Bionic flatworms?  12/12/07
Thanks for all the great info. It has been very helpful through the years.
Now to the problem, I know what everyone says about elegance corals, but I have had one in my home tank now going on three years strong. It has almost tripled in size to about the size of a basketball.
<Ah, good>
I had a client come to view my tank and the first thing that he said was I want one of those. I explained to him that it is a very temperamental coral and that we should look to go a different direction. After about two weeks of going back and forth about this coral, we had decided that the best way to go was that he would get my healthy specimen and I would get a new one.
<Generous of you>
So I get the new elegance and put it into quarantine. It was doing very well for about two weeks and then one day I noticed what I thought were some type of flatworms in and around the mouths and tentacles. There is nothing noticeable on stony base of elegance or any other coral in quarantine. I have looked though the sections on your web site and the best answer that I could figure out was that I had some sort of flatworm infestation. I started a regimen of Salifert's Flatworm Exit in its own quarantine tank, but have not noticed any real improvement. They are about an eighth of an inch long, round, whitish in color and tend to form in small congregations like I said either by a mouth or in the tentacles.
<Does read like flatworms...>
I know the description is sort of vague but as I said the only thing that I could find a picture of would suggest some type of flatworm, the pics I tried to take didn't come out good enough to send. The elegance coral doesn't seem to be dying in any sort its exoskeleton is still very much intact, the body still expands during the day but the tentacles don't fill up and expand. I can still see these little critters almost like the Flatworm Exit isn't affecting them (up to 8x normal dosage). I did not know if there was a different direction that I should be going - maybe a different type of anti-parasitic, or maybe these aren't even flatworms. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance-
Scott
<Positions re these pests, their control is posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Flatworms in my reef 11/9/07
Hello crew,
<Matt>
Long time reader, first time posting. I have an invasion of the rust brown flatworms. Sadly as of today I cannot get a good pic of these guys. Now for a bit of a background story. My tank is 46gl bowfront mixed reef about 8 months in with these specs:
75lbs live rock
Prizm skimmer (seems to be doing a fairly good job, hope to upgrade when I get a sump in.)
<Good>
Canister with carbon. (temp until I get my sump in)
T5 lighting
2 O. clowns
1 watchman goby
Various inverts & corals (soft, LPS & some minor SPS)
<Mmm, species?>
Hope this is enough info,.. my test info will be given in a min after I explain why it's not so good :). So anyways in the past few months I have let my tank go and haven't been paying much attention to it. Due to this I would assume I'm getting spanked. I stopped water changes and only did top offs. Well now I'm back in full swing but I seem to have pick up some problems. My Alk has dropped quite a bit,.. the first testing showed it at 5. I now am slowly moving it back up, and it is sitting at 7 as of two days ago. The other test results are as such:
nitrate 0 (this could be so low due to the soft corals and some algae?)
<Yes>
phosphates 0 (this could be so low due to the soft corals and some algae?)
<Ditto>
ph steady 8.2
salinity 1.024
temp 80
calcium 330
<A bit low as well>
Alk 7
So I have been battling these flatworms for a few weeks now, and I wonder if I'm fighting hard enough. All I'm doing at this point is stepping up my water changes and I have changed the flow a bit to cover a broader area.
On the next water change (tomorrow) I'm planning on trying to suck up as many as I see. Is there anything else I should be doing?
<Mmm, yes, possibly>
As of right now I don't really have that great of a nutrient export system except maybe for my forest of Xenia, but I am planning a small refuge in the future. Thanks for any help!
Thanks,
Matthew
<Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Flatworm Question, reading on WWM   6/20/07
Hello WWM,
<Halloooo!>
I was wondering if you knew of any common saltwater fish that will actively eat flatworms off of soft corals, mushrooms, etc. Do the Halichoeres species accommodate that?
<Some species, individuals do>
Copperband b/fly?, peppermint shrimp? What is the best natural cure to rid a tank that has a minor and potentially overwhelming flatworm issue.
Thanks for your response.
Matt
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
 

