Update on my polyclad flatworm

MrMatthew · 03/13/2011, 02:16 PM

To anyone that saw my posts about this nasty pest in my tank or anyone with disappearing snails or clams. I saw mine again last nite near a blue zoa colony of mine. Looking closer I notice it's attcking a stomatella, so I grab my tweezers (I do not want to touch it with my hands) and make an attempt at grabbing it. Yeah right. Apparently this thing has a very soft body because as soon as I grabbed it with the tweezers it just ripped apart with almost no pressure. And it disappeared almost instantly into the rock work. So at this point it's deffinitly injured, no idea if it will heal back or die. But proof that it can survive on stomatella. Argh! I was hoping it would starve because it had already eaten all my turbos and clam. Theres dozens of stomatella in my system lol. I'm also noticing that I'm always seeing it on this same rock so I'm betting this is the rock it must be living in. Might take a shot at pulling this rock out and examining it.

muppet · 03/13/2011, 02:44 PM

This might explain where all my stomatella went months ago. I know I have a polyclad, but thought he showed up recently. Maybe not. Maybe he was just too small to go after trochus at the time.

It's a real bummer because I really LIKED my stomatella.

sweet33er · 03/13/2011, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMatthew

To anyone that saw my posts about this nasty pest in my tank or anyone with disappearing snails or clams. I saw mine again last nite near a blue zoa colony of mine. Looking closer I notice it's attcking a stomatella, so I grab my tweezers (I do not want to touch it with my hands) and make an attempt at grabbing it. Yeah right. Apparently this thing has a very soft body because as soon as I grabbed it with the tweezers it just ripped apart with almost no pressure. And it disappeared almost instantly into the rock work. So at this point it's deffinitly injured, no idea if it will heal back or die. But proof that it can survive on stomatella. Argh! I was hoping it would starve because it had already eaten all my turbos and clam. Theres dozens of stomatella in my system lol. I'm also noticing that I'm always seeing it on this same rock so I'm betting this is the rock it must be living in. Might take a shot at pulling this rock out and examining it.

don't just examine, remove the rock and replace it. next time you see him, reach in and take him and his home, freshwater dip if you really want to keep it ORRRRRRR I'll take him and the rock and trade ya

MrMatthew · 03/13/2011, 07:13 PM

Lol. If can get it out it's yours. Don't want to part with the rock to much though. It has a nice zoa colony all over it so I don't really want to dip it. What had you for trading?

suebugsbooo · 03/25/2012, 12:52 PM

Ive got a polyclad worm I'm wanting to get out. Any tips on getting it to come out of its hiding place? I dont have any livestock in the tabk as of yet. No snails or anything. I wonder if I can trick it with something as bait.

mtc1966 · 03/25/2012, 03:16 PM

take the rock out place it in soda water any critters will come running out.

MrMatthew · 03/25/2012, 06:58 PM

It likes snails and clams, someone reccomended getting a clam from the food store and put it in a bottle or something and trying see if it's attracted to it. No idea if mine is still in there, haven't had any sightings in a long time of it. Stomatella everywhere, so I dont know. Good luck!

suebugsbooo · 03/26/2012, 12:13 AM

Ah! great idea thank you for the great tips! I'll try that next!

staninct · 03/26/2012, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMatthew

Lol. If can get it out it's yours. Don't want to part with the rock to much though. It has a nice zoa colony all over it so I don't really want to dip it. What had you for trading?

Don't worry about your zoas. I usually do a fw/Lugol's dip with them before I put them in my tank. Get that worm out of there!

mtc1966 · 03/26/2012, 08:32 AM

by the way i bet that worm becomes two worms

srusso · 03/26/2012, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtc1966

by the way i bet that worm becomes two worms

sad feeling I got from that story too...

suebugsbooo · 03/28/2012, 01:02 PM

I got the polyclad worm last night with a turkey baster. It was only in the system for about a week do you think it might have multiplied already?

gmate · 03/28/2012, 01:37 PM

Polyclad worms and other planaria will split if into two good sized chunks, laterally or horizontally it does not matter. Best of luck >.<

gmate · 03/28/2012, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suebugsbooo

I got the polyclad worm last night with a turkey baster. It was only in the system for about a week do you think it might have multiplied already?

