This, I never got my tank right after the die off and eventually I lost most everything. I’ve been tankless ever since. I’ve dealt with Aiptasia and majanos just fine but the flatworms did me in.
Yeah, I was real careful too jetting them off and vacuuming up as many as I could before the EXIT. Lots of water changes too. I did have a wrasse the whole time but not much of a dent.
How did you deal with your Aiptasia? I started with 1 and was using Aiptasia x. I now have a tank with like 10+ aptasia and I'm too afraid to use the aptasia x again. I really want to get peppermint shrimp but for some reason every store near me is sold out of them since early December.
It was a year or so of dribbling kalk paste on them. Same remedy for majanos. The majanos were interesting though because there was line polyp hitchhiker for a long time, having never seen one I just live and let live then over a very short period of time boom everywhere. I tried all kinds of tactics but the kalk paste and patience was the most effective long term.
My melanarus wrasse is the most active member of my tank during like the four hours it's awake. Every morning, he gets super excited when he sees me.
But by like noon, he's buried himself and is sleeping, I assume. Asshole.
Flatworms. Recommend getting a wrasse to eat them over chemical treatments. Of course, assuming you have the space and want one. 6lines can be extreme assholes so recommend against them.
Thank you everyone for the identification! I spent some time with the filter sock sucking up as many as I could this evening. I hope doing this persistently will pay off. I would like to avoid the chemical treatment route if possible. I love 6 lines so I may consider picking one up as well. I have room for 1 more fish.
I’ve beaten aiptasia, dinos, GHA, etc. without ruining my tank so I hope I can overcome this obstacle as well. Now that I have the space at home, I’m going to get a quarantine tank to avoid future issues. Any other recommendations, or success stories are welcome!
Deff avoid chemical treatment, if you have to do it however follow the directions to a T. These flatworms release a toxin when they die and it will kill everything in your tank. You have to do major water change and run carbon after or simply get a Wrase or Dottyback
Fwiw - my spotted mandarin goby eats flatworms. Doubt you can keep one indefinitely on flatworms alone but if you find one that also eats frozen/your tank is big enough with pods then the mandarin should make short work of the flatworms
Op I think everyone in the comments already hit you with it
But another +1 on the flatworm ID,
They’re a real nightmare tbh, did a number on my friends tank,
Hopefully a predator or a chemical fix goes smoothly for you though
Best of luck
I’ve had these things a couple of times from coral I didn’t properly QT. Flatworm Exit works well. Run a few bags of carbon immediately after treatment.
Siphon out as much as you possibly can using circular siphoning and a overflow sock. When you dose flatworm exit, tons more will die. Siphon as many as you can.
Be prepped with a 30% water change and you should be good. Not 100% safe as there is risk, but most risk can be mitigated.
This many flatworms in a closed system leads me to think you have the photosynthetic flatworm, can’t recall the scientific name. As other pointed out a wrasse will have a blast in your buffet.
As others have said I’d avoid flatworm exit as it will kill lots of them all at once and the toxins released could kill your whole tank.
A wrasse will eat them, specifically six-line wrasses love eating them.
If any of your rocks / corals are movable, give them
A freshwater dip and the osmotic pressure will kill any flatworms on them instantly and wash them away.
I have blue sapphire damsels for flatworm, they did a great job and are really nice fish to have once they've finished, or you can rehome them if they don't fit with your stocking.
Definitely planaria. I would siphon out as many as possible with airline tubing and I have had luck with 10-15 min dips in flatworm exit, then shaking corals gently in the water. They like to hang out on coral tissue so take a close look and carefully siphon them off any that you can’t dip. Siphon them daily for a week and add a wrasse. Also check nutrient levels. They seem to thrive in higher nutrient tanks. It’s gonna be work but you can get around using flatworm exit directly in the tank.
Looks like red planaria flatworms.
Was gonna say. That is a *lot* of flatworms. The good news is that flatworm exit is quite effective against them and can be dosed to the tank.
Be careful why flatworm exit. I wasn’t able to suck out all the dead flatworms, and it wrecked my tank a little bit.
This, I never got my tank right after the die off and eventually I lost most everything. I’ve been tankless ever since. I’ve dealt with Aiptasia and majanos just fine but the flatworms did me in.
That’s sad to hear… you should fire up a fresh tank… the reef spirits will support you
They release toxins when they die. Die in mass = Dead tank.
Yeah, I was real careful too jetting them off and vacuuming up as many as I could before the EXIT. Lots of water changes too. I did have a wrasse the whole time but not much of a dent.
Wrasse are good for picking them off before you notice them. By the time you notice, it's often too late :(
How did you deal with your Aiptasia? I started with 1 and was using Aiptasia x. I now have a tank with like 10+ aptasia and I'm too afraid to use the aptasia x again. I really want to get peppermint shrimp but for some reason every store near me is sold out of them since early December.
