Worms???

I have these little brown flat round worms. They don't look like the round worms I have seen on the net. Anyone have any ideas? They really only seem to like my mushrooms or my frogspawn.

 

Looks like Acoel (Waminoa species) flatworms. Generally feed on organic debris and zooxanthellae from decaying tissue trapped in coral mucus.... Not particularly harmful on there own, but when in mass numbers, they will block light from getting to the healthy tissue of coral, essentially suffocating them from needed light.

Best way to get rid of them would be to increase your flow (acoel flatworms and flatworms in general hate turbulant flow). Also may be advisable to introduce a natural predator. Leopard wrasse, dragonette, etc. There have been reports of lowered salinity killing them off quickly. (1.017~). However, your other coral probably won't like that, so if they are all localized on your mushrooms and frogspawn, than a hyposalinity bath may be of use. Can't guarantee that the coral don't suffer some way afterwards though from the massive change of salinity.

Good luck.

 

Flatworms. get a turkey baster and try sucking them out. As a last resort flatworm exit. They aren't bad per-say but they will block the light to the corals if they get out of control.

 

Yeah they are blocking the light, they usually multiple till they cover the shroom. Then the coral dies. I have found that ro bath for 30 seconds kills ALL. But shrooms hate it and don't come around for weeks, and I don't know what a ro bath would do to a frogspawn. What about 1.017, would that do the trick? I have a six line, will try a dragnet, been wanting one anyway. Its just can I found a healthy one? thanks for the help.

 

There have been reports of people at Wetwebmedia dropping salinity down to 1.017 or in that vicinity, killing off all flatworms (or so they report). I wouldn't recommend it however. Maybe taking out your mushrooms and frogspawn, acclimate them to a QT with a salinity of 1.017 (make take several hours), and then leaving them in there for 10 hours or so. They still wont like it, but you probably wont do as much damage to the coral that way. Flatworms are cyclical. If you wait a few months, they should dissapear on their own. However, it may be too late at that point.

I would honestly toss a few more powerheads into the tank, after QT'ing those corals for half a day in hyposalinic water, and just keep an eye on them.

 

there is alot of flow. any more and all coral would be unhappy. I'm going to ro dip with a little salt and shake the crap out of it.

 

jeesh you just seem to have the worst luck with pests!

 

Thats what happens when you fill your tank above capacity, My sig shows my tank when Its was all the way full. I have reduced it a lot. Also learned to stick to one dealer. I have gotten these worms from a lfs in town. They have them all over things in their tanks. And the nudis came from a place in a small town 15 mins from where I live. He has them in his tanks now. Sucks. Bu It kinda gives me a challenge. I am good at growing the coral, but now I am trying to save stuff. Luckly I just sold a ton of stuff. Made a few hundred bucks right before all this started happening. Check out the fish tank forum I just started a new thread.