Coral Invaders - ID Needed!

dbartkow · 12/15/2006, 01:14 PM

Hi Everyone,
I just noticed today that there are some strange things crawling on some of my mushrooms and frogspawn. They look almost like little geletin bubbles. Here is an image of two of them on my mushroom.

Any idea what these are? Are they bad? If so, how do I get rid of them?

Thanks for all your advice!
Dave

LduToit · 12/15/2006, 01:15 PM

looks like type of Flatworm...

dbartkow · 12/15/2006, 02:01 PM

I am thinking that this is a bad thing...how do I get rid of them? Anyone have a link to any info/articles?

Thanks,
Dave

Travis L. Stevens · 12/15/2006, 02:05 PM

Looks like a flatworm to me. It might not be a bad one. It could just be taking a trip across the mushroom. Then again, it could be eating it. I would assume if the mushroom is being predated on, it would retract and show signs of stress. Most flatworms that you see in your reef are usually detrivores, and their population is directly dependent on your nutrient levels and husbandry. Normally, a high population shows that a tank is being neglected to some degree, or the tank is over stocked or over fed.

dbartkow · 12/15/2006, 02:20 PM

I don't know if I have a high population of them or not. But my water parameters are pretty ideal. The only place they seem to be located is on this one piece of rock which has my frogspawn and two mushrooms attached to it. They corals don't seem to mind, but there are about 12 of these things on them. So I am concerned....

Dave

Travis L. Stevens · 12/15/2006, 02:23 PM

That's not really a problem at all. They can literally range in the thousands in a small area. That's when you have to worry about them climbing on your corals in such dense numbers that they devoid the coral of light and take up oxygen quickler than it can get to the coral.

dbartkow · 12/15/2006, 02:47 PM

Okay, glad to hear it probably isn't a big issue. I ended of sucking a couple of them out and here they are on a wet paper towel. They are these gelatin globs that can swim through the water by making a serpentine or sinusoidal shape.

Dave

12/15/2006, 01:14 PM	#1
dbartkow Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 450	Coral Invaders - ID Needed! Hi Everyone, I just noticed today that there are some strange things crawling on some of my mushrooms and frogspawn. They look almost like little geletin bubbles. Here is an image of two of them on my mushroom. Any idea what these are? Are they bad? If so, how do I get rid of them? Thanks for all your advice! Dave

12/15/2006, 02:05 PM	#4
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Looks like a flatworm to me. It might not be a bad one. It could just be taking a trip across the mushroom. Then again, it could be eating it. I would assume if the mushroom is being predated on, it would retract and show signs of stress. Most flatworms that you see in your reef are usually detrivores, and their population is directly dependent on your nutrient levels and husbandry. Normally, a high population shows that a tank is being neglected to some degree, or the tank is over stocked or over fed. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

12/15/2006, 02:23 PM	#6
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	That's not really a problem at all. They can literally range in the thousands in a small area. That's when you have to worry about them climbing on your corals in such dense numbers that they devoid the coral of light and take up oxygen quickler than it can get to the coral. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

12/15/2006, 01:15 PM	#2
LduToit Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 25	looks like type of Flatworm...

12/15/2006, 02:01 PM	#3
dbartkow Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 450	I am thinking that this is a bad thing...how do I get rid of them? Anyone have a link to any info/articles? Thanks, Dave

12/15/2006, 02:20 PM	#5
dbartkow Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 450	I don't know if I have a high population of them or not. But my water parameters are pretty ideal. The only place they seem to be located is on this one piece of rock which has my frogspawn and two mushrooms attached to it. They corals don't seem to mind, but there are about 12 of these things on them. So I am concerned.... Dave

12/15/2006, 02:47 PM	#7
dbartkow Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 450	Okay, glad to hear it probably isn't a big issue. I ended of sucking a couple of them out and here they are on a wet paper towel. They are these gelatin globs that can swim through the water by making a serpentine or sinusoidal shape. Dave