Flat worms?

[ReefReadyYouTube]

Tanks been up for a year never seen them till tonight and there’s hundreds. I bought a coral frag Thursday. Could they reproduce that fast? All these yellow dots??? There alive so I assume flat worms. Are these the bad type?
thanks.

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Red planaria flatworms. Pretty harmless they aren’t like the euphyllia flatworms that eat coral. But they multiply very fast and can cover a tank in a month or two if left unchecked. They can cover your coral and stop the coral from receiving enough light but that is only in extreme cases. There is stuff called flatworm exit, research it extensively before using.

 

[ReefReadyYouTube]

Red planaria flatworms. Pretty harmless they aren’t like the euphyllia flatworms that eat coral. But they multiply very fast and can cover a tank in a month or two if left unchecked. They can cover your coral and stop the coral from receiving enough light but that is only in extreme cases. There is stuff called flatworm exit, research it extensively before using.

Okay thank you!

 

[DJF]

+1 planaria; FLE works great (follow directions), so do wrasses.

 

[ReefReadyYouTube]

Thanks guys! I just ordered some, basically treat the tank the do a big water change after an hour.

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Thanks guys! I just ordered some, basically treat the tank the do a big water change after an hour in

If there is a lot in the tank try to vacuum some out before using the treatment. The treatment itself isn’t poisonous for inhabitants but the flatworms themselves release a toxin when they die and if there is a lot in the tank it can kill your livestock.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Thanks guys! I just ordered some, basically treat the tank the do a big water change after an hour.

Try to suck as many out as possible before using fwe. A piece of airline works great. Fwe is reef safe but the toxins released by planaria not so much.
Awesome article on planaria -

How to eliminate Flatworms (Red Planaria) | Melev's Reef

Small reddish-rust colored creatures may already be in your tank. Or you may buy a coral and they'll appear as hitchhikers later. They may appear on the glass/acrylic, on the substrate, or on live rock. Due to their extremely thin bodies, they are called flatworms correctly. They appear almost...

www.melevsreef.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can you take a picture under white lights?
red planaria have 3 lobes and these do not and may be less critical.
However they still need to be removed.
Siphoning is very effective and yellow coris-lunare-melanurus wrasses will eat them

 

[Marlyreef]

I have the same issue. Red planaria flatworms. Grrrr. A thorn in my side. I siphon out as many as I can see at least once a day in order to try to keep their population in check. I am hesitant to use the Flatworm Exit at this time, but have thought about adding a six line wrasse to eat them. Still on the fence about that one, because they can be little bullies, and I have a very peaceful tank with a couple of juvenile ocellaris clowns and a sweet Rainford Goby. If you do the flatworm exit, try to manually remove as many as you can first. Run carbon after about an hour, and then a water change. Be prepared to repeat in a week to get the stragglers or the whole thing will start all over.