Coralline?

[joro]

The past week or so these white spots have been popping up all over my tank (primarily just on the rocks), is this the beggining of coralline or something else I should be concerned with?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Coralline is purple, pink, green and red. White spots could be from astrina stars eating the coralline?

 

[143MPCo]

They look like planaria, do they move?

 

[joro]

Coralline is purple, pink, green and red. White spots could be from astrina stars eating the coralline?

I have over 100+ pounds of rock and most of it is covered in these spots. Would that much be done in a week or so since I started noticing it? It almost looks the begging growth of something which is why I was thinking coralline but may be

They look like planaria, do they move?

I haven't noticed them moving but I can watch a little closer when I get home tonight to confirm

 

[joro]

Double post, sorry!

 

[reeferfoxx]

I have over 100+ pounds of rock and most of it is covered in these spots. Would that much be done in a week or so since I started noticing it? It almost looks the begging growth of something which is why I was thinking coralline but may be



I haven't noticed them moving but I can watch a little closer when I get home tonight to confirm

Oh ok. The images is kind of hard to see. The asterina stars in my tank eat the coralline off the rocks an leave an almost white bare spot. Not really sure now, what might be going on in your tank.

 

[joro]

Alright, so I took a video which may give a better idea of what it looks like. While I was filming the video, I noticed on the glass a similarly-shaped object that had this red stripe through it. I attached a pic of that and apologies for the blurriness, the iPhone isn't the best at macro shots :D

 

[reeferfoxx]

:eek: Flatworms!

 

[joro]

:eek: Flatworms!

Yikes, are these harmful to fish/corals? Also do you think that's what is all over the rocks as well or is that something else? o_O

 

[reeferfoxx]

Yikes, are these harmful to fish/corals? Also do you think that's what is all over the rocks as well or is that something else? o_O

Look like Red Planaria. Not coral eating but they grow to exponential numbers. Eventually smothering everything.

http://www.ronshimek.com/flatworms.html

 

[143MPCo]

They feed on rotifers, phytoplankton, can grow out of control if unchecked or removed, their bodies can smother corals and starve them for light. If they get to the point of overpopulating the tank and die suddenly all at once, that a bigger issue is the toxin they release at death can cause further deaths even wiping out your tank.

I have had good luck using H2O2 to shock them loose (doesn't kill them in the right amount) and using a power-head to blow them off and down the overflow to a filter sock.

@twilliard can you provide over-view of the process please?

 

[treedog5]

Wow, if all those spots are flat worms you are in serious trouble. Yes flatworms are harmful to reef tanks, do a quick google search and you can find countless topics on them.

 

[reeferfoxx]

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/651

 

[joro]

It looks like wrasses are a good natural control? I have an exquisite fairy that is getting ready to come out of QT, will he eat them?

 

[twilliard]

They feed on rotifers, phytoplankton, can grow out of control if unchecked or removed, their bodies can smother corals and starve them for light. If they get to the point of overpopulating the tank and die suddenly all at once, that a bigger issue is the toxin they release at death can cause further deaths even wiping out your tank.

I have had good luck using H2O2 to shock them loose (doesn't kill them in the right amount) and using a power-head to blow them off and down the overflow to a filter sock.

@twilliard can you provide over-view of the process please?

Yes indeed h2o2 can be used to aid in the removal of flatworm with zero harm to the tank. Also this process does not kill the flatworm so no worries of released toxins.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/peroxide-and-the-use-against-flatworm.228032/

 

[reeferfoxx]

It looks like wrasses are a good natural control? I have an exquisite fairy that is getting ready to come out of QT, will he eat them?

Yellow wrasse.