Toughest flatworm hitchhiker I've ever seen. Beware.

[Triggreef]

Not red planaria or the clear ones. Something else.... Now I've dealt with nudi's and several flatworms and they are generally nothing to kill. Very easy to deal with pest. Not so in this case.

I got an order today from a well known vendor here on r2r with overwhelmingly good reviews. Not saying their business name because everyone should have their own qt procedure so not their fault. I was disappointed to find flatworms on the frags but hey it happens. Thats why we dip and/qt. These are lps and sps frags but no acro just fyi.

So I began my normal bayer advanced dip method of 2 cups tank water with enough bayer so you can't see anything and leave for 10 minutes with a few swishes. Rinsed and into a new container to inspect. Found something odd because bayer generally kills everything and I never had bad luck with it. Found a flatworm still sliding around the container. So I leave it where I can see it in this container with frags now in new water (2 cups again its just what I use). Now I take some flatworm exit cuz well, its flatworms. Normal dose is 1 drop per 10 gallons I think without going back to look. When I use it in a dip I go 1 to 2 drops per cup. Thats just what I do and it works and works fast. So I put 6 drops in (Yeah that math sucks right lol I dose heavy). Soon as it hits the water I see the flatworm in agony twisting and turning so I'm like ok I won. Then it moves and begins slithering away. =-O Unreal. So I do what anyone would and toss another 6 drops of FWE in there. Again the flatworm looks like its all done, then slides away. I leave it another 10 minutes. Checking all the time. This thing doesn't die. I don't know what is up with it.

Then I slow dump the other container that I previously used for bayer so I can see the final results of that sitting there for a half hour plus. Low and behold in the bottom of the cup I find another even smaller flatworm still alive as well.

Unable to kill them I carefully inspected the frags and removed 4 out of 5 pretty expensive frags off the plugs. Blasted them all the best I could. Quite sure I removed the worms and could not find any egg masses. Hopefully they are now pest free but I'm confident in my wrasses for cleaning these little guys up if I missed one.

As far as the worms go, they are similar size to red planaria maybe a tiny bit smaller. Same movement and shape as well with the red planaria type tail. The color was dark though more like black. I got a macro shot but I doubt it would be good enough for a solid ID.

I can post picture if someone thinks they can most likely ID it.

 

[Sabellafella]

Not red planaria or the clear ones. Something else.... Now I've dealt with nudi's and several flatworms and they are generally nothing to kill. Very easy to deal with pest. Not so in this case.

I got an order today from a well known vendor here on r2r with overwhelmingly good reviews. Not saying their business name because everyone should have their own qt procedure so not their fault. I was disappointed to find flatworms on the frags but hey it happens. Thats why we dip and/qt. These are lps and sps frags but no acro just fyi.

So I began my normal bayer advanced dip method of 2 cups tank water with enough bayer so you can't see anything and leave for 10 minutes with a few swishes. Rinsed and into a new container to inspect. Found something odd because bayer generally kills everything and I never had bad luck with it. Found a flatworm still sliding around the container. So I leave it where I can see it in this container with frags now in new water (2 cups again its just what I use). Now I take some flatworm exit cuz well, its flatworms. Normal dose is 1 drop per 10 gallons I think without going back to look. When I use it in a dip I go 1 to 2 drops per cup. Thats just what I do and it works and works fast. So I put 6 drops in (Yeah that math sucks right lol I dose heavy). Soon as it hits the water I see the flatworm in agony twisting and turning so I'm like ok I won. Then it moves and begins slithering away. =-O Unreal. So I do what anyone would and toss another 6 drops of FWE in there. Again the flatworm looks like its all done, then slides away. I leave it another 10 minutes. Checking all the time. This thing doesn't die. I don't know what is up with it.

Then I slow dump the other container that I previously used for bayer so I can see the final results of that sitting there for a half hour plus. Low and behold in the bottom of the cup I find another even smaller flatworm still alive as well.

Unable to kill them I carefully inspected the frags and removed 4 out of 5 pretty expensive frags off the plugs. Blasted them all the best I could. Quite sure I removed the worms and could not find any egg masses. Hopefully they are now pest free but I'm confident in my wrasses for cleaning these little guys up if I missed one.

As far as the worms go, they are similar size to red planaria maybe a tiny bit smaller. Same movement and shape as well with the red planaria type tail. The color was dark though more like black. I got a macro shot but I doubt it would be good enough for a solid ID.

I can post picture if someone thinks they can most likely ID it.

Im not even joking around i have them rite now, on both lps and sps, there real real tiny and there a black shade with a white dot toward the head, looks like red planaria, im in the process of revive dipping now so hopefully i can get a shot big enuff for you to see

 

[Triggreef]

That sounds exactly the same. I left the white dot detail out. Causing any issues or are they just unsightly? @Sabellafella

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Pictures would be great. It can also be a good reference for others to ID their critters in the future.

 

[Triggreef]

Something odd I noticed on a monti. I picked it off with a scalpel didn't appear to be alive.

And the best I could do on the flatworm. At that point he is sitting in about 14 drops of FWE in 2 cups of water.Virtually no effect.

 

[Sabellafella]

Something odd I noticed on a monti. I picked it off with a scalpel didn't appear to be alive.

And the best I could do on the flatworm. At that point he is sitting in about 14 drops of FWE in 2 cups of water.Virtually no effect.

