The Battle with Red Planaria Flatworms

[SauceyReef]

Well that’s too bad, definitely can’t do a melanarus in there! I would just live with them until it was too much to bear. I’m just not the type of reefer to poison my tank with some sort of chemical. Definitely a tough situation! Hopefully they find their happy place and just become a healthy part of your ecosystem.

Again I have had them for over a year with really no problems! Check out my tank build thread if you get a chance. It is not like my tank is barren of corals.

 

[Dserra89]

Again I have had them for over a year with really no problems! Check out my tank build thread if you get a chance. It is not like my tank is barren of corals.

I'm facing the same problem in my 17 gal mixed reef. I first tried a possum wrasse for a few months but there didn't appear to be any interest in eating flatworms. Then I tried flatworm x and had marginal results. Within a month the population returned to normal and I lost a couple of corals in the process. My next approach is adding a pink streaked wrasse (also goes by cryptic six line). I'll let you know if I have any success.

 

[Goby_Reef]

I'm facing the same problem in my 17 gal mixed reef. I first tried a possum wrasse for a few months but there didn't appear to be any interest in eating flatworms. Then I tried flatworm x and had marginal results. Within a month the population returned to normal and I lost a couple of corals in the process. My next approach is adding a pink streaked wrasse (also goes by cryptic six line). I'll let you know if I have any success.

How’s the pink streaked wrasse doing? Thinking of going the same route myself with a 20g nuvo. Maybe blue velvet nudi if I can find one.

 

[Dserra89]

How’s the pink streaked wrasse doing? Thinking of going the same route myself with a 20g nuvo. Maybe blue velvet nudi if I can find one.

Unfortunately, I'm still waiting on the pink streaked wrasse. Hopefully it shows up in stock in the near future.

 

[catiebartholomew]

Unfortunately, I'm still waiting on the pink streaked wrasse. Hopefully it shows up in stock in the near future.

How’s the pink streaked wrasse doing? Thinking of going the same route myself with a 20g nuvo. Maybe blue velvet nudi if I can find one.

i have a bvn that i’m trying to lend out! let me know if you’d like to feed him for awhile

 

[SauceyReef]

i have a bvn that i’m trying to lend out! let me know if you’d like to feed him for awhile

curious how big is it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

curious how big is it?

On average they are 1- 1.25"

 

[SauceyReef]

On average they are 1- 1.25"

It has been over a year with red planaria in my tank and the colony has definitely thinned a ton but has never disappeared entirely. Maybe one day I will get one of these beautiful little creatures to help eradicate them for good, but I feel it is useless as the planaria will always be able to hide in spots that are unreachable like the back chambers.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It has been over a year with red planaria in my tank and the colony has definitely thinned a ton but has never disappeared entirely. Maybe one day I will get one of these beautiful little creatures to help eradicate them for good, but I feel it is useless as the planaria will always be able to hide in spots that are unreachable like the back chambers.

the issue often is eggs which are tiny and often has a successful hatch rate if not discovered and removed

 

[catiebartholomew]

curious how big is it?

when it was a juvenile it was about 3/4 of an inch with almost no ability to tolerate flow. now it’s 2.5-3 inches and actively hunts in higher flow areas

 

[catiebartholomew]

It has been over a year with red planaria in my tank and the colony has definitely thinned a ton but has never disappeared entirely. Maybe one day I will get one of these beautiful little creatures to help eradicate them for good, but I feel it is useless as the planaria will always be able to hide in spots that are unreachable like the back chambers.

i though that too being that i have a 40 gallon sump, but my bvn cleared the population in a month. i only have one and he was only ever in my display tank. i cannot find a single planaria anywhere in my tank, sump, or overflow (kinda sad bc now he’s starving). have a plan on how to decrease your flow specifically on the sand bed/ eliminate wide open areas on the sand bed by adding frag plug, run activated carbon to combat the bvn’s casual toxicity, and you’ll be fine. i run an ulns which is probably also helpful (carbon dose some vodka baybee it will change your life).

 

[SauceyReef]

i though that too being that i have a 40 gallon sump, but my bvn cleared the population in a month. i only have one and he was only ever in my display tank. i cannot find a single planaria anywhere in my tank, sump, or overflow (kinda sad bc now he’s starving). have a plan on how to decrease your flow specifically on the sand bed/ eliminate wide open areas on the sand bed by adding frag plug, run activated carbon to combat the bvn’s casual toxicity, and you’ll be fine. i run an ulns which is probably also helpful (carbon dose some vodka baybee it will change your life).

It is tough for me because my tank is 1.5 years old now and has basically had the planaria in it the entire time. If you check my build thread around 6 months ago the rocks were covered in them. They have really thinned out now and just see speckles on the rock/sand bed. Even during their peak when they hoarded my tank they seemingly caused no issues. I was always scared to treat with flat worm exit because it could release all the toxins which I did not think was worth it. I should also note I have never added any filtration on my tank (13.5 fluval evo). I think if not bothered or dying they dont really release toxins. Ive had many ornamental fish + inverts with no problem. If somone in the area had a BVN I would definitely add it in than pass it on, but not looking to actively buy one as Im not sure I could find a home for it after my small tank.

 

[Katrina71]

@Portallands this might be helpful

 

[wattson]

yellow or green coris wrasse will clean them up pronto, I actually had to rehome several coris wrasses because they would never stop hunting and poking through polyps of corals constantly.
As part of my dipping regimen of new corals, I would do a Flatworm Exit (double/triple dose) in a separate container for a half hour to avoid these flatworm PITA getting into my tank.

 

[SauceyReef]

Curious OP what are those yellow polyps in the first photo?

 

[reefkeep]

Found what looked like brown stripes on a few of my torches, pulled them and dipped in coralrx. Tons of these little buggers came off. Note the torches in the higher flow areas had none of them. Also note that I kept these guys in a coralrx bath for an hour and they didn't die. I don't see them on any other corals in the tank.

Can I get some help on the identification of the flat worm?

 

[SauceyReef]

Found what looked like brown stripes on a few of my torches, pulled them and dipped in coralrx. Tons of these little buggers came off. Note the torches in the higher flow areas had none of them. Also note that I kept these guys in a coralrx bath for an hour and they didn't die. I don't see them on any other corals in the tank.

Can I get some help on the identification of the flat worm?

Pretty sure that is red planaria especially if you have not noticed anything wrong with the torches. My bloom fell off eventually and my tank is absolutely filled with corals, near 4 years old, and still rocking planaria. There is really not a lot now I occasionally see a few on the glass. Honestly I kind of like them. People who are not into reef tanks notice them and think they are cool/creepy.