Polyclad Flatworm (P.Mopsus) The Clam Killer

[reef life]

If you see one you might be surprised how many you have! I have removed 6 from my reef so far and seen another about 3 wks ago eating another snail. It makes cleaning 180 reef tank a lot harder with only a few snails. I guess i'll make a trap also.

 

[alberthiel]

If you see one you might be surprised how many you have! I have removed 6 from my reef so far and seen another about 3 wks ago eating another snail. It makes cleaning 180 reef tank a lot harder with only a few snails. I guess i'll make a trap also.

Indeed and then there are the egg masses that may develop in more and some may have split depending on species so, IMO, you really need to keep looking really carefully at night especially for what you see, and take out whatever you can. Siphoning out with a wide hose is probably the easiest way to get them so they do not break up.

Not that it is not a good idea to use tweezers as they break up real easily and you'll end up with two, or if you get a part of one out, the one that remains in the tank will just regrow ... it is IME a real slow process to get them all but if you are persistent you will eventually get them all. Good luck ..

 

[alberthiel]

Sorry, 1 inch long flatworms of some kind. I'll keep an eye on the tank and see if I can find the killer.

Yes do keep looking as usually if you have one you may find that there are plenty more ... and usually you will only see them at night after the lights have been out for a while ... and using a flashlight with a red cover over it, plastic or so, is best so they don't scurry away and go back into hiding due to the light from a regular flashlight. Good luck catching them all.

 

[alberthiel]

Awesome thread. I've spotted a 5+in long polyclad flatworm in my tank. I've spent countless hours at night looking for the SOB again. Guess its time for the 20oz bottle with a feeder clam trick. Sucks about how its not good to run GFO on a tank with a clam because I was looking to get one as my next tank livestock purchase. Glad I read this before hand.

5 inch ... are you sure that was a polyclad worm and not some kind of other worm ... how wide was it would you say?

On the GFO ... it can put iron in the water and the parasitic protozoan Perkinsus olseni and P. marinus thrive on those and multiply based on a number of authors and as they increase in numbers they end up killing the clam if you have any infestation to begin with.

 

[gobeach]

So glad I was browsing articles. I've seen at least one in my tank at night. I wasn't sure what it was until I read this article. I've been losing snails left and right. I've been blaming the hermits, who have been benefiting from the empties. I'm happy to know the hermits aren't murderers, but now I have to track this sucker(s) down.

I should use store bought clam as bait? The only placeive seen the worm was deep in a crevice of my rock.

 

[MBG75]

So it's safe to dip a clam in Bayer?

 

[GuyWalker1219]

So glad I was browsing articles. I've seen at least one in my tank at night. I wasn't sure what it was until I read this article. I've been losing snails left and right. I've been blaming the hermits, who have been benefiting from the empties. I'm happy to know the hermits aren't murderers, but now I have to track this sucker(s) down.

I should use store bought clam as bait? The only placeive seen the worm was deep in a crevice of my rock.

I used feeder clams from the pet store

So it's safe to dip a clam in Bayer?

Yes sir follow mine or Mr. Thiels directions from above and you should be fine.

 

[RalphsReef]

Let me ask this; if one has these flatworms, and the flatworms eliminate all clams and snails, will the flatworms eventually die off due to starvation (similar to berghia nudis only eating aiptasia)? Or do they find other food sources? I am thinking if they starve, one could leave their tank without a food source to eradicate the problem.

 

[alberthiel]

Let me ask this; if one has these flatworms, and the flatworms eliminate all clams and snails, will the flatworms eventually die off due to starvation (similar to berghia nudis only eating aiptasia)? Or do they find other food sources? I am thinking if they starve, one could leave their tank without a food source to eradicate the problem.

Not guaranteed as some sources indicate that they may be opportunistic feeders and therefore infest other corals but even if the aquarium is fallow of clams and snails it is said in literature that they will find something to feed on and no one seems to really know how long they can survive without clams or snails or other corals in the tank, and of course the issue is that hobbyists do have other life forms in their tanks and so the Flatworm may very well survive and multiply.