I dipped a hammer and and an acro and their about the same size, their just so small that i csnt get a picture, ive ben having issues with these and worms seem to be plagueing my acros for the last 4 months, ive kept them in a cup and they lived more then 2 weeks and ive dipped almoste everything in my tank and atleast 1 or 2 came off every frag, i dont think they are aefw but im having the same issue rite now, they are black but when you take a light to it they have a shade of maroon to them, following along hopefully someone could shed some light (edit they also survived being kept in revive for more then an hour)

 

[Triggreef]

You got any wrasse, like a melanurus or grey head? I'd start there.

 

[Starblenny]

I thought FWE only affects Red Planaria. FWE doesn't really work on AEFW (or any other flatworms).

 

[Sabellafella]

You got any wrasse, like a melanurus or grey head? I'd start there.

Nope just a lineatus Nd rhomboid as of now, my coral qt has a 6 line but i discovered eggs on one of the frags that i put in my new 5 month old dt, its driving me nuts

 

[Triggreef]

I suggest starting over at with a new wrasse @Sabellafella six lines are viscous and v very hard to catch once they start terrorizing your other fish. Melanurus, dusky, Xmas, yellow, are all far better with getting along with other fish. And just as good at hunting...

 

[Sabellafella]

I suggest starting over at with a new wrasse @Sabellafella six lines are viscous and v very hard to catch once they start terrorizing your other fish. Melanurus, dusky, Xmas, yellow, are all far better with getting along with other fish. And just as good at hunting...

Haha i kno i have him in my frag tank and hes a complete nightmare, there really is times were i want to cook him and feed him to my dog but i cant lol ive had him for so long i basically have a frag tank dedicated to him, a cleaner shrimp and 2 mandarins

 

[Sabellafella]

I tryed peroxide also and 2 out of 9 cooked instantly, the rest perished after 20 minutes ( also they show signs of giving out toxins witch is the mucus that sheds out)

 

[Sabellafella]

I thought FWE only affects Red Planaria. FWE doesn't really work on AEFW (or any other flatworms).

I thought this also but to treat aefw it works 90 percent if you double the dose according to reef builders

 

[maroun.c]

Believe dipping has two aspects killing pests or at least letting you notice them. It's important to have good flow throughout the dip to at least dislodge pests that are bothered by the dip but not killed.
A small power head or squirting water at the corals is key for this.
One thing I don't like Bayer for is the inability to see what's on the coral. If using Bayer I would dip, rinse then dip again in another dip like coral RX which would allow me to see if anything survived by seeing it move when it's bothered by the dip. It also makes for a more potent dip due to the extended time and the use of two different components. It adds a bit to the effect on the coral itself but doesn't result in much more significant losses except for soft skinned accros maybe. I usually quarantine for a week after initial dip (3 For monties) then redid after a week (weekly for monties) and transfer to display if no pests or eggs are seen on initial dip. If I see any pests or eggs then the quarantine is extended for 2-3 weeks more and 2-4 weeks observation.

 

[Sabellafella]

Pictures would be great. It can also be a good reference for others to ID their critters in the future.

I kno you can find out what they are lolol i have an infested frag up against the glass and when the lights go on tomorro morning ill snap a macro, it looks and stand up sometimes like a waminoa but they hangout on acros and montis also, they seem to burrow (edit they have a white dot on their head, they have the v bottom and could strech long if they want to, they are black at a glimps but if you take a light under them they are dark maroon with a circle in the middle thank you)

 

[cheezybuda]

I had the same ones in my frag tank. I went through a lot of FWE. I could only keep them from going into plague levels. Full bayer dips and multiple qt tanks....no luck. The last resort was to get a melanarus wrasse. I didn't feed him for the first 3 days. He went to town on them. After about a week and a half, I could only see a couple here and there. After two weeks, couldn't find any. It's been about 6 months now, and I have not seen any.

 

[Triggreef]

I had the same ones in my frag tank. I went through a lot of FWE. I could only keep them from going into plague levels. Full bayer dips and multiple qt tanks....no luck. The last resort was to get a melanarus wrasse. I didn't feed him for the first 3 days. He went to town on them. After about a week and a half, I could only see a couple here and there. After two weeks, couldn't find any. It's been about 6 months now, and I have not seen any.

Now there's some good news.

I just found it so crazy that this version of flatworm is so similar to red planaria, yet two things that destroy the red ones has seemingly no effect on these.

 

[rueric]

Reviving an old thread.. I think I have the same exact ones in my coral QT tank now.
Black/gray body with a white dot on the head.
What should the protocol be after 6 years? FWE doesn't seem to be effective
Fishes aren't exactly an option considering it's a small 10gallon tank meant for ich/coral qt

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Reviving an old thread.. I think I have the same exact ones in my coral QT tank now.
Black/gray body with a white dot on the head.
What should the protocol be after 6 years? FWE doesn't seem to be effective
Fishes aren't exactly an option considering it's a small 10gallon tank meant for ich/coral qt

Scary bayer doesn’t do the job. I wonder if upping the dosage would work.

 

[Sabellafella]

Reviving an old thread.. I think I have the same exact ones in my coral QT tank now.
Black/gray body with a white dot on the head.
What should the protocol be after 6 years? FWE doesn't seem to be effective
Fishes aren't exactly an option considering it's a small 10gallon tank meant for ich/coral qt

Prazipro. 5 ml per quart. Nocks them off nearly instantly. Works very well on flatworms