How would you handle seeing 1 flatworm?

[JayFish4004]

Hi all! I am running a 20g Red Sea Max Nano and have 7 coral, 2 fish and 2 sh. Today when feeding I noticed a flatworm on my hammer coral. I have only seen a total of 1 - but I’m sure there are more.

Tank params:
Age: 4 months
Ph: 8
Alk: 9.7
Nitrate: 16ppm (doing another water change this weekend, hoping that takes it under 10)

Given that I’ve only seen one - Im curious if I should get ahead of it and treat now, or maybe find a predator. How would you handle?

 

[Spare time]

If you only see 1, I wouldn't freak out. A scooter dragonet would eat them. These also tend to eat frozen food in my experience. However, if you are not dipping corals, you really should do so before the corals enter the tank.

 

[Michael E.]

I had a tank that I had to treat with flatworm exit every couple months. It never really caused any problems other than just being a little annoying every now and then. Definitely get some flatworm eating fish!

 

[JayFish4004]

If you only see 1, I wouldn't freak out. A scooter dragonet would eat them. These also tend to eat frozen food in my experience. However, if you are not dipping corals, you really should do so before the corals enter the tank.

I will definitely do so moving forward - I read someone who said they dose a drop of flatworm exit in the bag the coral comes in before taking out and putting in tank. Is that what you do for dipping?

 

[JayFish4004]

I had a tank that I had to treat with flatworm exit every couple months. It never really caused any problems other than just being a little annoying every now and then. Definitely get some flatworm eating fish!

Did you have fish? My biggest fear is losing my beloved citron goby Limón, also have a goby pistol shrimp pair that Im pretty attached to. Flatworm exit scares me due to this.

 

[Michael E.]

Did you have fish? My biggest fear is losing my beloved citron goby Limón, also have a goby pistol shrimp pair that Im pretty attached to. Flatworm exit scares me due to this.

I had fish in the tank. All fish and shrimp survived. The only thing pretty aggravated we’re the small feather dusters. Tank was a reefer250. Hundreds of flatworms. With you experiencing 1 that you can see, I would definitely listen to spare times advice.

I’ve also personally taken a much more relaxed approach to “pests”. Even using live rock from Florida. Much different than my past approach with dry rock/sand etc. We’re building mini ecosystems, and our job is to keep it balanced. Sometimes that means a treatment, addition of predators etc. So, I wouldnt stress. Just find a fish that might help and give it some time. If you have to treat down the rd, then treat.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

 

[Gtinnel]

Coral dip should be done to every coral that enters the tank regardless of wether there is a flatworm. How I would react would vary greatly based upon what kind of flatworm. If it's just a red planaria I probably wouldn't do too much, if it were AEFW then I agree with @NowGlazeIT

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I take the frag off the plug, scrape any hard skeleton like on my hammer stalks, then dip in bayer. I can’t stand flat worms, the red ones are less invasive but an eye sore for me. They smother my euphyllia

 

[Kyle_bania]

Take the coral out and dip it. Get rid of those flatworms and do some flatworm exit to deal with the other (which there probably are let’s be honest)

 

[JayFish4004]

I had fish in the tank. All fish and shrimp survived. The only thing pretty aggravated we’re the small feather dusters. Tank was a reefer250. Hundreds of flatworms. With you experiencing 1 that you can see, I would definitely listen to spare times advice.

I’ve also personally taken a much more relaxed approach to “pests”. Even using live rock from Florida. Much different than my past approach with dry rock/sand etc. We’re building mini ecosystems, and our job is to keep it balanced. Sometimes that means a treatment, addition of predators etc. So, I wouldnt stress. Just find a fish that might help and give it some time. If you have to treat down the rd, then treat.

Sounds good! Im torn between a Mandarin and a Scooter. Obviously the Mandarin is super cool looking but I want to make sure he’ll eat mysis too. Is it possible they can be converted?

 

[Gtinnel]

When I realized I had flatworms I got a target mandarin, and melanarus wrasse about the same time. One of them loves them, although I don't know which one. Of course I didn't just see one, by the time I realized that wasn't some algea spots on my glass I had tons of planaria.
I still have them in my sump and don't bother to kill them off (would be easy in my sump since I can easily isolate that water from the display). I figure any that make it to the display is just fish food.

 

[JayFish4004]

Coral dip should be done to every coral that enters the tank regardless of wether there is a flatworm. How I would react would vary greatly based upon what kind of flatworm. If it's just a red planaria I probably wouldn't do too much, if it were AEFW then I agree with @NowGlazeIT

Im 95% certain it was red planaria - would you get a mandarin or scooter to help take care of to keep them from multiplying? Also thought about a nudibranch but they’re out of stock everywhere so maybe not an option. I want to avoid killing my fish first and foremost.

 

[JayFish4004]

When I realized I had flatworms I got a target mandarin, and melanarus wrasse about the same time. One of them loves them, although I don't know which one. Of course I didn't just see one, by the time I realized that wasn't some algea spots on my glass I had tons of planaria.
I still have them in my sump and don't bother to kill them off (would be easy in my sump since I can easily isolate that water from the display). I figure any that make it to the display is just fish food.

Im starting to lean towards the mandarin route - any special care advice? Read they’re tougher to keep.

Wrasse are a little too active for my tank - Im going for peaceful fish and in a tank my size I feel like they’ll just stress everything out.

 

[Koty]

I now have red flatworms multiplying in my refuge together with many other critters mostly amphipods some are as large as small roaches. I never saw them in my DT as I have a fat little Dragonet, a Melanorus wrasse, and other pickers that restrict the biodiversity to the refuge.

 

[Gtinnel]

Red planaria are one of the best flatworms, if you have to have flatworms. They're more of an eyesore although I guess can become a problem if they grow to massive numbers. I went with a target mandarin because I read they're more likely to eat planaria. Which again it may be my wrasse that eats them, I don't know.
My mandarin eventually started eating frozen on its own, but my tank is big enough and has enough pods to keep the mandarin alive without it eating frozen. I've never tried the nudribranch but I've read that they are usually hard to find. I think captive bred mandarins are guaranteed to eat prepared foods, but you pay a huge premium for them to be captive bred. Plus it's still no guarantee it'll eat planaria.