EEFW… ugh… battle thread

[Lemons]

Well i guess it was about time something screwy happened in my tank, euphyllia eating flatworms have decided to make my life difficult.

anyone have any dip suggestions that work best? I used Coral RX and barely seemed to phase the larger ones. I had to scrape and force the ones off in bucket…

I do live in canada so not alot of options that aren’t just “hopes and dreams” in a bottle lol. I have read Revive works somewhat, so that’s where I’ll be starting my dip treatment.


I have roughly 8 torch colonies that will need to be thoroughly inspected and dipped every few days, for at least 6-8+ weeks. F u n : )))

Also anyone ever actually eradicated these buggers?? As opposed to just decreasing their numbers to non-noticeable amounts only for them to pop back up a month down the line

 

[lynn.reef.nerd]

Believe it or not, they are actually NOT bad in terms of pests.

I use coral rx and/or KCl salt.

Dip every 3-4 days and watch for eggs. Scrub the eggs.

usually good to go about 2 months in. Most important part is to scrub off the eggs that will generally be at the base of the heads.

 

[useer10202820]

fought them early last year. Iodine was what I used. I would dip and use a turkey baster to blow them off. From there I used brightwell restor with an amino acid of choice to feed them. Would repeat every 5 days for 4-5 weeks until I did not see worms or eggs. From there did one more and then watched and continued till I was done. I think after the 7th week I was done.

Get a pair of glasses like these to assist with finding the eggs. Little %$(#*%)#'s. Feel free to msg for more detail.

 

[jkcoral]

You have a battle on your hands, but it’s one you can win. When did you first notice these guys? I got my first experience when one decided to hitchhike on a new torch a few years ago and didn’t fall off during my normal dip.

Coral RX will work, and what I ultimately ended up using. I found that any dip I tried did not make them fall off on their own, but more so “stunned” them making them easier to remove.

The most important part is carefully inspecting your corals for the egg sacks. You’ll need to dip them and be sure to remove the eggs with a toothbrush. And from there just continue to check and check and check again for eggs every time you dip over a few weeks.

Edit: I was typing this as others responded above. The other comments were spot on.

 

[Lemons]

fought them early last year. Iodine was what I used. I would dip and use a turkey baster to blow them off. From there I used brightwell restor with an amino acid of choice to feed them. Would repeat every 5 days for 4-5 weeks until I did not see worms or eggs. From there did one more and then watched and continued till I was done. I think after the 7th week I was done.

Get a pair of glasses like these to assist with finding the eggs. Little %$(#*%)#'s. Feel free to msg for more detail.

Ahh yea kinda like a pseudo KFC dip! I have a lovely flashlight holder ( my girlfriend lol) and one of those head lamp lights, she calls it the reefing headband lol

 

[Lemons]

You have a battle on your hands, but it’s one you can win. When did you first notice these guys? I got my first experience when one decided to hitchhike on a new torch a few years ago and didn’t fall off during my normal dip.

Coral RX will work, and what I ultimately ended up using. I found that any dip I tried did not make them fall off on their own, but more so “stunned” them making them easier to remove.

The most important part is carefully inspecting your corals for the egg sacks. You’ll need to dip them and be sure to remove the eggs with a toothbrush. And from there just continue to check and check and check again for eggs every time you dip over a few weeks.

Edit: I was typing this as others responded above. The other comments were spot on.

I first noticed it because my LFS said they were having a snafu with what I thought was someone who was trying to put the blame on them for internet coral shopping… but i guess i was wrong. So very very wrong

*edit*
my torches were doing fine prior to me finding these goobers. But my reefer paranoia had me check every torch after the lights went out.

and yea i heard this about the torches i had gotten from them back at the beginning of February

and i do dip/ inspect every addition that goes into my display.

1. coral RX dip
2. Wash fresh SW
3. 3% Peroxide dip, 10ml/ gallon
4. Rinse

and in between every step i inspect the coral, but i guess this time i missed an egg or something :/

 

[brandon429]

those aren't spirorbid worms on the coral skeletons? the ones that form on glass/rock surfaces/little red fans come out

 

[jkcoral]

I first noticed it because my LFS said they were having a snafu with what I thought was someone who was trying to put the blame on them for internet coral shopping… but i guess i was wrong. So very very wrong

It’s a bummer, but these things come in on the imported colonies. Only thing you can do is be hyper vigilant when adding euphyllia in the future because these little buggers can slip through dips (because they become a little stunned but don’t fall off) and even if there isn’t a worm, the eggs can survive dipping and make it into your tank before hatching.

