Small black critters all over rock

[CauseChaos]

Morning all, first post!

So seems I have some black dots over my live rock that are moving. Googlefu has not revealed anything that can explain- which suggests it's probably nothing I should be super worried about. Images attached.

Any help would be great. You can see the movement in 2 of the images taken about 10 mins apart.

Hoping just an amphipod stock.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics are too blue to tell but could be black bugs
Can you take under white lights?

 

[CauseChaos]

Pics are too blue to tell but could be black bugs
Can you take under white lights?

Absolutely, zoomed in from my DSLR and a photo of where they are
Looking at these, considering I don't have any flatworm eaters in my tank, could they be flatworms?

 

[muzikalmatt]

Those are definitely flatworms. You can tell by the horseshoe shape at the end of their bodies. I can't quite tell if they're red planaria or AEFW's though, which are typically the worst kind. Wrasses will usually eat them or you can try flatworm exit, but you want to try manually removing as many as you can before treating with FWE as they can release toxins into the water when they die. Too many will pollute the tank enough to kill other inhabitants.

 

[CauseChaos]

Those are definitely flatworms. You can tell by the horseshoe shape at the end of their bodies. I can't quite tell if they're red planaria or AEFW's though, which are typically the worst kind. Wrasses will usually eat them or you can try flatworm exit, but you want to try manually removing as many as you can before treating with FWE as they can release toxins into the water when they die. Too many will pollute the tank enough to kill other inhabitants.

That's frustrating, we've dipped everything we've had (3 zoa frags, fungia plate, favia and clove polyps.)

Only thing that was not dipped was the chaeto when the tank was first started up. Must have hitched a ride on that.

We have no acros but I'll definitely tend to their eradication prior to adding any.

Down to the LFS for a wrasse and a mandarin then!

Thank you for the guidance on the flatworm exit!

 

[muzikalmatt]

That's frustrating, we've dipped everything we've had (3 zoa frags, fungia plate, favia and clove polyps.)

Only thing that was not dipped was the chaeto when the tank was first started up. Must have hitched a ride on that.

We have no acros but I'll definitely tend to their eradication prior to adding any.

Down to the LFS for a wrasse and a mandarin then!

Thank you for the guidance on the flatworm exit!

Don't beat yourself up. Dips aren't 100% effective in removing everything as the eggs can still get through on a flag plug or coral skeleton. So they could have come in on any of the corals even if you dipped them. That's why many people recommend coral quarantine in addition to dipping (multiple times usually) to try and minimize the chances of anything getting through.

You might want to make sure you identify the type of flatworm before making any big decisions. They're not always a big issue depending on the type. For example, I have the white/clearish ones in my tank and their population has never grown out of control and they don't bother anything (and I don't have a wrasse to control their population either). If fact, I haven't seen them in a long time actually and didn't do anything. However, if you can identify them as red planaria or acropora eating flatworms, you should definitely be proactive about removing them. Also, I'm not sure if all mandarins eat flatworms, but most common wrasses will (six line, yellow coris, etc.).

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

 

[CauseChaos]

Don't beat yourself up. Dips aren't 100% effective in removing everything as the eggs can still get through on a flag plug or coral skeleton. So they could have come in on any of the corals even if you dipped them. That's why many people recommend coral quarantine in addition to dipping (multiple times usually) to try and minimize the chances of anything getting through.

You might want to make sure you identify the type of flatworm before making any big decisions. They're not always a big issue depending on the type. For example, I have the white/clearish ones in my tank and their population has never grown out of control and they don't bother anything (and I don't have a wrasse to control their population either). If fact, I haven't seen them in a long time actually and didn't do anything. However, if you can identify them as red planaria or acropora eating flatworms, you should definitely be proactive about removing them. Also, I'm not sure if all mandarins eat flatworms, but most common wrasses will (six line, yellow coris, etc.).

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

Thanks mate, I'm looking to find a yellow Coris wrasse tomorrow. Throw him in Qt for a week or two. Then let him go to town.

They don't seem to be bothering what I have in there, I can't even seem them in/on my softies. Just seem to be all over my rock work.

Thanks for the help