Flat worm with red spot ID…thinking planaria

[Reefing102]

Hey guys,

So I bought a few coral from a local LFS that has a flatworm problem. Knowing this, I dipped the corals before hand and upon looking at them, they don’t appear to be the standard “red planaria” but perhaps still in the planaria species? Thoughts?

These are a dark brown to light gray with a red spot on the tail. Doesn’t look like AEFW or Euphyllia EFW. The coral are in quarantine right now but thoughts?

These were on SPS frags (birdsnest, enchinata, Setosa, and an unidentified maricultured. Acro (possibly tenius). I did not see them on the corals, just the plugs. Coral tank had anything from Xenia to zoas, shrooms, Euphyllia and other SPS and the flatworms were on all of them (making me think mostly harmless (nothing my redline wrasse wouldn’t be able to take care of if worse came to it). Best pics I could get. No microscope

 

[GatorGreg]

Be careful of the eggs. Dips don't kill eggs. Remove the frag plugs for sure. Maybe some treatments a flatworm exit in your QT setup?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey guys,

So I bought a few coral from a local LFS that has a flatworm problem. Knowing this, I dipped the corals before hand and upon looking at them, they don’t appear to be the standard “red planaria” but perhaps still in the planaria species? Thoughts?

These are a dark brown to light gray with a red spot on the tail. Doesn’t look like AEFW or Euphyllia EFW. The coral are in quarantine right now but thoughts?

These were on SPS frags (birdsnest, enchinata, Setosa, and an unidentified maricultured. Acro (possibly tenius). I did not see them on the corals, just the plugs. Coral tank had anything from Xenia to zoas, shrooms, Euphyllia and other SPS and the flatworms were on all of them (making me think mostly harmless (nothing my redline wrasse wouldn’t be able to take care of if worse came to it)

Red planaria and one of the more nuisance type. Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

With the number you have, for the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs and scrape off as chemicals do nothing to the eggs and there is likely some and would be future flatworms. Often you may have to resort with chemical removal using salifert flatworm exit. While it works, you will have to siphon the surfaces daily to remove the dead ones which can release toxins.

 

[Reefing102]

Thanks guys. That’s what I was figuring, was just hoping it wasn’t anything like AEFW or similar. I’ll give it a little bit of time for my red line to make an impact. I have the “standard” red planaria in my main display that I’m slowly working on. I try not to resort to chemicals if I don’t have to. Thanks for all the suggestions!