FLATWORM APPEARED ON GLASS

[FindingNem0]

Have dipped every coral before adding it into my nano tank and guess what I found today on the glass. A BIG FLATWORM !!!!!

Does that mean there is eggs in my tank now and this thing is fully sized adult. Not sure how I missed it.

 

[stephj03]

If you have torches/hammers/frogspawn etc. Check for eggs and and/re-dip IMO

 

[exnisstech]

Not sure but the color looks like it may be a polyclad. If it is they get pretty big and eat snails and clams primarily. Info I gathered when I found a huge one and silly me thought is was a pretty cool find until I read up on them

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have dipped every coral before adding it into my nano tank and guess what I found today on the glass. A BIG FLATWORM !!!!!

Does that mean there is eggs in my tank now and this thing is fully sized adult. Not sure how I missed it.

This is a polyclad flatworm and while not as harmful as red planaria, they in numbers can smother bases of coral and block the needed light for production of zooxanthellae which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, , lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

For the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs if any and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future polyclads. Eggs are really tiny

 

[FindingNem0]

Phew what a relief. I guess I'll just do manual removal for now. Don't really want to take my corals out to dip because there is so many of them and all of them is glued onto rock work.

 

[exnisstech]

Try a clam dropped in the tank at night. I put one in for my new CBB and left it. In the morning the entire clam was gone and this huge polyclad was cleaning the shell. It was pretty amazing actually, to me at least. It was cool to watch and I considered keeping it in a seperate small tank but decided I have too many running already.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

OP, this is definitely a polyclad flatworm of some kind - Euphyllia Eating Flatworms are one kind of polyclad flatworm.

Regardless of what kind yours is, it likely either feeds on corals or mollusks (snails and bivalves, including clams), so it is likely to be harmful.

 

[FindingNem0]

OP, this is definitely a polyclad flatworm of some kind - Euphyllia Eating Flatworms are one kind of polyclad flatworm.

Regardless of what kind yours is, it likely either feeds on corals or mollusks (snails and bivalves, including clams), so it is likely to be harmful.

Yeah I'll have to manually remove it. Dipping is not an option at the moment.

Try a clam dropped in the tank at night. I put one in for my new CBB and left it. In the morning the entire clam was gone and this huge polyclad was cleaning the shell. It was pretty amazing actually, to me at least. It was cool to watch and I considered keeping it in a seperate small tank but decided I have too many running already.

Wow that's huge. When you say drop a clam in. What type of clam. Like a raw dead clam? Or a live one LOL.

 

[exnisstech]

I use clams from the seafood dept. Thaw and split open. I have magnetic algae clips and I just put the clam in one. The worms are a bit light sensitive so best at night and check your trap before daylight. Can scoop em out with a net. Thinking about it a bottle trap would probably work better but I wasn't trying to catch one, just feed fish when I caught mine.

 

[FindingNem0]

I use clams from the seafood dept. Thaw tu and split open. I have magnetic algae clips and I just put the clam in one. The worms are a bit light sensitive so best at night and check your trap before daylight. Can scoop em out with a net. Thinking about it a bottle trap would probably work better but I wasn't trying to catch one, just feed fish when I caught mine.

Yeah I did notice mine a couple hours before lights on, not sure why it was on the front glass tho.

I will try feeding a clam in a bottle trap if I notice another one.

 

[kyreefville]

Heck setting traps to find and catch stuff a whole new level of fun. Only problem is I probably be shinning a flash light on it all night.