Need an ID on this, def not a pod.

[Biff0rz]

So I have a TON of these crawling on the glass of my QT tank. I also have tons of pods and confirm these do not look or move the same. The pods have tiny legs and dart around. These move like a slug/worm and have a different shape. They head in the direction of the rounded end and the two peaks are in the rear. Any ideas?? They are about the size of a larger side pod.

 

[MoshJosh]

flat worm

 

[Reeflix]

flatworm, kill it

 

[Biff0rz]

flat worm

As in aefw? I have not seen these in my display at all but I have quite a few critter eaters. Copperband butterfly, wrasse, and a pygmy potters angel

 

[Biff0rz]

flatworm, kill it

How? I have a lot in the qt.

 

[Reeflix]

Qt? this isnt your DT?

 

[Biff0rz]

Qt? this isnt your DT?

Correct, quarantine. And I have zero sps in there.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

There are many, many kinds of flatworms. Not only the kind that eat acro.

If this is a coral QT, Good job. You may have kept it out of your main system.

There are a few products. I have used flatworm exit in the past. I found I need to use much more of it and let it sit longer but it does work.

 

[Biff0rz]

There are many, many kinds of flatworms. Not only the kind that eat acro.

If this is a coral QT, Good job. You may have kept it out of your main system.

There are a few products. I have used flatworm exit in the past. I found I need to use much more of it and let it sit longer but it does work.

I'm actually not sure how it got into the qt as I haven't added anything to it in about a year? I only have some polyp corals in there right now. How can I check the display to ensure no issues there? I only have one monti in the display and it seems fine. I have some LPS and softies not displaying any issues. Focusing on the Monti, I'm not seeing eggs or anything. When I use a turkey baster on it nothing flies off.

 

[john90009]

It’s not an aefw. If you see one now there’s probably hundreds you don’t see. These ones tend to stay on the glass and corners of your tanks, some people will go the sixline wrasse option for keeping thier numbers in check but I assure you this flatworm is not gonna be the reason a coral doesn’t live. The rust brown ones with the different body shape are the ones that breed like rabbits and sit on corals and will eventually kill them but these ones won’t.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I'm actually not sure how it got into the qt as I haven't added anything to it in about a year? I only have some polyp corals in there right now. How can I check the display to ensure no issues there? I only have one monti in the display and it seems fine. I have some LPS and softies not displaying any issues. Focusing on the Monti, I'm not seeing eggs or anything. When I use a turkey baster on it nothing flies off.

Check on the glass. Mostly at night with a light. If you have predators in your tank like the wrasse you mentioned, it may be holding down the population.

Not all flat worms are the super invasive, eat you out of coral house and home types.

I'll let another try for an ID. I've never been great at that.

 

[Cthulukelele]

This isn't one of the "kill it with fire" flatworm species I don't think, but a lot of flatworms can grow to plague proportions. Alternatively they're a self-replenishing live food supply for a lot of wrasse

 

[Biff0rz]

It’s not an aefw. If you see one now there’s probably hundreds you don’t see. These ones tend to stay on the glass and corners of your tanks, some people will go the sixline wrasse option for keeping thier numbers in check but I assure you this flatworm is not gonna be the reason a coral doesn’t live. The rust brown ones with the different body shape are the ones that breed like rabbits and sit on corals and will eventually kill them but these ones won’t.

This is comforting lol. Sounds like I should move my wrasse here for a minute and see how he does or get one from the fish store.

This isn't one of the "kill it with fire" flatworm species I don't think, but a lot of flatworms can grow to plague proportions. Alternatively they're a self-replenishing live food supply for a lot of wrasse

Whew, thanks. I might get a wrasse to see what happens. Do any inverts eat them?

 

[Cthulukelele]

I

This is comforting lol. Sounds like I should move my wrasse here for a minute and see how he does or get one from the fish store.


Whew, thanks. I might get a wrasse to see what happens. Do any inverts eat them?

It'll really depend on the species. There are more experts in flatworms on here that hopefully chime in and can give an exact species identification. Some flatworms are more toxic/noxious than others, and that limits what eats them. For example red planaria is a real plague in the hobby because it reproduces quickly and is incredibly unpleasant to eat so most creatures don't touch it. Things like cleaner shrimp of most varieties (peppermint, skunk, fire red) will often eat some of the "tastier" flatworm species

 

[Tired]

This looks like one of the species of flatworms that kinda just hang around, without really being inclined to multiply much and cause problems. I have something pretty similar, and they've never done anything but exist.

 

[Biff0rz]

I
It'll really depend on the species. There are more experts in flatworms on here that hopefully chime in and can give an exact species identification. Some flatworms are more toxic/noxious than others, and that limits what eats them. For example red planaria is a real plague in the hobby because it reproduces quickly and is incredibly unpleasant to eat so most creatures don't touch it. Things like cleaner shrimp of most varieties (peppermint, skunk, fire red) will often eat some of the "tastier" flatworm species

I can catch a few and get one under a microscope/take pics, would that help ID it?

 

[bnord]

seems like they would be susceptible to wrasses, scooters etc, you say they are in these numbers in a wrasse containing QT?

 

[Biff0rz]

seems like they would be susceptible to wrasses, scooters etc, you say they are in these numbers in a wrasse containing QT?

No, no wrasse in the QT, yet. Wrasse (leopard) is in the DT.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

So I have a TON of these crawling on the glass of my QT tank. I also have tons of pods and confirm these do not look or move the same. The pods have tiny legs and dart around. These move like a slug/worm and have a different shape. They head in the direction of the rounded end and the two peaks are in the rear. Any ideas?? They are about the size of a larger side pod. View attachment 3044725

It's a harmless type. Basically an off white ghost flatworm. If you have no predators in the tank they can multiply quickly. You might have some in your other tank and cross contaminated with some tool or container you use for both.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'm actually not sure how it got into the qt as I haven't added anything to it in about a year? I only have some polyp corals in there right now. How can I check the display to ensure no issues there? I only have one monti in the display and it seems fine. I have some LPS and softies not displaying any issues. Focusing on the Monti, I'm not seeing eggs or anything. When I use a turkey baster on it nothing flies off.

The only way these can harm coral is in the unlikely event that they become so numerous that they cover the coral and "smother" it from the light.
They eat algae and pods, not coral.