Oh no...do I have flatworms?????

[ReefPops]

Okay, so I am hoping I am wrong, but I'm perplexed by what this is/could be and my only guess is a flatworm. So, a little bit about the tank...used dead rock, live sand. Have the following corals in this tank: a heliofungia, a chalice, four scolymia. Have dipped every coral with Coral Rx. Only other additions have been fish.

Here's what I saw originally and just thought it was pods on the rocks:

Then as I looked closer, I saw this shape and began to get concerned:

So, my questions are...is it flatworms? If not, any other ideas? If it is, and I have no acropora, will they eventually die? If not/if so, should I treat the tank to kill them and how?

It seems they are restricted to this one branch, for now. The move relatively fast through the rockwork and outside of the larger one, most are large pod size.

Thank you!

 

[swannyson7]

Those look like Red Planaria flatworms. They aren't the same as AEFW, so they won't starve without acropora. Your options are to look into a workhorse wrasse such as a six line, melanarus, or coris wrasse OR you can use Flatworm exit to kill them off. If you decide to use FW Exit, just be sure to run carbon because they can release a small amount of toxins into the tank when they die (a small enough amount that it's nothing to be too worried about as long as you run carbon and are prepared for a WC... so don't be scared). They don't really harm coral unless they get to plague proportions where they can "camp out" on your corals and block the light.

 

[Jorsh]

They do not aprreciate so well, but i think that you have Red Flatworms, and they do not need acroporas to live, they like light so much!
An answer:
Melevsreef.com - Flatworms | How to eliminate them!

 

[ReefPops]

Oh boy...doesn't sound like I have a fun adventure ahead of me. Any idea as to how they would have gotten in my tank? As mentioned I do dip, but I am wondering if somewhere along the way I had eggs on a frag and Coral Rx didn't kill those. I heard that's the problem with Flatworm Exit. Unfortunately that will most likely be my remedy. I just added some hooded wrasses and I don't want to add any others, especially since some will cause more problems later. I'll probably be jumping on this soon though, right now those seem to be the only ones that I am going to have to deal with so that doesn't seem like a lot. I also should be able to such most of those out which is a good thing. I'm going to run out and get some fresh carbon too. I always run carbon, but don't want to risk anything with this stuff.

 

[swannyson7]

If you don't see many of them, you should be good to go. Better to deal with sooner rather than later, though. With only a few if them, there shouldn't be that many toxins released into the water column, so I wouldn't be too concerned. You may even consider pulling out that piece of rock and doing it in coralRx if you're able to.

 

[ReefPops]

If you don't see many of them, you should be good to go. Better to deal with sooner rather than later, though. With only a few if them, there shouldn't be that many toxins released into the water column, so I wouldn't be too concerned. You may even consider pulling out that piece of rock and doing it in coralRx if you're able to.

Thanks so much. I'm going to act today. Just called the LFS and he has some Flatworm Exit. Unfortunately my rocks are glued and have epoxy so I'm kind of out of luck with that. Hopefully this will work.

 

[ReefPops]

Well flatworm exit has been purchased and will be used tonight. Any last minute advice on using this stuff? Have plenty of water ready and my chemipure elite ready as well.

 

[ReefPops]

Looks like it worked well. Thanks for the advice everyone. Will do a follow up dose in a few days as a precaution.

 

[aslmx]

Hate to say it but they will probably be back. I used a whole bottle of fwe and they ended up coming back. I got a melanarus wrasse and they were gone in 2 days and havent seen one since. Its a great fish also.

 

[ReefPops]

Hate to say it but they will probably be back. I used a whole bottle of fwe and they ended up coming back. I got a melanarus wrasse and they were gone in 2 days and havent seen one since. Its a great fish also.

I hope not, but I'm ready for the fight. I'm hoping I caught it early enough that there are no eggs in the system. With a reef and some hooded wrasses I'm somewhat limited on my ability to add more wrasses. It's only a 45 gallon which makes it tough.

 

[mike007]

Hope all goes well my friend. Sorry that you have this problem.

 

[ReefPops]

Hope all goes well my friend. Sorry that you have this problem.

Thanks for the support. I am extra careful with dipping and everything. Just goes to show there are no 100% guarantees. Hopefully the treatment will do the trick. My tank definitely was not heavily infested and they were all very small.

 

[ReefPops]

Well, unfortunately it didn't get them all. I think I was supposed to wait a week (after looking back at the Melev's Reef link), but we tried again today and it got some of the ones remaining, but not all. I will probably try once more in a week, but I will say these things are frustrating. I think that worst is that I am actually careful and I know I've said that a million times, but it just stinks that I dip and it doesn't matter. Wish I had room for a QT. Hopefully the next round will do the trick.