Please Help identify - Flat Worm Maybe? - pics

Brent Thomann · 04/14/2006, 01:39 AM

I recently notice these flat circular things throughout the tank and they move around. Think I first saw one on a new piece of live rock I added from the LFS.

Any suggestions? What should/can I do about them? Greatly Appreciated, Brent

photo-

LeslieH · 04/14/2006, 12:41 PM

Flatworms are never that circular. Are they hard or soft to the touch? If hard they may be forams.

andiruleu · 04/14/2006, 01:10 PM

i think their just pieces from the sand.. i get that stuck on my rocks and walls too..

ColeBC · 04/14/2006, 01:13 PM

I used to have those too. The center is white and they have brown stripes?
They were always moving around my tank...slowly though.

After a few months they just vanished.

Brent Thomann · 04/14/2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ColeBC
I used to have those too. The center is white and they have brown stripes?
They were always moving around my tank...slowly though.

After a few months they just vanished.

Thats them. Any idea what they are? I have quite a few of them moving around, and yes real slow. weird?

LeslieH... I would say they are hard.

ColeBC · 04/14/2006, 03:02 PM

I did a web search on forams but I wasn't able to find anything that would match those round discs.
Still a mystery to me.
They didn't seem to do anything bad to anyone and I was sad to see them gone.

LeslieH · 04/14/2006, 06:03 PM

They're forams. Take a look here:
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php#fs

ColeBC · 04/14/2006, 06:47 PM

That's a really cool site. Thanks LeslieH.
They are forams for sure
I couldn't find pics like those earlier.

I wonder why they died in my tank.

LeslieH · 04/14/2006, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ColeBC
[B]That's a really cool site. Thanks LeslieH.
They are forams for sure
I couldn't find pics like those earlier.
/B]

It is a really nice site. If you're going to use it for id just keep in mind that like most sites that id photos without animals for confirmation (& for the most part their id work is done by non-specialists) mistakes do occur.

ColeBC · 04/14/2006, 11:11 PM

LeslieH, I should have asked you about phoronids.I had 2 of them in my tank. I didn't know how to feed them etc and it was so difficult to find good info on them.
They lived or live (?) in my tube anemones tube. The anemone got so big that now it's impossible to see if I still have the phoronids.

LeslieH · 04/15/2006, 12:10 AM

Sounds like you have/had Phoronis australis which lives only in cerianthid tube anemone tubes. According to Ron Shimek's book "Marine Invertebrates" they feed on particulates, bacterial aggregates, etc. from the water...."Such foods cannot be added but may be generated internally via a good functional sand bed."

Siklid · 04/15/2006, 12:41 AM

LeslieH, thank you for posting that site its great

Brent Thomann · 04/18/2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieH
They're forams. Take a look here:
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php#fs

yes, thats definitely it. So from what I gather, they are harmless.

LeslieH · 04/18/2006, 08:47 PM

Yes, harmless as far as anyone knows. I suppose the only danger is that they might become a nuisance overgrowing things. I wonder if anyone has experienced this?

04/14/2006, 01:39 AM	#1
Brent Thomann Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: T. Tonawanda, NY Posts: 1,825	Please Help identify - Flat Worm Maybe? - pics I recently notice these flat circular things throughout the tank and they move around. Think I first saw one on a new piece of live rock I added from the LFS. Any suggestions? What should/can I do about them? Greatly Appreciated, Brent photo-

04/14/2006, 12:41 PM	#2
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	Flatworms are never that circular. Are they hard or soft to the touch? If hard they may be forams. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

04/14/2006, 06:03 PM	#7
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	They're forams. Take a look here: http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php#fs __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

04/15/2006, 12:10 AM	#11
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	Sounds like you have/had Phoronis australis which lives only in cerianthid tube anemone tubes. According to Ron Shimek's book "Marine Invertebrates" they feed on particulates, bacterial aggregates, etc. from the water...."Such foods cannot be added but may be generated internally via a good functional sand bed." __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

04/15/2006, 12:41 AM	#12
Siklid Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 177	LeslieH, thank you for posting that site its great __________________ pic whore #1 up the pictures

04/14/2006, 01:10 PM	#3
andiruleu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 631	i think their just pieces from the sand.. i get that stuck on my rocks and walls too..

04/14/2006, 01:13 PM	#4
ColeBC Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 212	I used to have those too. The center is white and they have brown stripes? They were always moving around my tank...slowly though. After a few months they just vanished.

04/14/2006, 03:02 PM	#6
ColeBC Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 212	I did a web search on forams but I wasn't able to find anything that would match those round discs. Still a mystery to me. They didn't seem to do anything bad to anyone and I was sad to see them gone.

04/14/2006, 06:47 PM	#8
ColeBC Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 212	That's a really cool site. Thanks LeslieH. They are forams for sure I couldn't find pics like those earlier. I wonder why they died in my tank.

04/14/2006, 11:11 PM	#10
ColeBC Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 212	LeslieH, I should have asked you about phoronids.I had 2 of them in my tank. I didn't know how to feed them etc and it was so difficult to find good info on them. They lived or live (?) in my tube anemones tube. The anemone got so big that now it's impossible to see if I still have the phoronids.

04/18/2006, 08:47 PM	#14
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	Yes, harmless as far as anyone knows. I suppose the only danger is that they might become a nuisance overgrowing things. I wonder if anyone has experienced this? __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County