Critter/ pest id? On acros and LPS Video attached

[vdubers]

Hi I have noticed these strange critters. Almost look like little flatworms but move like copepods they are dark red towards black to look at under blue lights.

I think they are causing some tissue recession at the base of my acros and my candy cane coral? Or they may not be a pest and the recession is something else.

I am dosing phytoplankton and have noticed an explosion of copepods.

I have attached a picture and video you can see the movement in the first video it’s not sped up so they seem pretty fast.
Thanks

 

[IKD]

Planaria / flat worms. Several treatments available but definitely want to treat as they will spread. You can dip your coral for immediate relief.

How to eliminate Flatworms (Red Planaria) | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

 

[vdubers]

Planaria / flat worms. Several treatments available but definitely want to treat as they will spread. You can dip your coral for immediate relief.

How to eliminate Flatworms (Red Planaria) | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

Thanks so doing some reading it seems they don’t directly harm corals as in eat them? In which case my recession may be something else and I am hoping my wrasses will stop the planaria getting out of control.

I am planning to add a mandarin too soon so fingers crossed that will also help with the planaria. I’m reluctant to use flatworm exit before more research/ exhausting other options.

 

[Matt Bravo]

They don’t directly harm coral but eventually you will have a lot of them. Make sure you take action asap. A few solutions could be
1.natural predators like sixline wrasse, mandarin goby, damsels (I think) and Blue velvet nudibranch.
2) use chemicals, I think salifert has a treatment called flatworm exit or something along those lines

Whatever you do, make sure you do it before problem gets out of hand

 

[vdubers]

Thanks I am going to have a go at the natural way first while I think about the chemical route.