Billions of flatworms

[Paul B]

I was feeding the tank tonight and I said, Wow, the coraline algae is really taking off and growing like crazy. But it didn't look right. Wrong color and it seemed to be moving.
I took out my magnifying glasses and took a closer look.
I could not figure what they were until I poked one with a probe. The thing "ran" or slithered away pretty fast.
They are Acoel flatworms and they are completely covering portions of the rock. I never noticed them before and at first thought they were nudibranches but nudibranchs would never grow to these numbers in a tank.
There are thousands of these things.
Very cool. I love to find new things. I can't believe the amount of life in this old tank. There are these flatworms, amphipods, brittle stars, stomella, those little starfish (I forget their name) and almost as many tiny snails as these flatworms.
I don't know what all of these things are eating. It totally blows me away that all of this stuff is living in there.
I can look for hours with a set of magnifying glasses.
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5836

 

[Scooterman]

Just imagine what you'd see if you had 20/20 vision

 

[fragallrock]

flat worm

get yourself a couple of purple slugs the'll take care of your problem

 

[Paul B]

Just imagine what you'd see if you had 20/20 vision

I do have 20/20 vision but these suckers are tiny.

get yourself a couple of purple slugs the'll take care of your problem

I didn't think I had a problem

 

[loohunter]

I didn't think I had a problem
i love reading your threads paul

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, I love writing them.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[Scooterman]

I do have 20/20 vision but these suckers are tiny.

No one has 20/20 vision at your age, maybe with glasses though!:lol:

 

[Paul B]

Last week when I had my vision check I had 20/20 vision. Just not up close.
My Mother died this year at 99 years old and she never wore glasses.

 

[returnofsid]

Paul, you actually may have a problem, with the population of Flatworms. It would become a problem, if there was a mass die off, as they release toxic chemicals into the water, when they die. So, if something were to cause a mass die off, the toxins they'd all release would crash your system.

The only other time they can become a problem, is if they reproduce, to the extent, that they cover any corals, preventing the coral from receiving light. If I remember right, you don't have corals in your tank, so that won't be an issue, anyway. If you do have corals, I'd actually suggest removing ALL of the Flatworms. Otherwise, I'd just ween the population, some.

Might not be a bad idea to manually remove a bunch of them, just to prevent a possible problem, in the future.

 

[kenargo]

They are pretty easy to remove by the mass but it difficult to ever remove them completely. You may notice that they are blown off surfaces with even a light puff of water. If you can, place a filter sock inline with your overflow and puff the rocks; this will put many in the water column and they will filter out.

The larger issue with these is that for every 1 you see there are 1000 you don't; in rock, crevaces, sand, etc.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

They are an opportunistic nutrient feeder

I have had very excellent success with Salifort Flatworm exit. Many threads here that can be searched for on how best to use it and what to watch out for.

 

[Paul B]

Returnofsid, I know about the toxins when you have a big die off but I think I will just let them do their thing for now. I am fairly sure they wil exhaust whatever they are feeding on, probably pods, and die, hopefully gradually.
There are corals in there and it would be impossable to siphon them out of a 40 year old tank.
I also want to experiment with them for a while.
If they crash the tank think what a great write up I could do about it.:lol:

 

[user 26995]

I also want to experiment with them for a while.
If they crash the tank think what a great write up I could do about it.:lol:

Now thats possitive thinking.
I bought a clown fairy wrasse, actually two, and they took care of them all. Oh, and that starfish may be Astarina stars that you are thinking of.

 

[Paul B]

Astrea stars, yes I could sell them, by the pound along with flatworms :lol:

 

[SpecialTang]

I took the advice from fellow reefers and bought a 6 line wrasse and two dragon face pipe fish. How I understood it the pipe fish will eat the eggs and the wrasse will eat the more mature. Two months after adding to my tank I cannot see any flatworms at all.

I am sure they are still in there, just not enough to see them with the naked eye.

 

[returnofsid]

I took the advice from fellow reefers and bought a 6 line wrasse and two dragon face pipe fish. How I understood it the pipe fish will eat the eggs and the wrasse will eat the more mature. Two months after adding to my tank I cannot see any flatworms at all.

I am sure they are still in there, just not enough to see them with the naked eye.

While a 6 Lined Wrasse will eat Flatworms, and help an infestation, a pipefish, looking for flatworm eggs would quickly starve...lol. Flatworms don't lay eggs. Flatworms reproduce asexually, by dividing themselves.

 

[Brie]

Sapphire Damsels, aka Springer's damsels, are also flatworm eaters. And more peaceful then alot of other damsels.

http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+28+2073&pcatid=2073

 

[Herefishyfishy]

While a 6 Lined Wrasse will eat Flatworms, and help an infestation, a pipefish, looking for flatworm eggs would quickly starve...lol. Flatworms don't lay eggs. Flatworms reproduce asexually, by dividing themselves.

Have to agree with Michael for another anecdotal reason: recently had to treat my seahorse/pipefish tank with flatworm exit :lol:

 

[dtd87]

Sapphire Damsels, aka Springer's damsels, are also flatworm eaters. And more peaceful then alot of other damsels.

http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+28+2073&pcatid=2073

I want one of those looks awesome

 

[ryansreef]

I had a flatworm infestation a couple months ago...sucked most of them out with a tube and then used the flatworm exit. Haven't seen one since