My guess is yes. I've read threads on RC (just search polyclad) of people pulling one out of there system and another surfacing months or years later.

icycoral · 03/29/2012, 12:57 PM

Speaking of flatworms, have you seen this vid on YouTube? Holy polyclad!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1m0E...e_gdata_player

03/13/2011, 02:16 PM	#1
MrMatthew Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 220	Update on my polyclad flatworm To anyone that saw my posts about this nasty pest in my tank or anyone with disappearing snails or clams. I saw mine again last nite near a blue zoa colony of mine. Looking closer I notice it's attcking a stomatella, so I grab my tweezers (I do not want to touch it with my hands) and make an attempt at grabbing it. Yeah right. Apparently this thing has a very soft body because as soon as I grabbed it with the tweezers it just ripped apart with almost no pressure. And it disappeared almost instantly into the rock work. So at this point it's deffinitly injured, no idea if it will heal back or die. But proof that it can survive on stomatella. Argh! I was hoping it would starve because it had already eaten all my turbos and clam. Theres dozens of stomatella in my system lol. I'm also noticing that I'm always seeing it on this same rock so I'm betting this is the rock it must be living in. Might take a shot at pulling this rock out and examining it.

03/13/2011, 02:44 PM	#2
muppet Misanthrope Join Date: May 2010 Location: Plainville, CT Posts: 2,759	This might explain where all my stomatella went months ago. I know I have a polyclad, but thought he showed up recently. Maybe not. Maybe he was just too small to go after trochus at the time. It's a real bummer because I really LIKED my stomatella. __________________ Vertex IN-100 Skimmer 5g fuge area in the works JBJ Ocean Pulse 1600GPH wavemaker CoralVue 4x54 fixture running?: 2xATI Blue Plus, 1xRed Sea Pink, 1xRed Sea 12K, 10x1w LED blue moonlights Current Tank Info: Deep Blue 75G RR with 20H sump

03/25/2012, 12:52 PM	#5
suebugsbooo Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Carolina Posts: 16	Ive got a polyclad worm I'm wanting to get out. Any tips on getting it to come out of its hiding place? I dont have any livestock in the tabk as of yet. No snails or anything. I wonder if I can trick it with something as bait. __________________ :{D Current Tank Info: A work in progress

03/25/2012, 03:16 PM	#6
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 6,528	take the rock out place it in soda water any critters will come running out. __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

03/26/2012, 12:13 AM	#8
suebugsbooo Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Carolina Posts: 16	Ah! great idea thank you for the great tips! I'll try that next! __________________ :{D Current Tank Info: A work in progress

03/13/2011, 07:13 PM	#4
MrMatthew Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 220	Lol. If can get it out it's yours. Don't want to part with the rock to much though. It has a nice zoa colony all over it so I don't really want to dip it. What had you for trading?

03/25/2012, 06:58 PM	#7
MrMatthew Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 220	It likes snails and clams, someone reccomended getting a clam from the food store and put it in a bottle or something and trying see if it's attracted to it. No idea if mine is still in there, haven't had any sightings in a long time of it. Stomatella everywhere, so I dont know. Good luck!

03/26/2012, 08:32 AM	#10
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 6,528	by the way i bet that worm becomes two worms __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

03/28/2012, 01:02 PM	#12
suebugsbooo Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Carolina Posts: 16	I got the polyclad worm last night with a turkey baster. It was only in the system for about a week do you think it might have multiplied already? __________________ :{D Current Tank Info: A work in progress

03/28/2012, 01:37 PM	#13
gmate MASC Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 2,267	Polyclad worms and other planaria will split if into two good sized chunks, laterally or horizontally it does not matter. Best of luck >.<

03/29/2012, 12:57 PM	#15
icycoral I glue animals to rocks Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: putnam, ct Posts: 1,426	Speaking of flatworms, have you seen this vid on YouTube? Holy polyclad!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1m0E...e_gdata_player __________________ Electricity and saltwater, sounds like fun. CTARS BOD/Vice President 2013 Founder of the Icy Aerospace Administration (where fish fly) Current Tank Info: It's sweet!

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