What the H, E, Double Hockey Sticks is This?   1/8/07 Hi! I was wondering what this is. it is slightly green in color, very flat, no shell, <That you can make out> around 2 inches long and almost as wide. Movement is similar to a snail, almost looks like some sort of Nudibranch. Cannot see eyes, mouth, etc. It's kinda trippy, little freaky!  I have been having problems with margarita and Astrea snails dying, don't know why. I found this creature simply draped over 2 margarita snails in the sand at night, trying to get at them. I think it was feeding on them but not sure. Do you guys know what it is? <Mmm, is it very flat, wavy at the edges? If so, might be a flatworm of some sort... If not, possibly a sea slug of many possibilities...> It is certainly out of my tank! It took some effort to capture, but I was successful. It is currently in a cup with pinhole size holes in it, in a net, in the sump! LOL! I had it in a sealed cup with bigger holes (approx.1/4 inch in diameter). Damn thing escaped within 3 minutes! captured it again. I am gonna bring it to my LFS for identification tomorrow, but not sure if they can help. Attached to this e-mail is the best photo of it. Thank you! <Oh! Does appear to be a Platyhelminth to me. Bob Fenner>

Dugesias tigrina question  4/29/06
Hi I had a lab experiment with Dugesias tigrina.
I cut their heads off and two weeks later they regenerated.
Now I brought them home and am not sure how I can take care of them.
Should I feed them Chicken and egg yolks?
How often should I change their water?
<Mmm, this is the world's largest free-living flatworm... Please read here: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-43,GGLD:en&q=Dugesias+tigrina
I am unfamiliar with the culture of this Platyhelminth.
Bob Fenner>
 

Flatworm ID - 04/19/2006 Hello and greetings from sunny Woodland Hills CA, <Hello.>    Please accept my apologies for not sending this directly through your website link - somehow I managed to type-in the outgoing server information wrong and now I can't seem to correct the format in my computer. <We've gotten it just fine.>    I want to thank you for your website; it is an excellent resource for novices like myself trying to create the most natural environment possible for my marine pets. <Thank you, we're happy to help.>    By way of background, I have been keeping a 40 gallon hex tank the "old school" way (undergravel filter and dead coral skeletons) for years with some success. I recently woke up to the new techniques available and upgraded my tank to live rock (plus protein skimming, vigorous water movement and addition of a 96 W power compact light and UV sterilizer). Unfortunately, I had some trouble along the way keeping water temperature stable and had to remove all my fish to quarantine for Ich treatment. <Ouch!> Right now, I am in week 4 of a (minimum 12 week) fallow period. The tank still contains a small Diadema urchin, two cleaner shrimp, one Peppermint shrimp and a small colony of zoanthids (live rock stowaways) which are all doing very well. Ultimately, I would like to add back a few fish in this tank, plus a small green star polyp colony currently in quarantine (also a live rock stowaway) and maybe some mushroom polyps later. <Ok.>    Due to the stress of having to remove everything to catch and quarantine my fish, the tank had to recycle through its algae cycle. It is through the diatom period and nearing the end of the Cyanobacteria phase. The tank now is going through a hair algae bloom, which is subsiding. Water chemistry is excellent. Now for my question - over the past week or so I have been noticing ever increasing levels of what appear to be small slugs or snails grazing on algae. They are about 5-10 mm long and a translucent white-blue color. They seem to be soft bodied with an internal "shell". Photos are attached. Would you kindly advise if you can help identify and provide any pertinent information. <This is a flatworm. Perhaps Amphiscolops sp.> If this is a reason for concern or fish food later? <Harmless. Here's some more info. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm > They are definitely multiplying pretty fast. <Can reproduce by splitting. They can't really exist in high flow areas though, are they growing quickly in dead flow areas? Likely won't last too long.>    Thanks in advance for your reply. <Hope it helps some.>    Scott (AKA SharkBait) <Josh.>

