Please ID these Flatworms.. Harmless or Not??

spanglish · 09/02/2007, 09:16 AM

I am agonizing over whether or not to treat these, and
someone has suggested they may be harmless

They are about 1/8 inch diameter, red, and becoming numerous.

Do I have to treat with fw exit or can I syphon just to keep
population down???

Bri Guy · 09/02/2007, 10:32 AM

there harmless but...

I see them blocking light for your corals, that can't be good.

and if they die in massive numbers, there toxic so the tank could be tainted.

I have them too, but not as many as you show, I havn't done anything about them yet, other than sucking some out, but I do have flat worm exit that im going to use on them soon. (im just scared, remember the massive die off tainting?)

Landolakes · 09/02/2007, 11:34 AM

Suck out as many as you can, they can keep the coral from opening and lead to loosing them. Keep sucking them out with a small hose and get a fish that will eat them and keep the population low. You can also try flatworm treatments but I never have because of the potential for disaster.

greenbean36191 · 09/02/2007, 05:01 PM

They're Waminoa, which are common commensals on corals. They aren't the typical red pest flatworms.

09/02/2007, 09:16 AM	#1
spanglish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 788	Please ID these Flatworms.. Harmless or Not?? I am agonizing over whether or not to treat these, and someone has suggested they may be harmless They are about 1/8 inch diameter, red, and becoming numerous. Do I have to treat with fw exit or can I syphon just to keep population down??? __________________ " I quit drinking weeks ago! No one noticed, but I guess that's a pretty good indicator that I conducted myself quite well when I was drunk. " Current Tank Info: 90 G Bowfront, 30G refugium,T5's,Euroreef 100,1 true perc, 1false black, 1 ember blenny,Eight Line Flasher Wrasse, Mandarin,various LPS

09/02/2007, 10:32 AM	#2
Bri Guy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin Posts: 2,995	there harmless but... I see them blocking light for your corals, that can't be good. and if they die in massive numbers, there toxic so the tank could be tainted. I have them too, but not as many as you show, I havn't done anything about them yet, other than sucking some out, but I do have flat worm exit that im going to use on them soon. (im just scared, remember the massive die off tainting?) __________________ For my birthday i got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. (Steven Wright) Current Tank Info: 40BR w/ 250w 14K Phoenix + 192w PC, 10g fuge w/ 55w PC, 10g sump, Eheim 1250 return w/ SCWD, ASM Mini G skimmer, Gravity fed ATO, Kalk doser, 1/10 HP chiller, 1 Vortec + 3MJs, all on an AC Jr. - Born on date 8-06 Pics in gallery! + 55g FOWLR w/ macro

09/02/2007, 05:01 PM	#4
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	They're Waminoa, which are common commensals on corals. They aren't the typical red pest flatworms. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

09/02/2007, 11:34 AM	#3
Landolakes Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rochester Posts: 1,200	Suck out as many as you can, they can keep the coral from opening and lead to loosing them. Keep sucking them out with a small hose and get a fish that will eat them and keep the population low. You can also try flatworm treatments but I never have because of the potential for disaster.