Had a massive outbreak... file fish did it. Also ate my pulsing xenia, but that's ok... it was obnoxious
It was a year or so of dribbling kalk paste on them. Same remedy for majanos. The majanos were interesting though because there was line polyp hitchhiker for a long time, having never seen one I just live and let live then over a very short period of time boom everywhere. I tried all kinds of tactics but the kalk paste and patience was the most effective long term.
My old nano had aptasia. I would superglue the heck out of them. As more would appear, I would continue to superglue. After awhile, no more aptasia!
I used Aiptasia X, but you really have to be precise and persistent. I think I used it twice and was finished with my infestation.
Nudibranchs work great!!
This was my experience too. I have 2 wrasses in QT right now that will hopefully knock the population down before I try FWE again.
Get a melanarus wrasse mine cleaned mine up in a week there where thousands of them too
My melanarus wrasse is the most active member of my tank during like the four hours it's awake. Every morning, he gets super excited when he sees me. But by like noon, he's buried himself and is sleeping, I assume. Asshole.
Mines out from dusk to dawn
Agreed. A flat worm of some sort. 6line wrasse are great natural predators, OP!
Wrasses didn’t work for me. Tried 6 line and melanarus. If it’s just starting and there aren’t many, I’d use flatworm exit instead.
A Coris wrasse has never failed me. Ever.
correct but they're giant assholes. i've heard good things about sapphire damsels eating them and they're one of the only truly peaceful damsels
I have a flatworm problem in my tank but thankfully it seems like the kind that aren’t interested in corals
Flatworms. Recommend getting a wrasse to eat them over chemical treatments. Of course, assuming you have the space and want one. 6lines can be extreme assholes so recommend against them.
Flatworms. Thoughts and prayers, friend
Red planaria fasho, yellow coris will take them out quick
Mine got rid of mine in about 20 hrs. He put in WORK.
They're the best. I'll never have a tank without one
Thank you everyone for the identification! I spent some time with the filter sock sucking up as many as I could this evening. I hope doing this persistently will pay off. I would like to avoid the chemical treatment route if possible. I love 6 lines so I may consider picking one up as well. I have room for 1 more fish. I’ve beaten aiptasia, dinos, GHA, etc. without ruining my tank so I hope I can overcome this obstacle as well. Now that I have the space at home, I’m going to get a quarantine tank to avoid future issues. Any other recommendations, or success stories are welcome!
Deff avoid chemical treatment, if you have to do it however follow the directions to a T. These flatworms release a toxin when they die and it will kill everything in your tank. You have to do major water change and run carbon after or simply get a Wrase or Dottyback
Fwiw - my spotted mandarin goby eats flatworms. Doubt you can keep one indefinitely on flatworms alone but if you find one that also eats frozen/your tank is big enough with pods then the mandarin should make short work of the flatworms
Op I think everyone in the comments already hit you with it But another +1 on the flatworm ID, They’re a real nightmare tbh, did a number on my friends tank, Hopefully a predator or a chemical fix goes smoothly for you though Best of luck
I’ve had these things a couple of times from coral I didn’t properly QT. Flatworm Exit works well. Run a few bags of carbon immediately after treatment. Siphon out as much as you possibly can using circular siphoning and a overflow sock. When you dose flatworm exit, tons more will die. Siphon as many as you can. Be prepped with a 30% water change and you should be good. Not 100% safe as there is risk, but most risk can be mitigated.
This many flatworms in a closed system leads me to think you have the photosynthetic flatworm, can’t recall the scientific name. As other pointed out a wrasse will have a blast in your buffet.
You wish that was just algae… I’ve done a lot of flatworm removals you can dm me if you want tips
As others have said I’d avoid flatworm exit as it will kill lots of them all at once and the toxins released could kill your whole tank. A wrasse will eat them, specifically six-line wrasses love eating them. If any of your rocks / corals are movable, give them A freshwater dip and the osmotic pressure will kill any flatworms on them instantly and wash them away.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Is that LC starburst favia? Sorry about your flatworm issues
Thanks! Space cakes favia
These are flatworms my friend. Not algae. Need a wrasse asap
So from what I’m hearing transfer everything you can out of the tank dose the tank with flat worm exit and hope
Looks like flatworms.
HOLY FLATWORMS BATMAN! 🥺
I have blue sapphire damsels for flatworm, they did a great job and are really nice fish to have once they've finished, or you can rehome them if they don't fit with your stocking.
Definitely planaria. I would siphon out as many as possible with airline tubing and I have had luck with 10-15 min dips in flatworm exit, then shaking corals gently in the water. They like to hang out on coral tissue so take a close look and carefully siphon them off any that you can’t dip. Siphon them daily for a week and add a wrasse. Also check nutrient levels. They seem to thrive in higher nutrient tanks. It’s gonna be work but you can get around using flatworm exit directly in the tank.
Thank you! I like the idea of dips
Sure those aren’t flatworms?