some type of snail?
- Thread starter ebius
- Start date
spanko
Active Member
Quote;
Flatworms
"Although several species may be encountered by the aquarist, the most commonly seen form is considered a pest by all aquarists. Convolutriloba retrogemma is rusty brown in colour, with a rounded
head and forked tail and is rarely witnessed over 5mm in length. It may also have a definite orange-red oval shape in the centre of the body. This flatworm is able to assimilate the zooxanthellae of damaged
mushroom/disc anemones into its tissue where they provide it with nourishment – a form of symbiosis. For this reason they are often seen “sunbathing” on rocks where they lift an area of their bodies free from
the substrate in order to catch as much light as possible. Light is never a commodity in short supply in reef aquaria and it is for this reason, coupled with the fact that they can reproduce asexually, that they can reach plague proportions in a very short period. Although they do not seem to be directly harmful to reef inhabitants they can smother more delicate species as they seek the light required for nourishment. Marine Literature cites several ways of controlling these little pests including fish such as Pyjama Wrasse (Pseudochelinus hexataenia), Scooter Blenny (Sychiropus sp.) Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus) and more but we have found them to be unreliable at best. Sprung 1994 cites in
volume 2 of The Reef Aquarium the use of the nudibranch (sea slug) Chelidoneura varians which can consume hundreds of these flatworms in a day. We tried some of these and found them to be extremely short
lived. Many individuals did indeed consume a lot of flatworms but we
speculate that they will never be 100% effective at their removal.
Any chemical treatment for these animals is made problematic by the fact that when the flatworm dies its body tissues are released and these are toxic. Thus large-scale killing of the worms can be extremely
detrimental to coral and fish health – if not lethal. Particularly vulnerable seem to be clam species (Tridacna spp.). So if a chemical is to be used – and there is only one that I have used to great success – I
would recommend the removal by siphoning with airline hose of as many of the worms as possible before it is added. Generally I don’t like to use chemical treatments in reef aquaria. I certainly do not use antibiotics but in the case of flatworms the following treatment is the only one I have found to be successful in a number of cases. Myxazin is an anti-bacterial product from WaterLife® which is approved by them for use in marine reef aquaria. Some hobbyists may have used it to try and control protozoan infections such as Oodinium. We have found it to be very effective in the eradication of Convolutriloba. There are many opinions as to the dose rate required varying from W doses to double doses (half the standard recommended by Waterlife® for the treatment of bacterial infections). It is up to the aquarist which dose he or she uses and I can only pass on feedback from our customers who have reported the highest eradication rates at higher doses. When the Myxazin is added the skimmer must be turned off and treatment
must be on consecutive days. Keep your eye on the condition of your invertebrates – if they are going to show effects it is generally not until the second or third day of treatment when the flatworms begin to
die, thus releasing their toxins into the water. It is probably a good idea to have a partial water change on hand for after the course is completed. After the treatment is over it is important that the skimmer is turned back on as this will remove most of the flatworm toxins.
Please note that the above information is a guide based on my own
experiences, and those of some of my customers, with these troublesome little blighters and is not meant to be definitive. There may be invertebrates other than clams that are very sensitive to the toxins released by Convolutriloba. Another side-effect caused by the use of Myxazin is the staining of certain species of sponge – giving them an almost luminous green colour. This doesn’t appear to have any detrimental effect on the sponge and will eventually disappear with time. Other possible solutions to flatworm infestation include raising or lowering specific gravity and temperature but both of these have been reported with varying degrees of success and have their own inherent problems with regard to the well-being of your reef. One other potential drawback with the use of Myxazin is the fact that it may very well wipe out the beneficial scavenging flatworms living on and in the rocks and sand.
Flatworms
"Although several species may be encountered by the aquarist, the most commonly seen form is considered a pest by all aquarists. Convolutriloba retrogemma is rusty brown in colour, with a rounded
head and forked tail and is rarely witnessed over 5mm in length. It may also have a definite orange-red oval shape in the centre of the body. This flatworm is able to assimilate the zooxanthellae of damaged
mushroom/disc anemones into its tissue where they provide it with nourishment – a form of symbiosis. For this reason they are often seen “sunbathing” on rocks where they lift an area of their bodies free from
the substrate in order to catch as much light as possible. Light is never a commodity in short supply in reef aquaria and it is for this reason, coupled with the fact that they can reproduce asexually, that they can reach plague proportions in a very short period. Although they do not seem to be directly harmful to reef inhabitants they can smother more delicate species as they seek the light required for nourishment. Marine Literature cites several ways of controlling these little pests including fish such as Pyjama Wrasse (Pseudochelinus hexataenia), Scooter Blenny (Sychiropus sp.) Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus) and more but we have found them to be unreliable at best. Sprung 1994 cites in
volume 2 of The Reef Aquarium the use of the nudibranch (sea slug) Chelidoneura varians which can consume hundreds of these flatworms in a day. We tried some of these and found them to be extremely short
lived. Many individuals did indeed consume a lot of flatworms but we
speculate that they will never be 100% effective at their removal.
