Using flatworms to keep your socks clean

salernod · 01/12/2017, 07:37 AM

I have recently dealing with a mistery in my tank. I was regularly cleaning my Red Sea mesh socks on daily basis because they were also clogging on a daily basis.

I went on vacations during Christmas time and left all my tank running and monitored with my apex controller. The only thing that I could not automate was the cleaning of the socks knowing that they would be clogged the day after my departure and would remain clogged during all my absence. After returning from vacations 10 days later my big surprise is that the socks were not clogged and looked very clean and weirdly quite pinky.

After 3 weeks they were still clean and working. During large maintenance performed yesterday I decided to rinse the socks. My surprise is that I found 2 large flatworms inside the socks. Unfortunately I flushed them but they I realized the mistake. They were the ones keeping the socks clean and they grew inside the socks. Due the water flow they were never able to leave the socks. The pinky color of the socks came also from the worms. Now I'm looking in my tank for flatworms to keep inside the socks going forward. At some point I will have to flush them due size and put a new one smaller and keep that cycle going forward. Has anyone else experienced this? This flatworm eliminated the almost daily maintenance task of cleaning the socks and the cost of purchasing socks frequently. I'm using plastic mesh socks from Red Sea and I think this will only work with this type of socks. Any comment?

ericarenee · 01/12/2017, 08:46 AM

I would rather Get the flat worms out of the tank if that is what they are.. Also If you have to clean your socks that much you need to check out you feeding habits.. Maybe your tank is just over stocked... But anyway my 2 cents . i only run filter socks when i scraping the glass or something that caused debri

Good Luck

Dapg8gt · 01/12/2017, 09:50 AM

That's a pretty cool observation.. I would Def find out what species of FW you have to make sure it's not a detriment to the tank or corals. They can and probably will reproduce and if you have your entire tank volume running past reproducing Flatworms it could get ugly.. .

Personally I feel that's awesome, hella weird but cool none the less lol..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

steallife904 · 01/12/2017, 10:26 AM

if they where really large they may have been bobbit worms?

01/12/2017, 07:37 AM	#1
salernod Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 1	Using flatworms to keep your socks clean I have recently dealing with a mistery in my tank. I was regularly cleaning my Red Sea mesh socks on daily basis because they were also clogging on a daily basis. I went on vacations during Christmas time and left all my tank running and monitored with my apex controller. The only thing that I could not automate was the cleaning of the socks knowing that they would be clogged the day after my departure and would remain clogged during all my absence. After returning from vacations 10 days later my big surprise is that the socks were not clogged and looked very clean and weirdly quite pinky. After 3 weeks they were still clean and working. During large maintenance performed yesterday I decided to rinse the socks. My surprise is that I found 2 large flatworms inside the socks. Unfortunately I flushed them but they I realized the mistake. They were the ones keeping the socks clean and they grew inside the socks. Due the water flow they were never able to leave the socks. The pinky color of the socks came also from the worms. Now I'm looking in my tank for flatworms to keep inside the socks going forward. At some point I will have to flush them due size and put a new one smaller and keep that cycle going forward. Has anyone else experienced this? This flatworm eliminated the almost daily maintenance task of cleaning the socks and the cost of purchasing socks frequently. I'm using plastic mesh socks from Red Sea and I think this will only work with this type of socks. Any comment?

01/12/2017, 08:46 AM	#2
ericarenee Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Louisville Kentucky Posts: 3,110	I would rather Get the flat worms out of the tank if that is what they are.. Also If you have to clean your socks that much you need to check out you feeding habits.. Maybe your tank is just over stocked... But anyway my 2 cents . i only run filter socks when i scraping the glass or something that caused debri Good Luck __________________ 240+G Mixed BB Reef tank.. 350 G Marine Pond. And the expensive stuff that runs it. Chic's are for Chic's You silly men Go Fishing or something... Current Tank Info: 240= gal Reef /550 Gallon Saltwater pond 72 G Bay front Tropical aquarium

01/12/2017, 09:50 AM	#3
Dapg8gt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pacifica Posts: 3,741	That's a pretty cool observation.. I would Def find out what species of FW you have to make sure it's not a detriment to the tank or corals. They can and probably will reproduce and if you have your entire tank volume running past reproducing Flatworms it could get ugly.. . Personally I feel that's awesome, hella weird but cool none the less lol.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk __________________ 15 years in the hobby yet still learning every day. 280g radium lit sps flat living in my garage rent free. Current Tank Info: 105g SPS dominant euro braced powered by 4 ecotech pumps and lit by an ATI powermodule controlled by a reef angel =).

01/12/2017, 10:26 AM	#4
steallife904 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 944	if they where really large they may have been bobbit worms?