help! some type of flat worm?

[ken2588]

hey guys, this tank has been set up using existing water from a 250 gallon tank that was 1 year old. I do a weekly water change with reef crystal salt and use RO water.
I don't have a protein skimmer on this ten gallon, and am currently using a hang on filter. What do you guys think this is? Is it bad in a reef tank and how to get rid of it?
Thanks, below is the picture of it. Its the yellow flat looking species with a red dot.

 

[ken2588]

anyone?!? bump.

 

[nikesb]

thats a acoel planaria. large numbers are bad for a reef tank. especailly a nano. do flatworm exit

 

[ken2588]

thanks for the reply, is there any critters that eat these flatworms? or another method besides dosing medication in there?

 

[nikesb]

sixline wrasses and leopard wrasses have been reported to eat them

 

[bang guy]

Convolutriloba longifussura in case you are curious. My female Mandarin dragonet ate them with gusto. The male never had an interest.
Commonly called Red Planaria. This is interesting because they are neither Red, nor are they Planaria.

 

[speg]

I had a couple of these in my nano early on and haven't seen one since. I've always seen a flatworm here or there in my tank but never had an actual outbreak. What causes the outbreak? High amounts of food?

 

[bang guy]

I'm not sure. That species is mostly photosynthetic so in a reef tank there will always be plenty of food.

 

[ladyreefseeker]

I have had red flatworms for several years now. They are a pain in the rear! I have tried flatworm exit, it nearly killed my serpent stars (killed many of the flat worms but not all) I read an article that suggested using airline tubing with pantyhose on the exit end and siphon them out (tedious yes) I did this and it does work. The problem is, I can't seem to get them all so they keep breeding uhh! Blue Velvet Nudibranchs eat them. I just got a sixline wrasse, a green mandarin, and a spotted mandarin to see if they will do it but I've only had them in the tank for a week. Good luck, they are a pain!