Any chemical treatment for these animals is made problematic by the fact that when the flatworm dies its body tissues are released and these are toxic. Thus large-scale killing of the worms can be extremely
detrimental to coral and fish health – if not lethal. Particularly vulnerable seem to be clam species (Tridacna spp.). So if a chemical is to be used – and there is only one that I have used to great success – I
would recommend the removal by siphoning with airline hose of as many of the worms as possible before it is added. Generally I don’t like to use chemical treatments in reef aquaria. I certainly do not use antibiotics but in the case of flatworms the following treatment is the only one I have found to be successful in a number of cases. Myxazin is an anti-bacterial product from WaterLife® which is approved by them for use in marine reef aquaria. Some hobbyists may have used it to try and control protozoan infections such as Oodinium. We have found it to be very effective in the eradication of Convolutriloba. There are many opinions as to the dose rate required varying from W doses to double doses (half the standard recommended by Waterlife® for the treatment of bacterial infections). It is up to the aquarist which dose he or she uses and I can only pass on feedback from our customers who have reported the highest eradication rates at higher doses. When the Myxazin is added the skimmer must be turned off and treatment
must be on consecutive days. Keep your eye on the condition of your invertebrates – if they are going to show effects it is generally not until the second or third day of treatment when the flatworms begin to
die, thus releasing their toxins into the water. It is probably a good idea to have a partial water change on hand for after the course is completed. After the treatment is over it is important that the skimmer is turned back on as this will remove most of the flatworm toxins.
Please note that the above information is a guide based on my own
experiences, and those of some of my customers, with these troublesome little blighters and is not meant to be definitive. There may be invertebrates other than clams that are very sensitive to the toxins released by Convolutriloba. Another side-effect caused by the use of Myxazin is the staining of certain species of sponge – giving them an almost luminous green colour. This doesn’t appear to have any detrimental effect on the sponge and will eventually disappear with time. Other possible solutions to flatworm infestation include raising or lowering specific gravity and temperature but both of these have been reported with varying degrees of success and have their own inherent problems with regard to the well-being of your reef. One other potential drawback with the use of Myxazin is the fact that it may very well wipe out the beneficial scavenging flatworms living on and in the rocks and sand.
spanko
Active Member
It is difficult to know the importance of their role in the aquarium but will they be missed? I haven’t heard any cases of conditions hanging significantly after Myxazin treatment so perhaps they are not
a major player in the healthy reef aquarium. There are other species of
flatworm that can be parasitic on mushroom anemones and soft corals which they appear to kill by smothering them. They may not actually be feeding directly on the coral but their bodies accumulate and eventually smother the coral. Perhaps the best treatment for the removal of
flatworms from individual corals is a 5-10 second dip in freshwater, whereupon the flatworms drop off and die. This could be a useful safety measure when transferring corals between aquaria. There is one commonly encountered “good guy” flatworm which resembles the
pest species in body shape and size but the outer body of the former is transparent and the inner the colour of egg yolk. These are scavengers and often proliferate in young reef aquaria, eventually decreasing in
number as their food supply is exhausted. So the flatworms can be good but are often unwelcome additions to our reef aquaria. I hope that this article has given you a little more information to base decisions on the nature of the animal life that your marine aquarium is no doubt
teeming with."
a major player in the healthy reef aquarium. There are other species of
flatworm that can be parasitic on mushroom anemones and soft corals which they appear to kill by smothering them. They may not actually be feeding directly on the coral but their bodies accumulate and eventually smother the coral. Perhaps the best treatment for the removal of
flatworms from individual corals is a 5-10 second dip in freshwater, whereupon the flatworms drop off and die. This could be a useful safety measure when transferring corals between aquaria. There is one commonly encountered “good guy” flatworm which resembles the
pest species in body shape and size but the outer body of the former is transparent and the inner the colour of egg yolk. These are scavengers and often proliferate in young reef aquaria, eventually decreasing in
number as their food supply is exhausted. So the flatworms can be good but are often unwelcome additions to our reef aquaria. I hope that this article has given you a little more information to base decisions on the nature of the animal life that your marine aquarium is no doubt
teeming with."
spanko
Active Member
Oh.....well.........yeah it's a red flatworm. Pest, will grow in numbers especially if there is a good amount of nutients. A pain to get rid of. Flatworm exit if they get out of control. Will smother coral in large numbers. When they die they give off toxin. Must follow Flatworm exit instructions to the letter if used.
There, clear enough for a Women from New York! Speaking of that is it you they are talking about on this thread?
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/354980/sarah-jessica-parker
There, clear enough for a Women from New York! Speaking of that is it you they are talking about on this thread?
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/354980/sarah-jessica-parker