Leech looking thing on torch coral

[tanthaman]

Not sure what this thing is or if this thing is good or bad. Any info on the best solution to get rid of them would be greatly appreciated because I can’t imagine those are good and I see two so far..

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You are correct, those are not good. They look like euphyllia eating flatworms.

 

[ReefingDreams]

You are correct, those are not good. They look like euphyllia eating flatworms.

100%. Remove that one. And typically, when there's one, there's multiple.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Euphyllia eating flatworm. Here's what to do. Take the coral out and give it an iodine/revive dip. Make sure to shake all the flatworms off, rinse and repeat every 2 weeks 3-4 times, this is because the eggs are unaffected by the dip and you need to make sure to kill them when they hatch. I'm pretty sure most if not all Halichoeres wrasse will eat them (@i cant think?) to prevent the next infestation, as there's almost definitely more than one

 

[kjkszpj9]

Yeah thats 100% a polyclad flatworm that will devour your beloved torch, dip it in whatever problem solving thing you can buy for the coral.

 

[homer1475]

Euphyllia eating flatworm, as others have mentioned. They can get huge! I had one the size of a dinner plate go unnoticed for years. Once all my euphyllia were gone, I noticed it on the glass one morning.

FYI, I have always kept wrasses(Halichoeres, Leopards, Melanarus, etc), and they did not touch this thing!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Euphyllia eating flatworm. Here's what to do. Take the coral out and give it an iodine/revive dip. Make sure to shake all the flatworms off, rinse and repeat every 2 weeks 3-4 times, this is because the eggs are unaffected by the dip and you need to make sure to kill them when they hatch. I'm pretty sure most if not all Halichoeres wrasse will eat them (@i cant think?) to prevent the next infestation, as there's almost definitely more than one

I would add, use a soft brush (like a toothbrush or similar) to gently scrub the skeleton (NOT the flesh), frag plug, etc, to help remove any eggs.

Taking the coral off the plug is also a good idea. You can glue it to a new one if desired.

To be extra safe, put the torch (and any other euphyllia you have) in a QT while you treat to prevent any additional flatworms from populating your tank.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Euphyllia eating flatworm, as others have mentioned. They can get huge! I had one the size of a dinner plate go unnoticed for years. Once all my euphyllia were gone, I noticed it on the glass one morning.

Did it seem to eat fimbriaphyllia as well (hammers, frogspawn, etc)?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I would add, use a soft brush (like a toothbrush or similar) to gently scrub the skeleton (NOT the flesh), frag plug, etc, to help remove any eggs.

Taking the coral off the plug is also a good idea. You can glue it to a new one if desired.

To be extra safe, put the torch (and any other euphyllia you have) in a QT while you treat to prevent any additional flatworms from populating your tank.

True, though make sure the eggs don't fall loose into the water column, then they could spread to any other euphyllia

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

True, though make sure the eggs don't fall loose into the water column, then they could spread to any other euphyllia

Yes, brush the coral OUTSIDE the tank, lol.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Yes, brush the coral OUTSIDE the tank, lol.

Lol yes, though I'd be too afraid that I'd knock one loose and would stay on in the dip but fall off in the tank

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Lol yes, though I'd be too afraid that I'd knock one loose and would stay on in the dip but fall off in the tank

That's why you rinse it well before returning it to the tank... I guess I should have given more specific instructions - I assumed some of this was obvious.

 

[NatReef]

Not sure what this thing is or if this thing is good or bad. Any info on the best solution to get rid of them would be greatly appreciated because I can’t imagine those are good and I see two so far..

It is a flatworm typically Euphyllia eating flatworm

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

That's why you rinse it well before returning it to the tank... I guess I should have given more specific instructions - I assumed some of this was obvious.

%100, that part is obvious. Though the thought would still keep me up at night

 

[tanthaman]

Thanks everyone for the fast response time. I’m going to get a QT going asap! I don’t want that spreading to all my other Euphyllia.

 

[tanthaman]

Did it seem to eat fimbriaphyllia as well (hammers, frogspawn, etc)?

I found 2 of them one was on that torch in the pic and the other was on an Octospawn a couple inches away. The one on the octo was like 1/3 of the size of the one in the pic

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I found 2 of them one was on that torch in the pic and the other was on an Octospawn a couple inches away. The one on the octo was like 1/3 of the size of the one in the pic

Thanks but was asking @homer1475 since he posted that all his euphyllia were gone...

 

[homer1475]

I would assume it ate them all?

I had 4 octo's, 6 different torch's, 2 different frogspawns, and 4 different hammers. Only corals I lost were euphyllia. It never touched a single acro, lobo, acan, micromussa, trachy, etc, etc. These were decent sized colonies too, all were at least 10 or more heads.

It was a slow process, one head here, 2 heads there, etc until the entire colony was dead. Then the next one starts to decline, repeat till they were all skeletons.

I did do a tank move, and I had always assumed it was the move that killed them. BUT then I found that thing one morning.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I would assume it ate them all?

I had 4 octo's, 6 different torch's, 2 different frogspawns, and 4 different hammers. Only corals I lost were euphyllia. It never touched a single acro, lobo, acan, micromussa, trachy, etc, etc. These were decent sized colonies too, all were at least 10 or more heads.

It was a slow process, one head here, 2 heads there, etc until the entire colony was dead. Then the next one starts to decline, repeat till they were all skeletons.

I did do a tank move, and I had always assumed it was the move that killed them. BUT then I found that thing one morning.

The reason I asked is because, now, hammers, frogs, and octos (and frammers) are classified as fimbriaphyllia, not euphyllia. I was hoping that maybe the EEFW's only ate torches and cristata...

 

[homer1475]

The reason I asked is because, now, hammers, frogs, and octos (and frammers) are classified as fimbriaphyllia, not euphyllia. I was hoping that maybe the EEFW's only ate torches and cristata...

I don't think what WE reclassify them as, matters to a hungry flatworm. LOL