How to Prevent Hitchhikers?

[NYBumkin]

I brought home a cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp, emerald crab, 2 astrea snails, 2 nassirus and 2 margarita snails. Now, I see a tiny, I'm thinking its a pumpkin flatworm and a real tiny worm of some kind. The worm is half red and half yellow, kind of like a gummy worm (candy).

The tank is very new, and I only have 5 other snails in there before this addition. Didn't see any of this until today (new stock was added yesterday).

My assumption is this stuff came in on some of those critters. I don't have any coral yet and I have my first fish in seperate quarantine tanks in another room.

What should I be doing with inverts to prevent bringing this stuff into my tank? And now that I have them, how do I get rid of them? I can get these two out super easy, but I assume where theres one....

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Spare time]

To prevent them, I wipe off the shells of snails and hermits with a paper towel before I put them in the tank. you could also dip the shell in fresh water just by holding them (just don't get it on the inside of the shell obviously), stuff should fall off. Wrasses typically eat those kinds of things too if you don't have one of those. Some people make tiny CUC qt tanks but I tend to find that overkill.

As for getting rid of them, I am not sure other than a wrasse. If you post a picture or an ID post on it you may get an answer

 

[coralAdd1ct]

Put them in QT for a month. Run UV and make sure you dont see any pests.

 

[NYBumkin]

Put them in QT for a month. Run UV and make sure you dont see any pests.

UV on the quarantine tank?!?

 

[NYBumkin]

To prevent them, I wipe off the shells of snails and hermits with a paper towel before I put them in the tank. you could also dip the shell in fresh water just by holding them (just don't get it on the inside of the shell obviously), stuff should fall off. Wrasses typically eat those kinds of things too if you don't have one of those. Some people make tiny CUC qt tanks but I tend to find that overkill.

As for getting rid of them, I am not sure other than a wrasse. If you post a picture or an ID post on it you may get an answer

Thanks! A wrasse is on the list...but I am quarantining the fish for like 6 weeks so he is several months out. He will have some snacks when he arrives :p

 

[coralAdd1ct]

UV on the quarantine tank?!?

I always run UV on my QT for fish and inverts. Most invert pests have a free floating larvae phase. It certainly cant hurt to.

 

[NYBumkin]

To prevent them, I wipe off the shells of snails and hermits with a paper towel before I put them in the tank. you could also dip the shell in fresh water just by holding them (just don't get it on the inside of the shell obviously), stuff should fall off. Wrasses typically eat those kinds of things too if you don't have one of those. Some people make tiny CUC qt tanks but I tend to find that overkill.

As for getting rid of them, I am not sure other than a wrasse. If you post a picture or an ID post on it you may get an answer

Have two fish in my cart at TSM Aquatics...6 line wrasse is one...seems their fish are good for a drip acclimation and add. So he and a hawkfish will be coming my way!

 

[Spare time]

Have two fish in my cart at TSM Aquatics...6 line wrasse is one...seems their fish are good for a drip acclimation and add. So he and a hawkfish will be coming my way!

six line, coris, and melanarus are great at pest eating