I Just Did Battle With A Giant Flatworm! Suspended spell and grammar checking fingers!   3/23/06
<Sounds like a great title for a campy sci-fi show!>
Giant Flatworm~ Round One
Carole~ Got A Good Chunk Of Him
Ok so I do recall reading over the years, that these things grow as big as a dinner plate, and are bad bad news.
<Mmm, mostly innocuous>
I found one about the size of my palm over a year ago.
I was just looking in the tank with a flashlight, doing my morning sneak peak at the tank. lights are out} and I see this thing partially sticking out from under a rock.. my heart starts racing. I start to think.. what is the best way to get this thing?
<Siphon>
This one is huge, thinner than a piece of paper, transparent.. but sort of a light greenish yellow. with specks all over
it. So I go get a fine net and a steak knife and I stab this thing the best I can.
<Where are the spaces between your sentences Carole? Argggghhhh>
It started writhing and twisting. I only got about 3" of him.. the rest got away.
<"What's worse than finding a palm-sized worm in your tank? Finding two half-palm sized pieces!">
So, then I am thinking. what makes them so bad? This thing has to have been in the tank for years. Hmmm. only real significant loss has been some snails and a few LPS. So I guess I need to start reading over what I can about them again, because I forget what the deal is. Do you know about them, or had experience with them?
Thanks so much, Carole
<Posted on WWM... and please fix your English before writing us. Bob Fenner>

Wanted: Flatworms!  - 03/11/2006
Hello,
                       I am an senior undergraduate at University of California Berkeley and I am looking to obtain tropical Platyhelminthes
species to track the regenerative potential in relation to their phylogeny. I see that you reference a lot of different species on your "flatworms,
"Planaria, and marine aquariums" and I wanted to know how I would go about obtaining some. It seems like these are pests to many people with tropical fish tanks and that they are simply throwing them away.
                                                     Thanks, Jen
<Mmm, send along contact info. you want posted and we'll see if folks will send them your way. Bob Fenner>

Re: Looking for Flatworms!  - 03/11/2006
Hello,
                        Below is a little description along with my contact info.
                                              Thank You, Jen
Hello,
                    I am an senior undergraduate at University of California Berkeley and I am looking to obtain tropical Platyhelminthes species to track the regenerative potential in relation to their phylogeny. If anyone has any of these in their tanks and want to get rid of them, I would be more then happy to pay for shipping and compensation.
Please contact me at jlei@regensci.org

                                                    Thank You, Jen
<Will post. Good luck, life with your studies. Bob Fenner>

Acro Flatworms, the dilemma  - 03/09/2006
Guys,
<And some ladies...>
Quick question, thinking of the best way to eradicate the dreaded scourge of sps (I know I should have QT'd), now I have these monsters, of course I am blowing the Acros and destroying eggs, but as far as fish go, I read Tamarin, yellow wrasses and possum wrasses work.
<Sometimes>
Im looking for the most aggressive fish I can get to kill these things, any chance triggers might work too?
<... won't likely stop at the Platyhelminths...>
Any other fish you might recommend? My tanks is sps only so these blasted things are having a field day!
Thanks
<See WWM re... your input is archived. Bob Fenner>

Worldfish content use  - 01/23/2006
Dear Mr. Bob Fenner,
<Christine>
I would like to use the information about the flatworms found here in your website. I will use it to encode data about the group of species that I'm handling in the allfish project. I'm an encoder and would like to input the information you have to our database.
Hoping for your response. Thank you.
Christine Dar
Research assistant (Jr. Encoder)
<As you are a stated non-profit, I do grant you free use of my content.
Thank you for your efforts. Bob Fenner>

