I think chaeto is my problem

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

I jumped on the chaeto craze and added a macro algae reactor. For some reason I never thought to dip or quarantine my chaeto and I think it has been haunting me ever since.

I first found a vermatid snail on the shell of an astrea snail. Here is a pic and a link to the thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hitchhiker-spd-on-snail.325315/

Then came spirorbid worms.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-are-these-white-dots.331631/

Now I have digitate hydroids and possibly more vermatid snails only now they are on my rock not snails. You will see them towards the end of this video.

My plan was to transfer this rock into a 40B and start a larger system but with all of these problems I am not sure I should introduce anything to my new system. I already bought the 40B and I am cycling 20 lbs of pukani that I was going to add to my existing 20 lbs of reef saver in this tank. Should I wait this out? I have read that hydroids and spirorbids may go away in their own over time.

This all seemed to happen after I added chaetomorpha without quarantine. I watched a bunch of videos of people making these reactors but never heard anyone mention dip or quarantine, it never crossed my mind... live and learn.

Maggie321 · Dec 31, 2017

I don't see the spirobid as a problem, but the vermatids are a nuisance. I will keep this in mind when I start using cheato. I had 1 vermatid on an astrea snail that I covered with glue and haven't seen any since. Hopefully I got the bugger before it multiplied, but since things hide in tanks, I probably won't know for another 6 months to a year

itisjp · Dec 31, 2017

Yep, ran into similar critters when I added macro. I got flatworms and Arthropods so one bad and one good. I thought about putting the macro in QT but never could figure that one out.

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

I think I just found flatworms too... weird because the chaeto has been in there for about 6 months and this is the first time I have seen flatworms

Maggie321 · Dec 31, 2017

I have had flatworms. The acoel variety. Over about 10 weeks, or maybe a bit longer, they disappeared. As long as they aren't the AEFL variety, I would just watch them for a while. I bought but never used flatworm exit.

itisjp · Dec 31, 2017

I just went through round one of removal for the flatworms in my fudge, razor blade to scrape them off the glass and scoop them up with a net if they get off the razor blade. They flap around once you get them off the glass and easy to get in a net.

Kamden Uelton · Dec 31, 2017

Money Cowries eat hydroids, and the worms seem beneficial to me.

EDIT : My Mimic Filefish eats Flatworms, maybe get a Velvet Nudi?

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

Thank you Kamden, I will look into minimal tank size and compatibility

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

This is the first I have heard of money cowries do you have experience with them?

ChrisOFL · Dec 31, 2017

What is your concern exactly about these hitchhikers? I have all of these in my tank and more, I've never seen an issue caused by any of them. I would consider all of those beneficial organisms to have, they are basically your clean up crew for micro-particles.

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

I am only about 1 year in to saltwater at this point so I am trying to learn as much as I can.

Almost all other posts I have read about these are that they are hitchhikers and generally not well accepted. I am not crazy about the aesthetics of the spirorbids but I was told that they were not much to worry about so I let them be. I really only ever heard flatworms of flatworms as pests but I just discovered them today so I have not done enough research yet to know the long term pros or cons.

My biggest concern was I read that digitate hydroids will sting corals. I wanted to use my existing rock to seed my new 40B and start adding some beginner coral (hammer/torch) but if these are in fact pests I feel I should buy and cure new rock and I would have to start from scratch.

If these are beneficial hitchhikers that would be great (although I still don't like the looks of long white strings all over my rock).

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

I am starting to see a lot of coraline growth and I was excited to carry that over to my new tank. I had no intention if running both tanks at the same time because the 40 will replace the 20L on the same stand.

Heliarc19 · Dec 31, 2017

The only problem would be the flatworms imo, I have never had a tank without all of the others you mentioned

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

Did those look like flatworms?

ChrisOFL · Dec 31, 2017

Michael Stetz said:
I am only about 1 year in to saltwater at this point so I am trying to learn as much as I can.

Almost all other posts I have read about these are that they are hitchhikers and generally not well accepted. I am not crazy about the aesthetics of the spirorbids but I was told that they were not much to worry about so I let them be. I really only ever heard flatworms of flatworms as pests but I just discovered them today so I have not done enough research yet to know the long term pros or cons.

My biggest concern was I read that digitate hydroids will sting corals. I wanted to use my existing rock to seed my new 40B and start adding some beginner coral (hammer/torch) but if these are in fact pests I feel I should buy and cure new rock and I would have to start from scratch.

If these are beneficial hitchhikers that would be great (although I still don't like the looks of long white strings all over my rock).

I've had numerous digitate hydroids pop up but hydroids never last long term from my experience. Colonial hydroids are a much bigger problem I think because of how fast they spread but I have had those come and go as well. Vermetid snails never really seemed to bother any corals in my tank, my war coral grew over all the ones around it and I believe my emerald crab ate quite a few as well. Vermetid will definitely cause problems if you have too many but various crabs do eat them so they are easy enough to deal with. I would sometimes remove them during my water changes as well but they seem to be pretty much gone because of my crab. Your flatworms are not an issue either as they all appear to be algae eaters and you will probably never see them in your display. SPS are most affected by vermetid and spionid worms (not spirorbid, which is what you have) but I would never consider "restarting" the rocks because of anything you have here. I'm not saying they can't pose problems in large numbers but it is very uncommon for them to ever grow to the point where they become an actual problem. I've never worried about any of these "pests" and just saw them as natural parts of my tank that come and go as time goes on.

Michael Stetz · Dec 31, 2017

Thank you cronicreefer like I said I am new to all of this and everyone's expertise is much appreciated. Without this forum and BRSTV reefing would be way more stressful.

Kamden Uelton · Dec 31, 2017

Michael Stetz said:
This is the first I have heard of money cowries do you have experience with them?

I have a Money Cowrie he eats GHA, Cyano, and Hydroids.

Coralfuture · Dec 31, 2017

Michael Stetz said:
I am only about 1 year in to saltwater at this point so I am trying to learn as much as I can.

Almost all other posts I have read about these are that they are hitchhikers and generally not well accepted. I am not crazy about the aesthetics of the spirorbids but I was told that they were not much to worry about so I let them be. I really only ever heard flatworms of flatworms as pests but I just discovered them today so I have not done enough research yet to know the long term pros or cons.

My biggest concern was I read that digitate hydroids will sting corals. I wanted to use my existing rock to seed my new 40B and start adding some beginner coral (hammer/torch) but if these are in fact pests I feel I should buy and cure new rock and I would have to start from scratch.

If these are beneficial hitchhikers that would be great (although I still don't like the looks of long white strings all over my rock).

I have all those hitchhikers and more! The flatworms that you have you should try and get a better pick of(normal light) so they can be properly identified. The rest of them are kind of an eye sore at times but overall they aren't bad. The verm snail I just break in half when I see them and otherwise they are too small for me to bother with. Exterminating them just isn't worth it IME. I was like you trying to keep system free of all hitchhikers. Trying to wipe them out though made the tank less fun and now system looks great hitchhikers and all.

Flatworms....please get us a better pic

divewsharks · Dec 31, 2017

As previously stated; hitchhikers are apart of the reef, never going to eliminate them all. When you add something — good chance something else is along for the ride. Having said that, there are some you don’t want at any cost (AEFW & Monti eating nudis — hence coral dipping and observation) others are just ‘annoying’ like vermatids and hydroids — nothing to prevent your tank move.

What kind of fish do you have? Many wrasses will much on many kinds of flatworms.