 

[GuyWalker1219]

Here's a video I ran across of a big flatworm.
[video=youtube;o1m0EWnQr1U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1m0EWnQr1U&list=UURCaJt4rKRmu7ig8CdGpwNQ& index=106[/video]

 

[alberthiel]

Here's a video I ran across of a big flatworm.
[video=youtube;o1m0EWnQr1U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1m0EWnQr1U&list=UURCaJt4rKRmu7ig8CdGpwNQ& index=106[/video]

Thanks for adding that video and yes that is indeed a large one and looks like a "Pseudoceros" one

 

[bsagea]

This is an awesome thread. Great information. I would never have thought you could dip a clam
in Bayer Advanced without killing it.

 

[alberthiel]

This is an awesome thread. Great information. I would never have thought you could dip a clam
in Bayer Advanced without killing it.

My New Book Nano Reef Aquariums has a very long section on large Clams and all the pests and diseases and parasites and predators and on in the Disease and Pest section ...

Albert

 

[Squishie89]

Will this kind of flatworm kill a clam and not eat it? I have had 2 clams die in the past 2 weeks, but were not eaten. I have 2 remaining clams which seem fine, but I am wondering about this flatworm. I know I have some kind of flatworms, most likely the regular kind (white/rusty colored). Should I give my 2 remaining clams dips just in case? Thinking about also setting a trap.

 

[reef life]

Heres some new scary info. I came home this morning to find a mucous layer covered on one of my mini colony Acans. I was able to shake it off in excess water from WC. It survived. Tonight I looked in my tank to see a large Polyclad Flat worm covering the same Acan. It escaped back into Live Rock. I just set a trap and will keep it set until I remove these Creatures for Good! I thought only snails would be my only concern, I never knew they would eat corals. Anyone have info regarding PCFW's eating Coral?

 

[Tahoe61]

Heres some new scary info. I came home this morning to find a mucous layer covered on one of my mini colony Acans. I was able to shake it off in excess water from WC. It survived. Tonight I looked in my tank to see a large Polyclad Flat worm covering the same Acan. It escaped back into Live Rock. I just set a trap and will keep it set until I remove these Creatures for Good! I thought only snails would be my only concern, I never knew they would eat corals. Anyone have info regarding PCFW's eating Coral?

I have heard of Polyclads eating Euphyllias. I would not be surprised in the least if they might also be opportunistic feeders of other LPS.

Excellent thread.

 

[alberthiel]

Heres some new scary info. I came home this morning to find a mucous layer covered on one of my mini colony Acans. I was able to shake it off in excess water from WC. It survived. Tonight I looked in my tank to see a large Polyclad Flat worm covering the same Acan. It escaped back into Live Rock. I just set a trap and will keep it set until I remove these Creatures for Good! I thought only snails would be my only concern, I never knew they would eat corals. Anyone have info regarding PCFW's eating Coral?

There are probably many .... what you may want to try and do is use a RED LED light (see info by clicking on the image in my sig and then on the Store link at the top) and shine that LED when everything else is dark. They will not react to the LED light and you should then be able to see several if there are and siphon them out. Do not try to use tweezers as they will break up in two or more parts that will develop in more Flatworms

The Pest and Flatworm/Parasite section in my book has over 50 pages on all of them and shows pics ... and some can get REALLY large !

 

[alberthiel]

I have heard of Polyclads eating Euphyllias. I would not be surprised in the least if they might also be opportunistic feeders of other LPS.

Excellent thread.

Yes depending on which one you have as there are many different ones besides Phrikoceros ones ... e.g. Pseudoceros, Stylochus and a whole number of others and they are indeed not all obligate to one coral ... they can be opportunistic ... and go for other corals ...

 

[prsnlty]

Great info on both the flatworm (I never heard of and now will watch for) and Bayer Advanced! Since I don't have a real local LFS less than an hour away to get Coral RX the Bayer is readily available in a 5 minute drive away Thanks!

 

[alberthiel]

Great info on both the flatworm (I never heard of and now will watch for) and Bayer Advanced! Since I don't have a real local LFS less than an hour away to get Coral RX the Bayer is readily available in a 5 minute drive away Thanks!

Look especially at night as most of them do not come out during the day ... Looking at your tank when the room is dark and the lights are out with a red LED will let you see what you have in your tank that you may not have know about and often what you see then is often what is not desirable in the tank ...