Tiny red flaky specks.....

[JurisHP]

are EVERYWHERE....glass, rocks substrate...at first I thought it was a weird algae, but someone in another forum suggested flatworms? They are literally everywhere, but don't move.....and when I scrape the glass they just very easily float away into the water column and then settle wherever....they come off VEERY easily with a turkey baster but they still come back later with a vengeance.

Thoughts??

 

[LegalReefer]

Photo under white lights, please. Can't really tell what I'm looking at, just looks like dirty substrate

 

[bReefedBaker]

are EVERYWHERE....glass, rocks substrate...at first I thought it was a weird algae, but someone in another forum suggested flatworms? They are literally everywhere, but don't move.....and when I scrape the glass they just very easily float away into the water column and then settle wherever....they come off VEERY easily with a turkey baster but they still come back later with a vengeance.

Thoughts??

Guessing one of the two. Disturb a little bit and see what happens. If it all clumps together then they’re dinoflagellates. If they disperse like sand they’re diatoms.

Hopefully others with much more expertise in this field will chime in. Good luck, you’ll conquer this stage.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Most likely red planaria flat worms. Suck one up and put it in a shot glass or small clear container then take a pic

 

[JurisHP]

Here you go....if flatworms, shouldn't I see some movement?

 

[LegalReefer]

They're incredibly delicate, the ones you added to the jar look like they kinda got smashed/destroyed in transfer but they do look flatworm-ish. Can I get a pic of the tank/areas of infestation under whites?

 

[JurisHP]

Ok it is flatworms!! Luckily I had flatworm exit, and it totally worked ! HOWEVER, many of my corals have closed up … will they be ok?

 

[LegalReefer]

Dude do massive water change ASAP, these flatworms are toxic when they die, they might kill everything in your tank

 

[LegalReefer]

Start running activated carbon too, do whatever you can to purify the water, siphon out the dead and dying flatworms, and get the toxins out. This is super important. Maybe even move your fish to a quarantine tank if you have one, they'll be at greater risk than your corals, from what I know

 

[JurisHP]

I did a water change and refreshed my carbon