Polyclad Flatworm :(

[erinmegan85]

Before going to bed last night I happened to notice a moving blob inside my biocube that had the lights off. It didn't look like any other blob I had seen moving in the dark in the tank yet. I quickly turned on the lights and saw this thing that looked like an alien in the corner of my tank. It clearly didn't like the light and began to retreat toward the rock, so instead of doing the right thing and catching it I took a video instead. Took a look at Renee's hitchhiker guide, and figured out it's a polyclad flatworm. Thanks @Lionfish Lair !

Read on to find that they eat snails, which explains why I only have like a cerith, an astrea, and stomatella snails left in the tank. I thought the others had just died off, but it turns out they were probably eaten by this guy. Going to start setting a trap to try to catch this one and whatever other ones may be in there. Anyone want it once I get it?

Here's the video of the blob (excuse my glass that needs to be cleaned):

 

[helen ann]

WOW!!!

@Wiz

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I'll be watching to see how you remove them! This is the information I need to continue filling out the guide.

 

[Chris Adams]

That is really neat glad you grabbed you went for the video!

pretty crazy how it moves

 

[Sistawolf]

Garossss I hope you catch it.. worms creep me out..

 

[jsker]

Found this here on r2r

 

[Wiz]

That thing is awesome. I would so want it if it wasn't so ridiculously difficult to keep it out of parts of your system. But the size of it. And how fast it moves. Amazing.

 

[malacoda]

Not just snails. I also had one that ate a small rock flower anemone before I realized it was in the tank and got it out.

 

[erinmegan85]

Not just snails. I also had one that ate a small rock flower anemone before I realized it was in the tank and got it out.

Thanks for this info because I do have rock flowers in my tank. They're a pretty decent size, but so is that worm.

 

[Salty1962]

Catching them is not fun, you wouldn't think they move fast but the do! They also have a taste for clams!! Get rid of asap!!!

 

[ahiggins]

THAT THING IS HUUUUUGE

 

[slipknotgrrl83]

Gross!!!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Hopefully it's a loner.

 

[tautog83]

did you try to net it when you saw it?

 

[erinmegan85]

did you try to net it when you saw it?

Nope. I didn't know what it was and wanted to try to look it up. I honestly wasn't even thinking, but I'm glad I didn't try to grab it when I saw it because it would've split and I would have two.

Hopefully it's a loner.

I'm hoping so too. This thing is huge and that tank is only 14 gallons. I'm pretty sure that it must of come in with the live rock when I set up the tank, which was back in the beginning of February. I'm only now seeing it, so me thinks it's going to take me a while to catch it. I haven't had any luck yet, but I've been setting a trap. Might have to move from clams to a sacrificial snail.

 

[cpschult]

Prazipro will melt them. They may release some nasty stuff when they die so 15 minutes after rising prazi you need to get carbon in water. 15-20 minutes of prazi will melt them.

You will need to dose at least twice because one that size will be laying eggs.

Almost impossible to manually remove because a little piece left behind will grow. Bayer won't kill it will just stun.

I tried prazi on a frag in a friends recommendation.

If you want to go that route. I'm downsizing and starting fresh because I had them in my 125g and don't want to dose entire thing.