Getting rid of Flatworms  9/5/05
Hi Bob and team.....one of my display tank systems ( 12 aquariums)  got hit by flatworms a while ago....I increased the flow, and made sure the water quality was good...they abated a little, but still present.
I have emptied out the system, and plan to redecorate soon....Question is....I have a few hundred kilos of good gravel, and I suspect they are still living in it...I want to reuse the gravel...would be shame to throw it away.....If I rinse the gravel well in freshwater....will it kill them??....or should I soak in water treated with a dose of Formalin, and then rinse really, really well before re-using??
regards
JD.
<Freshwater rinsing will likely "get rid of them", the formalin addition definitely will... Do use gloves, with good ventilation (outdoors is best) if you go the latter route. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Re: Getting rid of Flatworms  9/5/05
Thanks Bob.....will do it outdoors tomorrow......By the way,  I dip my corals when they arrive, and also when customers purchase them.  I use Reef Dip, which is pretty much an Iodine solution.....this is designed to kill bacteria etc,  will it do away with flatworms that may come with the shipment.??
<Probably not...>
....All my corals come from South Sulawesi, and I  know that's where the flatworms originated, some of my exporter friends have had the same problems
JD
<Have seen enormous numbers of flatworms on the corals, related species and not there... (mainly Waiminoa sp.). Cyclical, seasonal... Bob Fenner>

Flatworms in Marine Aquaria  9/1/05
Hello,
<Salutations>
I wish to thank you for all the wonderful information you've provided me in the past, it's saved me, my pets, and my wallet many times over.
<Ah, good. Welcome>
I'm writing today because I recently made a new purchase, just this past Friday of a beautiful Zebrasoma desjardinii.  He's around 3 inches nose to vent.  I've learned, albeit the hard way, to quarantine all new arrivals so I pulled out and cleaned my old 30 gallon tank.  I've lost fish in QT before, probably because of water quality issues, so I decide to just bite the bullet and bought 30 lbs of live rock for the qt, and 20lbs of live aragonite sand.  I installed an old sea clone skimmer, heater and a Rio powerhead.  The desjardinii will be the last vertebrate addition to my 180 gallon reef tank that's been running for about 9 months.  Trying to get to the point, sorry, anyway, today I noticed flatworms on the back top of the glass, spreading rapidly.  The desjardinii seems fine, eating and grazing along the rocks and feeding well- is he in any danger from this?
<Not likely>
Also, when I move this guy, is there the possibility of transferring them to my reef?
<Not if you're careful, use an intermediate pH-adjusted freshwater dip/bath>
The flow in the reef is pretty strong-
4x800 gph powerheads with swirls and a 1500 gph return pump that's tee'd off to two returns, an Aquacontroller controls the powerheads to randomize the flow a little.  I've seen a couple free swimming flatworms in my refugium from time to time, but I keep a school of Pseudanthias dispar in the main tank that seem to chase and devour anything that is free swimming.  I had planned on putting the 30 lbs of liverock from the QT into the sump of my main display, but only if the flatworms won't spread into the main display- you think they would?
<Very likely so... with this move>
Water quality is pretty high- ph 8.29 at the end of the photoperiod, 8.17 in the morning, sg is 1.025, calcium is 370, dKH 11.2 non ph adjusted ORP is 358, I don't use ozone. No ammonia, no nitrite, nitrate is probably present, but I can't detect it.  I do 2x50 gallon water changes every month with a 6 stage RO/DI unit- is the flatworm infestation in the QT tank related to the newness of the tank?
<Yes>
  Should I be concerned for the Zebrasoma?  
<Mmm, no... not much re these worms>
Would leaving the QT fallow after the fish is put in the display, and not introducing food cause the flatworms' numbers to be reduced to an acceptable level?  
<Likely so... but to zero?>
How long would something like that take?
<Months>
Should I not use the rock in the QT, it's the only possible source.  It would be a shame, but I'd rather lose the rock than have an infestation in my display.  Anyway, sorry, this got a lot longer than I anticipated, I'm sure you get my point.  Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated.  I do have a small strip light on the QT, it's maybe 18watt NO, and they are concentrated around the center of the strip in the back top of the tank.  The flatworms seem to be of the species Convolutriloba retrogemma, at least they are most similar in appearance, it's very difficult to tell.
Thanks,
Aaron
<Most such "flatworm" infestations are transitory, not real trouble... should just be ignored. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>

