The Battle with Red Planaria Flatworms

[Acroporaguy]

I have these in my tank, but they seem very different than the photos of typical red planaria. Does anyone know whether these are flatworms or not? And if so, are they harmless? Thanks.

 

[Aheinz]

the red planaria battle is real I've been dealing with it, but also avoiding the chemical route and I got blue sapphire damsels, down to one sadly one didn't make it farbut put them in the tank and they started eating the rp,

 

[Aheinz]

You missed one key natural solution. The blue velvet nudibranch only eats flatworms.

interesting and may have been very well fed in my tank i've had moments of literal mats of the red planaria, btu weekly water changes, the blue sapphire damsel, and making to to suck up the planaria with the water changes has helped a lot

 

[phillygeeks]

I have these in my tank, but they seem very different than the photos of typical red planaria. Does anyone know whether these are flatworms or not? And if so, are they harmless? Thanks.

They are flatworms. They are not red planaria and they are more benign and some would say beneficial to an extent. However, they become a nuisance given the proper environment. The methods to keep them at bay are controlled nutrients, regular maintenance and then predators. You can kill these guys with chemicals. However, they are not red planaria and I would research hard about the side effects of using the chemicals prior to using.

 

[Baldguy]

I have these in my tank, but they seem very different than the photos of typical red planaria. Does anyone know whether these are flatworms or not? And if so, are they harmless? Thanks.

This is exactly what I have. I've heard them called brown planaria. I've tried every known remedy meant for red flatworms and none have worked. Flatworm Exit just irritates them even at 10x the recommended doseage. The fish that usually go after red flatworms just spit these out. They don't seem to do any harm. At any given time I'll have 40 or 50 on my glass and who knows how many on my Lps and softies. I've given up.

 

[Omar Marambio]

I had flatworm once and a six line wrasse got rid of it, I tried flatworms exit first before I added the fish and I tried to removed the dead flatworms before I added the fish when I did the water change, since then I don’t have more in my tank

 

[Braves Fan]

I fought one type of these worms in my tank ,, got them off some mushrooms from ASD I was really big on ASD back in the day ,, no more ,, pretty much only buy Chalices ,, Favias and Acans from them now ,,,

 

[HawaiianReef]

I had a cube full of red flatworms. I bought it from a reefer who gave up because of them.
I dipped the corals and kept them in a qt to see if they do come back. Sure enough, in about 6-8 weeks I saw them again. I believe they came back before that but I couldn't see them.
So now I qt Every coral or rock going into my tank, with weekly dips for 15min and new clean tanks and equipment each time for 6 weeks. Followed up with 2 more weeks of qt with 50% wc to rid any build up of insecticide.

 

[HawaiianReef]

That is one super cool nudi!!

That Nudi is beautiful.
I wish it would eat other foods. I'd love to have one fulltime in my display. But once the flatworms are gone, the poor fella starves and dies.

 

[Braves Fan]

I had a cube full of red flatworms. I bought it from a reefer who gave up because of them.
I dipped the corals and kept them in a qt to see if they do come back. Sure enough, in about 6-8 weeks I saw them again. I believe they came back before that but I couldn't see them.
So now I qt Every coral or rock going into my tank, with weekly dips for 15min and new clean tanks and equipment each time for 6 weeks. Followed up with 2 more weeks of qt with 50% wc to rid any build up of insecticide.

They have eggs ,, you have to keep battling them till they are gone ,, I really didn't have a problem getting rid of them ,, just have to stay on top of the egg cycle ,,

 

[HawaiianReef]

I read the life cycle is something like 3-4 weeks. Or at least that's when the last eggs hatch and dipping for those weeks eradicates them.

 

[SauceyReef]

I have had red planaria in my mixed reef for over a year now, and I am talking a good amount. I cant really see these things killing any coral. They have been no problem at all so I have not nuked them with flatworm exit. I am scared to treat with all the commensal inverts and corals in my tank seeing the planaria has done no damage. The odd thing is the large population has not really waned and its been a long time now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have had red planaria in my mixed reef for over a year now, and I am talking a good amount. I cant really see these things killing any coral. They have been no problem at all so I have not nuked them with flatworm exit. I am scared to treat with all the commensal inverts and corals in my tank seeing the planaria has done no damage. The odd thing is the large population has not really waned and its been a long time now.

They lay eggs- Lots of them which are real tiny. Im surprised as they generally go after tissue and protective mucus of coral.

 

[SamsReef]

There is a very easy solution to this. As some have stated earlier, melanarus wrasse and 4 weeks of time. Other wrasses don’t pick these flatworms from the lps and mushrooms body…melanarus does.

sam

 

[SamsReef]

There is a very easy solution to this. As some have stated earlier, melanarus wrasse and 4 weeks of time. Other wrasses don’t pick these flatworms from the lps and mushrooms body…melanarus does.

sam

You do need sand bed to keep melanarus wrasse. If you have bare bottom, this won’t work

Sam

 

[vetteguy53081]

There is a very easy solution to this. As some have stated earlier, melanarus wrasse and 4 weeks of time. Other wrasses don’t pick these flatworms from the lps and mushrooms body…melanarus does.

sam

yellow coris wrasse
lunare wrasse
6 line wrasse

Springieri damsel

These too will eat them and stay smaller than melanurus

 

[SamsReef]

yellow coris wrasse
lunare wrasse
6 line wrasse

Springieri damsel

These too will eat them and stay smaller than melanurus

As I mentioned, six line and yellow coris will eat from glass and rock but not from the body of the corals, especially LPS and Mushrooms. Planaria is known to stay on the surface. I am not sure about the other two.

melanurus picks it out diligently.

Sam

 

[Sump Crab]

As I mentioned, six line and yellow coris will eat from glass and rock but not from the body of the corals, especially LPS and Mushrooms. Planaria is known to stay on the surface. I am not sure about the other two.

melanurus picks it out diligently.

Sam

Melanarus destroy red planaria!

 

[SauceyReef]

I am in a tough situation though. I have a 13.5 gallon mixed reef with commensal inverts. Most wrasse would tear apart all my sexy shrimp and other anemone hosting shrimp. I continued to research and heard pygmy wrasse are very docile. I got a Yellow Banded Pygmy Wrasse about a year ago. Currently is up there with my favorite fish I have ever gotten in my 13+ years in the hobby. But it doesn't eat any of the red planaria! I rarely lose a coral and my tank looks pretty good so clearly they are not doing any damage. It would be nice to get them out one day though.

 

[Sump Crab]

I am in a tough situation though. I have a 13.5 gallon mixed reef with commensal inverts. Most wrasse would tear apart all my sexy shrimp and other anemone hosting shrimp. I continued to research and heard pygmy wrasse are very docile. I got a Yellow Banded Pygmy Wrasse about a year ago. Currently is up there with my favorite fish I have ever gotten in my 13+ years in the hobby. But it doesn't eat any of the red planaria! I rarely lose a coral and my tank looks pretty good so clearly they are not doing any damage. It would be nice to get them out one day though.

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.