please ID

[mike1441]

View attachment 29168
are they flatworms? harmful?

 

[Curtswearing]

yes, those are the flatworms that you don't want. They reproduce via fission so their population can expand quickly.

Siphon out as many as you can and then treat with Salifert Flatworm Exit

 

[returnofsid]

Look like Red Planaria to me. The harm they cause is in how fast they reproduce. Eventually, they're so numerous that they cover your corals, blotting out all light. One very important note about Salifert Flatworm Exit...when the flatworms die, they because toxic. After treating, make sure to syphon off as much of the dead worms as possible. Many people treat their tanks and don't syphon off the dead worms. After a couple of weeks, their corals start suffering. It can become quite extreme and kill of your reef.

 

[plack]

The vacum this guy made and how he used it and a fish net style bag in the sump is great info !

http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html



Paul

 

[mike1441]

thanks all this is helpful

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If you want to terminatedly kill off the flatworms, double the dose. Make sure the skimmer is not running and do not run carbon nor change water afterward. Allow it to kill them all, even the ones inside the sand and rock pores. To do this, you need to siphon out all the dead ones and run a filter sock to catch the floaters. Clean out the sock as often as possible, at least twice a day. Watch for toxicity. In most cases, your fish and corals will be fine. The only time a real problem occurs is when they are so thick that they look like paint covering most sand etc.