Help help Leopard Polyclad Flatworm big as my hand.

[jordan10]

Hey so the other night I seen this and it scared the crap out me. I was wondering why my snails kepts coming up missing.

Tonight I got this pic and after I hit him with the tweezers but it was so far in the rocks because it is so big. I ended up ripping some of it in pieces. Do you think it will die?

I can't take the rock out because it's at the bottom of the structure. Idk what kinda trap you would use on it.

Any help would be appreciated

Ps. I have 2 nice clams that I am worried about

Critter Identification: Leopard Polyclad Flatworms – First Time Fish Keeper

Flatworms come in a range of colours, species, threat levels, swimming varieties, and some can look so exotic that you may secretly wish for an infestation. The Leopard Polyclad Flatworm, is not a species you would wish for in your aquarium.

firsttimemarinekeeper.com

 

[homer1475]

Nope won't die, you have to get it all.

This is one that was in my tank for a couple years. Never knew it was in there until I woke up one morning and it was stuck to the side of the glass.

This thing is about the size of a dinner plate!

I luckily got mine out in one swoop, but it was like picking up a giant ball of snot! It just fell apart when I tried to pick it up with my feeding tongs.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I wonder if you could just siphon it out

 

[homer1475]

I wonder if you could just siphon it out

The way that large one in my tank was, you probably could. The main body(large whiter section) was somewhat stiff, but would still fit in a 1/2" hose. The "skirt" was more like snot for lack of a better term.

 

[jordan10]

Nope won't die, you have to get it all.

This is one that was in my tank for a couple years. Never knew it was in there until I woke up one morning and it was stuck to the side of the glass.

This thing is about the size of a dinner plate!

I luckily got mine out in one swoop, but it was like picking up a giant ball of snot! It just fell apart when I tried to pick it up with my feeding tongs.

Yea when I pulled my tongs out it was like snot dripping off them. And yes the one I have is huge I have only seen it twice. And I think the only way I going be able to get it out is if I get lucky and see it on my acrylic. They are so friggin nasty looking.

 

[jordan10]

I wonder if you could just siphon it out

Maybe if I ever see the hole thing out of the rock work. It's big

 

[jordan10]

Are these common or just luck of the draw?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Are these common or just luck of the draw?

I’ve had them for like 10 years. Every 2-3 years I find a huge one on the glass. I remove it and think how did that thing live 2-3 years un noticed. Then 2-3 years later another one. Happen to me 4-5x already. Have not added live rock in like 12 years and when I did it was all from the ocean. Everything else gets dipped before putting into tank

 

[jordan10]

I’ve had them for like 10 years. Every 2-3 years I find a huge one on the glass. I remove it and think how did that thing live 2-3 years un noticed. Then 2-3 years later another one. Happen to me 4-5x already. Have not added live rock in like 12 years and when I did it was all from the ocean. Everything else gets dipped before putting into tank

Yea that's crazy. I hoping I see it on the glass because I think that only way I going get it out. And yea something that big has been in tank a while. How did you remove it from the tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nope won't die, you have to get it all.

This is one that was in my tank for a couple years. Never knew it was in there until I woke up one morning and it was stuck to the side of the glass.

This thing is about the size of a dinner plate!

I luckily got mine out in one swoop, but it was like picking up a giant ball of snot! It just fell apart when I tried to pick it up with my feeding tongs.

Ive heard of these getting large in the wild - but Wow
Using a plastic spatula for frying, scrape off into a net and toilet or freezer,

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Yea that's crazy. I hoping I see it on the glass because I think that only way I going get it out. And yea something that big has been in tank a while. How did you remove it from the tank?

I use long tweezers and when I grab it I twirl the tweezers to get all the snot to wrap around tweezers then bring to top and have a cup ready to take it out. Because when you Take from water you don’t want to drop any back

 

[jordan10]

I use long tweezers and when I grab it I twirl the tweezers to get all the snot to wrap around tweezers then bring to top and have a cup ready to take it out. Because when you Take from water you don’t want to drop any back

U think if any drops back in it will make another?

 

[jordan10]

I use long tweezers and when I grab it I twirl the tweezers to get all the snot to wrap around tweezers then bring to top and have a cup ready to take it out. Because when you Take from water you don’t want to drop any back

And do or did u have clams in ur system?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

And do or did u have clams in ur system?

No clams but 30-40,000$ worth or corals. Didn’t seem to bother any that I know of. The Eunice worm I removed was a different story….

 

[jordan10]

No clams but 30-40,000$ worth or corals. Didn’t seem to bother any that I know of. The Eunice worm I removed was a different story….

Right. I haven't noticed it not doing anything with corals. From what I read just snails and clams and from what I seen this morning. "It after it ate that snail" I can't stop thinking about my clams I have had one little over 3 years and one 3 to 4months

 

[homer1475]

From my research, the very large ones like i had, like euphyllia.

I lost every euphyllia I had(2 hammers, 3 torchs, 2 frogspawns, 2 octospawns), and only when they were all gone, did I find this guy on the glass.

 

[jordan10]

From my research, the very large ones like i had, like euphyllia.

I lost every euphyllia I had(2 hammers, 3 torchs, 2 frogspawns, 2 octospawns), and only when they were all gone, did I find this guy on the glass.

Huh I have look into that more. Didn't read anything about that. I have some nice torches. Thanks for the info

 

[homer1475]

Yeah slowly lost one head at a time, till they were all gone. I thought BJD, maybe algae, who knew. It wasn't all of them at a time, this took close to a year to loose them all.

 

[jordan10]

Yeah slowly lost one head at a time, till they were all gone. I thought BJD, maybe algae, who knew. It wasn't all of them at a time, this took close to a year to loose them all.

Dang got me real scared now. Thinking might be time for some new Rock work. Idk. Person at my lfs store suggested maybe trying Flatworm X I think she called it. Any one think that would flush it out of hiding?

 

[mark12890]

Flatworm x doesn't work on these guys I have them two and already lost a hammer and octo them I'm still trying to figure out a way to get rid of them without shutting down