Flat Worms

Cichlid Dad · Jun 25, 2024

Well, nothing in life is free, I was given a chunk of hammer coral off of an old huge colony a while buck and stuck it in my refuge to get it healthy. I put it in my main display this weekend ( no I didn't dip) and came home to infestation in my tank. Need some advice and ID if possible.

Never thought it would be me. Thanks in advance

Rjukan · Jun 25, 2024

Cichlid Dad said:
Well, nothing in life is free, I was given a chunk of hammer coral off of an old huge colony a while buck and stuck it in my refuge to get it healthy. I put it in my main display this weekend ( no I didn't dip) and came home to infestation in my tank. Need some advice and ID if possible.

Never thought it would be me. Thanks in advance

Looking like red planeria to me, sorry man.
It's early on, and not infestation yet. Flatworm exit will be a safe bet. I never used it, I went with the blue velvet nudi in my pfp many years ago when I was dealing with it. But from what I've read people have had a lot of success with FWE when the numbers are low like yours.

EricR · Jun 25, 2024

Oh man,,, that sucks.
My only question is -- why "no dip",,, not that it necessarily would've solved this (if eggs at the time), but at least it's easy to do as "something"?

DDenny · Jun 25, 2024

Looks like Red Planaria flat worms but might need a closer picture. Maybe flat worm exit by Salifert if you want to go that direction. Not sure of any predators. I’m sure someone will chime in soon that know more about th than I do.

Cichlid Dad · Jun 25, 2024

EricR said:
Oh man,,, that sucks.
My only question is -- why "no dip",,, not that it necessarily would've solved this (eggs), but at least it's easy to do as "something"?

My fault. I should have

Townes_Van_Camp · Jun 25, 2024

Please try to handle them with predation. Flat worm exit sounds painless. Both times I have used it. It has slowed alk/cal uptake and peeled the skin off of a coral. A pink tip palletta and a leprechauns beard.

Cichlid Dad · Jun 25, 2024

My question, I have a 120 I'm getting ready now and enough live rock in reserve and new sand coming . Is there any way to safely put these coral in a new tank? I know the answer I am just hoping

EricR · Jun 25, 2024

Well, there's always that ___fill-in-blank___ wrasse that you've always wanted.
*I shouldn't even say that since I don't have any,,, but...

Jesse Sunday · Feb 26, 2025

Cichlid Dad said:
... and stuck it in my refuge to get it healthy. I put it in my main display this weekend ...

So, were the flatworms in the refugium but didn't make their way to the DT before you moved the piece?

I ask this since I have a sump/fuge fullllllllll of red planaria flatworms but none in my DT. I just figured something in the DT eats any that make their way up?

Crabs McJones · Feb 26, 2025

Agree with Red Planaria unfortunately :frowning-face:

BryanM · Feb 26, 2025

While it is likely the hammer, I would be poking around in that fuge to make sure you don't have an infestation there.

Cichlid Dad · Feb 26, 2025

Jesse Sunday said:
So, were the flatworms in the refugium but didn't make their way to the DT before you moved the piece?

I ask this since I have a sump/fuge fullllllllll of red planaria flatworms but none in my DT. I just figured something in the DT eats any that make their way up?

They never made it to the display. I ended up getting a 6 line and he took care of them

Domreef15 · Feb 26, 2025

Cichlid Dad said:
Well, nothing in life is free, I was given a chunk of hammer coral off of an old huge colony a while buck and stuck it in my refuge to get it healthy. I put it in my main display this weekend ( no I didn't dip) and came home to infestation in my tank. Need some advice and ID if possible.

Never thought it would be me. Thanks in advance

I battled these exact flatwoms for for the last month and I overcame it.
Strangely the several flatworm exit treatments were not what eradicated them from my tank but it was rather the introduction of a blue damsel. Usually these fish aren't known to eat them but I guess I got lucky? There's not one in sight.

My experience with flatworm exit: It worked temporarily for clearing most of them out along with siphoning out as many as I could off the glass with airline tubing, but after a few days it they were back in the exact same numbers. If your tank is big enough I'd consider the natural approach (aka a fish or nudibranch that will eat them.) I feel this is the only way to truly solve this problem because even if 1 or 2 of them survive the flatworm exit treatment, they’re going to come back in the same numbers.