nice set up. Check out Springeri Damsels... I have three in my 180 reef... they are very small.... timid and are said to feed on FW. I know you said you are hesitant to add.... another one may be a small yellow choris wrasse. I have been told they too will feed on them. The challenge for you will be that they will also feed on pods....and a 60 gal can get depleted fast... and your scooter may miss them.

Good Luck.

 

[library 112]

The two most common methods are physical, using a 6 line wrasse to hunt them down and keep their numbers in check. Though some wrasses don't work as well as you want. The second is chemical, using Flatworm Exit. The danger is if you have large numbers and kill them off all at once it can create a toxic situation in your tank. So most would suggest you physically remove as many as possible before dosing Flatworm Exit. Lastly some say that they are part of a normal reef and actually do a bit of cleaning in you tank and to let them be. Here's a link to a thread that may help.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-is-the-best-method-to-kill-flatworms-in-a-reef.39327/

Will other wrasses work? I just discovered three on my glass and am a few weeks out from a golden rombius and a dusky wrasse.

 

[whitasm]

Hey curious how this went and if you took care of them. Just found a good amount on my frogspawn.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Hey curious how this went and if you took care of them. Just found a good amount on my frogspawn.

This thread is 6 years old, and OP has not been online for 5 years. I doubt you will get an answer. I would suggest looking at newer threads with the red planaria. If you still don't find an answer, post a thread asking people about their experiences with them.