Refugium failure orange worm infestation

[Portallands]

Wondering if anyone can ID this worm thing in my failed refugium. To give a little back story incase its needed I've tried to start a refugium 3 times using chaeto and it always dissolves but the last time i did it a bunch of green hair algae that was it my display seeded in the fuge so i just let it go and for months its just been really this green hair and i looked today and these little orange worms or slugs have taken over i see some of my PODS are in there and they look good and healthy. they are definitely scooting around on the plastic. also the color could be a little of due to the light. I use a Eco Chic Waterproof Refugium LED Light 8831.00 so its kind of purple pink.

 

[Katrina71]

Those look like red planaria to me. Wrasse love eating them. You can also use flatworm exit, but you have to siphon them out or it will cause an ammonia spike.

 

[Katrina71]

Do you see any of them in your DT?

 

[Portallands]

Do you see any of them in your DT?

No i don't but, do they eat corals?

 

[Portallands]

I have had a really hard time keeping anything alive for a few weeks outside of my anemones Kenya tree, toadstool and mushrooms. but i have never seen these in my display tank and these only seemed to move into the sump in the last month.

 

[Katrina71]

No i don't but, do they eat corals?

Not sure about that particular type, but most people don't want to take that chance. Is your refugium connected to your tank?

 

[Katrina71]

I don't think they eat nems, and leathers have a secretion they may not like, so I'd suspect that to be an issue with your coral.

 

[Portallands]

Not sure about that particular type, but most people don't want to take that chance. Is your refugium connected to your tank?

it pulls water from the end of my sump then puts it back in at the sock filter. Do you think i should just pull the Fuge and restart it?

 

[Katrina71]

Check out the article I tagged you in. I'd siphon all of those out for sure! That's infested.

 

[Katrina71]

This is not the end of your tank! Don't stress out. Just a matter of ridding them from your system.

 

[Katrina71]

Leopard wrasse would be beautiful in your tank.

 

[i cant think]

Wondering if anyone can ID this worm thing in my failed refugium. To give a little back story incase its needed I've tried to start a refugium 3 times using chaeto and it always dissolves but the last time i did it a bunch of green hair algae that was it my display seeded in the fuge so i just let it go and for months its just been really this green hair and i looked today and these little orange worms or slugs have taken over i see some of my PODS are in there and they look good and healthy. they are definitely scooting around on the plastic. also the color could be a little of due to the light. I use a Eco Chic Waterproof Refugium LED Light 8831.00 so its kind of purple pink.

LPS and SPS corals tend to get crowded by them and end up dying. In this scenario a wrasse is definitely your best friend. Look into the Halichoeres genus. Species like;
Halichoeres biocellatus
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Halichoeres chrysus
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres rubricephalus

Are all good choices for this issue. I would go for 2 of these personally to get the issue over better. If they enter the display they’re going to restrict any new coral additions but if you can prevent that through wrasses you could have a thriving system. Then just remove them by hand from the sump and refugium.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Leopard wrasse will also eat them. So will most dwarf angels

 

[i cant think]

Leopard wrasse will also eat them. So will most dwarf angels

IME, leopards tend to ignore them more. Negrosensis is the best leopard for pest hunting but in general, they’re better for the ‘decoration’ side of the tank.

 

[Cthulukelele]

IME, leopards tend to ignore them more. Negrosensis is the best leopard for pest hunting but in general, they’re better for the ‘decoration’ side of the tank.

That's fair halichoeres are Def better. My leopard was the one that kept them in check for me back when I had them, but they are more hit or miss

 

[Portallands]

LPS and SPS corals tend to get crowded by them and end up dying. In this scenario a wrasse is definitely your best friend. Look into the Halichoeres genus. Species like;
Halichoeres biocellatus
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Halichoeres chrysus
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres rubricephalus

Are all good choices for this issue. I would go for 2 of these personally to get the issue over better. If they enter the display they’re going to restrict any new coral additions but if you can prevent that through wrasses you could have a thriving system. Then just remove them by hand from the sump and refugium.

Can you all look at these photos and just make sure we are all right here cause I'm pretty sad I'm going to lose all of these pods by resetting the fuge. I dont see even 1 in my sump i just went over every square inch with a bright flash light the only thing in the sump is sponge.

 

[Cthulukelele]

They're red planaria. They're photosynthetic and not very tasty so they are generally considered a pest because their plague proportions blot out coral. They do not eat coral

 

[Portallands]

Can you all look at these photos and just make sure we are all right here cause I'm pretty sad I'm going to lose all of these pods by resetting the fuge. I dont see even 1 in my sump i just went over every square inch with a bright flash light the only thing in the sump is sponge.

that 1st image is actually a video and you can see them a lot better in it

 

[Cthulukelele]

Bad consolation prize but great photos!

 

[Cthulukelele]

that 1st image is actually a video and you can see them a lot better in it

Imo I wouldn't do prazi unless you siphoned a ton of them first with an infestation that bad. What makes them taste bad is they're toxic. When they die they release all that into the water. They're not a worst case hitchhiker so I'd take baby steps at removal and relax