flat worm??

DrayB · Dec 5, 2015

hi all, just going through some of my pics and i cropped into a small part of one of my sps as i noticed a bit of "bleaching" when totally cropped in i noticed these two things that although look similar to the sps...are not. what are they? and are these that are causing the dead area?
the two spots in question are just above the polyp and just ti the right of the polyp .
thanks in advance

Rob.D · Dec 5, 2015

They certainly look like AEFW's....

DrayB · Dec 6, 2015

some better pics....

reefwiser · Dec 6, 2015

Yikee's
http://www.melevsreef.com/node/650

Prairie Dog · Dec 6, 2015

Flatworms. There was a thread just last week about removal techniques.

Brian Kim · Dec 6, 2015

Flatworm Exit made by Salifert seems to work pretty well....here's a video check 2:19

JMLewis · Dec 7, 2015

Brian Kim said:
Flatworm Exit made by Salifert seems to work pretty well....here's a video check 2:19

Wow crazy video!

Brian Kim · Dec 7, 2015

lol, yeah a bit disgusting

DrayB · Dec 7, 2015

thanks :) seen that one, ill leave that as a last resort as I've seen that tangs don't fair too well with that treatment...either the chemical or the overload of toxins given off by the flat worm itself seems to kill them off.
if i am going to do that ill remove as much LR as i can and treat them separately, and then run 2 rectors with carbon as well as filling both my filter socks with carbon. ill also blast off the rocks still in the tank as i can and scoop them up with a net. can't think of anything else i can do without stripping the whole tank down.

twilliard · Dec 7, 2015

AEFW is not of the same family as red planaria.
So the use of FWE may be ineffective

Tahoe61 · Dec 7, 2015

You might consider use of a Pipe Fish, if this type of fish fits in your current set up style ie: areas of lower flow and not other overly aggressive fish.

Pipe fish, some Wrasses and some Damsels will readily eat the AEFW once trained to do so. You simple blow the flatworms off the surface of the acropora and rock work prior to feeding the tank, let the fish go just a tad hungry until they get the idea. It's not the a cure all by any means, but some hobbyist use this method. It's an alternative to the other much more invasive interventions.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 7, 2015

The flatworms in the Flatworm Exit video are Convolutriloba. The genus the OP has is Convolutriloba as well, so the FWE would work for them. (I'm not saying to use it, as I've never looked into the stuff). The OP doesn't have what we have come to coin as AEFW.

Tahoe61 · Dec 7, 2015

Was not convinced as to the ID as well. First there seem to be a good number of the FW on the rock surface, second the ones on the acropora tissue are just not the right color, shape or size.