Hydroids to Flatworms
Hi Guys,
I have a cluster of little brown pom-pom like things in my reef.
Using the google search on your site, I found out that they are "a
fairly common nuisance hydroid, Myrionema".
My question was answered.
<Good>
While I was on the Hydrozoans FAQ page I noticed a posting titled "Stranded Hydroid! Yikes! 4/7/05".
Your staff answered the question and identified the animal as a hydroid. I had similar things in my tank growing on a finger leather coral.
It turned out to be some kind of flatworm. It had the same tentacles in the posted picture. The worm would release the tentacle into the current and pull it back repeatedly.
<Strange, interesting... have not heard of, seen this offered re flatworm behavior ever>
The worms are very clear, so they almost disappear when they are spread out over the surface of the coral which makes it seem that the tentacle is coming from the coral itself.
<Good plan, eh?>
I used Salifert Flatworm Exit in a bag of tank water and dipped the coral in it. After approximately 45 minutes the flatworm came off by creating a current in the bag with my finger. It was a clear, slightly cloudy flatworm. Even sitting on the bottom of the bag, it released the tentacle and pulled it back. The tentacle was a long single strand which had smaller lines coming off one side. I actually got a few of them using the dip. Each worm only had one strand - so if you see more than one - chances are that there are several worms.
Great Site.
<Thank you for this input. Will try to find the bit you reference and couple it with yours here>
Dave

Hyposalinity and flatworms
Hey guys,
<Hi there>
had a quick question. I have a few frag tanks that have flatworms, these tanks do not have substrate, I don't like the idea of using chemicals, the flatworms are in the grates I use to hold the frags as well (the tanks are pretty large). I was wondering if I could blow the frags off, remove them, drain the tank, and fill it with freshwater to kill these blasted things. After an hour, I would drain it, rinse it, and refill with system saltwater and put the frags back, problem solved. But, I have heard that beneficial bacteria build up on surfaces, these would also be subject to death by hyposalinity, would I be looking at a potential Cyano outbreak if I did this?
<Worth trying... and possible algal/Cyano troubles... have you already experimented with fish/crustacean predators here? Bob Fenner>
Thanks for everything you guys do 

ID Flatworms 2/10/05
Thanks a lot for your time and for supplying an invaluable source for us reefers.
<Always welcome>
Now the groveling is out of the way I wonder if I could pick that wonderful marine brain of yours? My 50g reef has been set up 6wks and I have just started to add a few inverts, over the last week I have added 6 blue legged hermits, 1 red legged and 6 turbo snails, all seem very happy and active and are eating well, but as soon as I introduced the blues, while waiting for the first inhabitants of my reef to disperse. I noticed one of the blue legged isn't blue!
<Arghhh... some rogue species do enter this way. Do be very careful>
It is completely chalk white! After much searching over the net and through books- to no avail. 
<do look in Paul Humann's "Reef Creatures">
I came to the conclusion that this must be an albino! 
<Ahhh... well, hmmm. Just because you could not find a book that ID'ed the creature? Your pulling my leg, right? :)>
But I have observed further and the white hermit has slightly different features, the right claw is about twice the size of the left one, and as the other crabs stroll around the white one sits in the sand with his shell buried at the front of the tank! he rarely walks far! he has shed once so I am assuming he is good and healthy- any ideas?
<Many Diodenidae species>
And is he reef safe?
<Hard to say, but the large claw is a concern. Form Follows Function. That claw has a use/need>
I do hope he will be ok, as I have gotten rather attached to the little guy! Also I have a few small, what appear to be sea slugs in the tank, they are about half the length of your little finger nail..
<Please do read, learn, and apply quarantine habits my friend. These risks and dangers will be eliminated>
...and just have that Nudibranch shape with the rounded head, and a kind of a lyre tail rear! 
<Chelidonura?>
But after a bit of reading thought they might be flatworms!
<Hmmm... similar general description, and preying on copepods if so, perhaps. A Small white variety that fits that descriptions is rather common in tanks>
but cannot find reference to any flatworms (or anything similar) this colour- they are a kind of translucent white, sort of opaque- any ideas their?
<Ah, yes... copepod eaters>
And if they are a pest, any methods of removal or reef safe predators I can introduce?
<They are harmless>
Thanks a lot for your time, and the service you provide.  Mark
<Best of luck and life, Anthony> 