I’m not sure what fish you have, but adding a wrasse (like a yellow coris) might be useful and offer a little insurance in the future.

 

[Lemons]

those aren't spirorbid worms on the coral skeletons? the ones that form on glass/rock surfaces/little red fans come out

Yea i got a few spirorbid worms on there too but those don’t matter too much, i just kinda smush em when i find em.

 

[Lemons]

It’s a bummer, but these things come in on the imported colonies. Only thing you can do is be hyper vigilant when adding euphyllia in the future because these little buggers can slip through dips (because they become a little stunned but don’t fall off) and even if there isn’t a worm, the eggs can survive dipping and make it into your tank before hatching.

I’m not sure what fish you have, but adding a wrasse (like a yellow coris) might be useful and offer a little insurance in the future.

My tank is very lightly stocked as I actually had my sps all RTN and nuke my past tank (bryopsis treatment went wrong)

so i only currently have my hippo and a yellow headed tilefish. Was gonna try to add an oreni too. But that has been put to the back burner until i can get this sorted.

no wrasse yet as I do like to have them pre-QT’d but my local QT guy is having a hard time getting the coris to make it :/

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well i guess it was about time something screwy happened in my tank, euphyllia eating flatworms have decided to make my life difficult.

anyone have any dip suggestions that work best? I used Coral RX and barely seemed to phase the larger ones. I had to scrape and force the ones off in bucket…

I do live in canada so not alot of options that aren’t just “hopes and dreams” in a bottle lol. I have read Revive works somewhat, so that’s where I’ll be starting my dip treatment.


I have roughly 8 torch colonies that will need to be thoroughly inspected and dipped every few days, for at least 6-8+ weeks. F u n : )))

Also anyone ever actually eradicated these buggers?? As opposed to just decreasing their numbers to non-noticeable amounts only for them to pop back up a month down the line

Looks like planaria flatworms. While they are not harmful as red planaria, they in numbers can smother bases of coral and block the needed light for production of zooxanthellae which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard (see pic)
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

With the number you have, for the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future acoels. Eggs are really tiny

 

[brandon429]

I've never seen those as harmful before. I was trying to find the other flatworms you mentioned in the pics to see what they look like I'll do a pinch zoom

 

[Lemons]

I've never seen those as harmful before. I was trying to find the other flatworms you mentioned in the pics to see what they look like I'll do a pinch zoom

This is one little guy next to the coral colony. I got what i could find off and in the bucket. The smaller guys blend in

 

[Lemons]

Well even with the lights out the torches seem to be fairly alright.. however removal and inspection is mandatory…

*edit* hopefully dismounting them/ relocating to a easier dipping set up won’t cause anymore undo stress

 

[brandon429]

ok thank you I had truly never seen one, want to know what to pre scan from lfs corals thank you.

 

[Lemons]

ok thank you I had truly never seen one, want to know what to pre scan from lfs corals thank you.

Yea the smaller guy i would say could be a “ghost flatworm” which are believed to be harmless. However the small guy and this large guy were nestled into the flesh boundary on the torch…

 

[brandon429]

I lost a ten year old acan specimen not long ago due to a unique boring white sponge which lined its polyp, exactly like dental gum line decay, and when I picked it clean to try and save the frag acidified areas of the attachment lip would just wash out like mud, truly boring sponge. so infective I threw it out, can't risk that in my main rocks. I try to learn new visual inspection tricks for incoming items so it's nice to see these to add into the watch mix

 

[Christian0505]

Looks like planaria flatworms. While they are not harmful as red planaria, they in numbers can smother bases of coral and block the needed light for production of zooxanthellae which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard (see pic)
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

With the number you have, for the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future acoels. Eggs are really tiny

How do you know the difference? I found flatworms on my hamers yesterday too. I had some flatworms on my goniopora’s too a few months ago. I dipped them once and never saw them again on the gonis…

 

[Bucs20fan]

While you have a battle, you have a great grasp on this task and tons of good info here. The best part is it appears you caught it early before serious damage occurred. At the rate you caught it and are taking action, I doubt you lose a single one.

 

[Lemons]

I lost a ten year old acan specimen not long ago due to a unique boring white sponge which lined it's polyp, exactly like dental gum line decay, and when I picked it clean to try and save the frag acidified areas of the attachment lip would just wash out like mud, truly boring sponge. so infective I threw it out, can't risk that in my main rocks. I try to learn new visual inspection tricks for incoming items so it's nice to see these to add into the watch mix

That sucks man! I wish nature wasn’t so brutally efficient