Help: Some "mushroom-like" stuff is growing wild...

[mc_hong]

HI all,
I have these "mushroom-like" thing growing all over my tank.
They are reddish-brownish color about 1/16 - 1/8 inches and flat (Picture1 & 2).

At first I thought it was just something I can ignore and they'll come and go by themselves. However, it looks like they're in my tank to stay.
Looks like they're not bothering my fish nor my corals (Picture 3).

Anyone can help me identify what they are?
Are they harmful? How do I get rid of them?

Thank you very much!
Moeljo

L

 

[Jan]

hmmm

sponges? flatworms? (I hope not flatworms)

 

[dailydriven911]

Yikes looks like a plague of red flatworms. I've never had them so I don't know for sure so like jan said let's hope not:shock:

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Yep, red planaria as in red flatworms. Get some Flatworm Exit and use per directions

 

[mc_hong]

Thanks so much guys!
Yikes
Hope I can get rid of them asap.

Moeljo

 

[thekingfish]

Try to syphon out as much as possible before using the flatworm exit.
I've heard of bad things happening if too many die off at one time.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Yep, and have a water change and some carbon ready to prevent problems.

 

[mc_hong]

OK, got it.
Will try to syphon first then dump some Salifert's faltworm-exit.

No fish will eat them? 6-line or mandarin?

Thanks again.
Moeljo

 

[NaH2O]

Both of those fish can help, but IMO you will still need to do manual removal (siphoning) along with a natural method. You can even use a turkey baster to suck them up. One problem with picking a fish for pest control, is not fully researching the fish prior to purchase. If you go the fish route, understand what each fish require in the captive environment, if the fish will be compatible with your other inhabitants, and if you'll be able to care for the fish long term. Also, it isn't guaranteed that the natural predator will eat them, or that it will eradicate them completely.

As mentioned previously, make sure to siphon out as many as possible prior to dosing flatworm exit (if you choose to go that route). When the flatworms die, they release a toxin into the water. With a large population, this can be harmful to the livestock in the tank.

Flatworm Eating Fish

I also want to link you to a thread that talks about treating with flatworm exit. Some folks have to use double the strength of the treatment to get it to work. Here is one instance Maxx talks about his FW Exit treatment: flatworm treatment?

Heidi,
I have dealt w/ flatworms in the past. I used Flatworm exit to do so. A couple of observations:
1....dosing according to instructions was NOT enough. I had to triple the dose to kill the flatworms. I had heard this before from others, so I knew it might be a possiblility. It is paramount that you kill ALL of the flatworms, otherwise, the survuvors will adapt to FE and become resistant to it....all of their offspring will likewise be resistant to it as well.
2....I noticed my snails and bristleworms were affected by FE. They werent killed, but were definately unhappy and behaved as if they were "drunk"....fell off rocks, remained where they landed, and sorta flopped around in the sand going no where. Worms were tying themselves in knots. Everything recovered, and I didnt notice a single fatality amongst the snails...don't think I lost any bristleworms either, but any that died could have honestly been devoured by those that survived.
I was running a skimmer and carbon simultaneously after treating the tank, (as per instructions...waited 30 mins etc) and didnt notice anything else affected by FE...Corals acted as if nothing was going on, anemone was fine as was the clam....I have not had a problem w/ flatworms since.
Since then, EVERY new addition to my tank that is not a fish or moble invertebrate, (shrimp, crab etc) has had flatworm exit added to the container that I acclimate them in. I havent noticed any new flatworms while using this method.
I think it works, and works well. But I think its important to have safeguards in place any time you attempt to do something like this....Have extra water pre made and on hand to be able to do an emergency water change should that be necessary, (most likely not, but better safe than sorry IMO), have your cannister/HOB filter primed and loaded w/ carbon and able to be up and running immediately.
If you plan ahead, and think of worst case scenario while planning ahead, I've found that I can anticipate and usually avoid problems, or handle them before they become a problem.
I hope this helps, and more importantly makes sense.
If you have any more questions, or maybe I didnt explain things clearly, don't hesitate to ask.
Nick

 

[trido]

FWIW I treated with FW exit last fall with the prescribed dose. It was unsuccesful. Since then the FWs have come back to full plague status. They dont bother anything including me. Their populations ebb and flow like the tides coinciding with my over feeding. I try to look at them as additional detritous eaters because that is what they are. If you are going to treat them, make sure you are not going to add any more LR and be sure to QT any new corals you add because you will eventually reintroduce them back into the tank. If they truely bother you that badly then treat for them. Otherwise, they really arent hurting anything and you can save the $25 for the exit plus salt and carbon then buy a frag of something instead.

 

[chris&barb]

i agree with trido. this type of flat worm is harmless. i had them a few years ago. at first i siphoned them out from time to time but noticed that they wernt bothering anything, so i let them be and they slowly faded away on there own

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I look at red planaria similar to nuisance algae. Harmless, perhaps; maybe even a sourse of food or cleaning. But if you don't like their look in your display, then fix it. Just because something is harmless does not make it desirable. There is also anecdotal evidence of them bothering zoanthids.
I recommend getting them down to a more managable level. And Yes, I have found FWE requires a higher dosage.

 

[chris&barb]

Just because something is harmless does not make it desirable.

never said they were desirable. i have seen a few people use FWE to the T and still kill fish. there are still other ways then to dump chemicals into the tank. just like cyano, you can dump erithomyacin into the tank and fix the symptom, or you can fix the cause.

red planaria are grazers, they dont directly effect corals. they become a problem when there numbers are so great that they block light from corals. simply siphoning them out to control there numbers and cutting there food will do the trick

 

[Herefishyfishy]

simply siphoning them out to control there numbers and cutting there food will do the trick

Not so simple. They often grip tight to the rock. Agreed on the food supply, but I think cutting back on feeding is not desirable. Better water maintanence sure would be though.

 

[spongebob lover]

i had them for about 2 years, i almost quit on the tank because of those things.
the way i did it was.....bigger water changes, more flow (they hate it :badgrin and just siphon them, i also bought a 6 line and he helped me too but you never know with fishes .
it takes time to get rid of them but it's not imposible dood

 

[mc_hong]

Thank you very much guys! You've all been very helpful!

Sounds like I have a few choices.
I'll try syphoning them first and picking up a 6-line OR a mandarin.
For a long time I've been meaning to get a mandarin cause they're so pretty, but might opt for 'easier' 6-line.
At the same time, I'll pickup FWE just in case

Any opinion if my 55g tank with plenty of flatworm can support a mandarin? Please PM me.

Thank you much again, you've all been great!
Moeljo

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Unless you have a HUGE tank filled with mature live rock, Do NOT buy a mandarin, they starve to death more often than not. Better with the wrasse, but never buy one species to deal with another. Any of the other suggested solutions are vastly superior!

 

[spongebob lover]

i wouldn't get a mandarin dood .
i tried it and after 4 days it unfortunately died ....i never saw it eating any flatworms and my tank at the time i bought it didn't have pods

 

[FUBAR]

What I've been told about Mandarins and flatworms is this...

If they eat the flatworms, it's really more of an accident.


My friend treated his tank with FWE, and it did have a negative impact on all his softies. They all recovered in a day or so. Killed many of his bristle worms and mircrostars as well. And that was just at the reccommended dosage in the instructions. But his flatworm infestation was gone.

So if you do decide to use it, make sure to remove absolutely every flatworm that you can, prior to using FWE. Think of the FWE as something just to make sure.

You can get an airline tube, and attach a filter bag at one end that sits in your sump. This way the water stays in your system, but the flatworms are stuck in the bag.