Flatworm control 2/10/05
Thank you for your swift reply, but I would just like to know a little more about these 100% water changes. Do you do this all at once? 
<Yes>
I'm sure it wouldn't be too stressful as long as temperature and salinity were kept very close...
<Correct>
...but I never thought it was a good idea to do such a large change at once. 
<Hmmm... do consider how many of our inverts come from intertidal region which get exposed to baking sun, rain, etc for many hours>
Do you do multiple changes over the course of the week? 
<Once weekly mate>
I am very interested. I rely on the water changes to maintain simplicity in my nanos, as I feel the salt mix provides most of the necessary elements so long as I am diligent with my changes. 
<Very much agreed :)>
I am quite intrigued. Please enlighten me. Thank you, Chris
<Kindly, Anthony> 

- Dealing with Flatworms -
I have an aquarium store in Arizona. I specialize mainly in reef aquariums. I have a 300 gallon coral display tank with many LPS and softy corals for sale. I also have a 110 gallon clam display aquarium. I am noticing everyday more and more nuisance flatworm. I heard that Melafix will get rid of them, is this true. 
<I've never heard of this and would suggest, that if you're considering a chemical solution, to pursue the Salifert Flatworm Exit product. Have had many folks say this product does work very well and causes no problems for reef inhabitants. Make sure your skimmer is clean an you have a water change ready to go... when the flatworms exit, they really exit.> 
I want to get rid of them before they multiply to much and cover and kill my corals. Please respond back as soon as you can, Thank You, Matt
All Aquatics
allaquatics.net
<Cheers, J -- >

Acoel Flatworms 2/9/05
Sorry that I'm asking you about flatworms because I know the issue is covered well on your site. But, I think my case is kind of unique. I have a 12 gallon nano-cube which contains invertebrates but no fish and I do not plan on having fish. I recently finished cycling and have a couple of mushrooms, a small star polyp frag, and a couple others. I'm taking my time on this one. 
<Ah, good to hear>
Sometime during the cycling however, I got a mega infestation of red brown flatworms and they're all over the glass, the rocks, etc. 
<Do try to prevent these from even entering the tank by strictly quarantining all new livestock in a bare-bottomed QT in advance>
I understand they thrive in high nutrient levels (i.e. a cycling tank). My question is, since I can't add a mandarin or other fish which preys upon them, how should I rid myself of these buggers? 
<Strong water flow and large frequent water changes. I normally do weekly 100% water changes on my nano (have done so with small reefs for over ten years). Superb water quality, no supplements needed usually, fast coral growth, etc>
I'm afraid to scrape the algae off my front glass because I don't want to kill any and pollute my water with their poisons. 
<Not that big of a deal. Use airline tubing for a slow siphon instead if you like>
So basically I haven't been able to see my tank for a while, and I have no idea what to do with these things. I've been waiting patiently for them to naturally wane but it's not happening. Should I transfer the livestock to my other reef tank and then go through a week or so without lights to kill them?
<It really is not likely to work>
They have symbiotic algae do they not? Please help. Thank you SO much. Chris
<No worries... one month of large weekly water changes while siphoning them out and strong water flow will do the trick. Anthony>

Starting aquarium for Nudibranchs or flatworms 9/24/04
I have a fish only tanks for a number of years. I am now interested in starting a species specific tank for Nudibranchs or flatworms. any web sites, books, articles, recommendations would be helpful. thanks mark
<hmmm... both are rather challenging. The Opisthobranchs for their oft-obligate diet on inconvenient (to us) prey... and flatworms for much of the same (largely predatory too). There are some great Nudibranchs that can be cultured though... temperate and tropical... carnivorous and herbivorous. Check out some the fine ID books at Behrens seachallengers.com... and be sure to visit the seaslugforum.com on the Web. I have an article on culturing Berghia Nudibranchs in the January issue of reefkeeping.com if it interests you. Best regards, Anthony>