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FAQs about Flatworm Identification 3 Related Articles: Flatworms (incl. Planaria),
Pest
Flatworm Control by Anthony Calfo, Worms, Featherduster Worms,
Related FAQs: Flatworm Identification,
Flatworm ID 2, Flatworms/Planaria
1,
Flatworms
2, Flatworms
3, & FAQs on: Flatworm Behavior,
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Compatibility, Flatworm Control,
Predator Control,
Chemical Control, Flatworm Selection,
Flatworm Systems, Flatworm
Feeding, Flatworm Disease,
Flatworm Reproduction, &
Worms,
FAQs: Worm Diversity FAQs,
FAQs 2, FAQs
3, &
Worm IDs 1,
Worm IDs 2, Worm
IDs 3, Worm IDs 4,
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Worm IDs 8, & Worm ID FAQs by
Group/Phylum:
Flatworm Identification ID,
Nemertean, Proboscis, Ribbon Worm ID,
Nematode, Roundworm ID,
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Worm ID,
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Identification, Polychaete ID 2,
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ID, Hirudineans, Leech ID,
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Identification,
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Flat worm? 03/24/2008
First thank you for the service that you provide.
<<Thanks for the comments. Andrew here today>>
I have searched the site for similar flat worms as well as other sites
and I cant really make up my mind what to do about these guys. I have a
CPR hang on refugium with built in protein skimmer. I saw three of these
guys when looking at the fuge from the side today. I pulled one out with
tweezers to try to get a picture which I am not very good at anyway.
Sorry about the quality. They seem light brown when out of the tank and
slightly reddish when under the light. I have only seen these in my fuge
on my macro algae. I have not seen them anywhere in the display. I have
a six line wrasse perhaps he / she eats them? They are only a few
millimeters in length and have a uniform border, no jagged edges.
<<Planaria flatworms. They thrive better in lower flow areas of the
tank, which is probably why your noticing them in your fuge. If they are
not in plague proportions, then you can leave them alone, or simply such
them out when you see one with a turkey baster>>
The flow in the CPR is very low as there is only the inlet pump (RIO)
for circulation and protein skimming. I have a ton of flow in the main
tank as it is sps dominated hence my concern. Any info would be greatly
appreciated. Here is the best I could do picture wise.
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg252/mlgiii23/worm.jpg
<<Thanks for the questions and the nice photo, hope this helps. A
Nixon>> |
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Strange Creature... Planaria...
Mmmm, flatworms 3/9/08
Hey Gang.
<Hi Wuf, Mich here.>
I have been trying to identify this creature for a few days. I can't for
the life of me figure out what it is. They are starting to accumulate on
some of my rocks. To give you an idea of scale, the specimen pictured in
IDme1.jpg is right at 1/16th of an inch. Any idea? -wuf
<Well the good news... Yes I can tell you what it is... The bad news...
you don't want it. Is a pest, an Acoel flat worm. Yours is looking like
its reaching plague proportions. You will likely need to address the
situation. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,
Mich>
Re: Strange Creature...
Planaria... Mmmmm Flatworms 3/10/08
I guess the good news is now I know what the problem is, so now I can attack
it. Figure a few taps of a hammer to the bottom glass should
take care of them all (j/k).
<Heehee! I feel your pain! Happy siphoning.>
Thanks for your time, Mich.
<Happy to help! Sorry it wasn't better news for you. Mich>
-w |
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Worm ID
please 3/3/08
Hi!
<Cath>
Here is a picture of ''the thing''.(joined piece) A reefer of my area
see it on is hammerhead. I guess it's a kind of flatworm but I'm not
sure...if so, is it a bad one? Regards.
Cath
<Are some sort of flatworm... Not likely harmful. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
Bob Fenner> |
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Some Kind of
Flatworm... Planaria... Likely Convolutriloba retrogemma 12/03/2007
Hi my name is Mike
<Hi Mike, my name is Michelle, my father shared your name.>
and have a 150 gal reef tank and have some kind of flat worm.
<Yup... >
and I'm not sure if that’s what they are.
<Is Planaria, a flatworm, likely Convolutriloba retrogemma>
I need to know what these little things are cause they are eating all of
my star polyps and some of my mushrooms.
<They generally flatworms tend to cause injury by smothering the coral…
and once the corals begin to decay the flatworms start to consume the
zooxanthellae. Your corals do not seem to be covered to the point that I
would expect death… perhaps there is something else at play here. More
here and the related links in blue:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
Good luck,
Mich> |
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Flatworm ID –
09/29/07
Hello crew,
<Hi there, Mich here>
I'm a big fan of all of you.
<Me too! There are some fantastic people here!>
My husband jokes around with me that while most people emulate movie
stars and baseball players, my heroes are all scientists.
<What's wrong with that?>
I've asked around some forums, but no one is quite sure what to make of
this. These grayish-blue colored flatworms are very small, larger than a
copepod, smaller than a "normal" flatworm. It's been suggested that they
are blue due to something they've eaten.
<Maybe, maybe not.>
They have the two horns at the end.
<The end if you will.>
The "head" or front part is either segmented or has a darker blue line
behind it at the "neck." Some of the larger ones *may* have little
ruffles around the sides. I was looking at them with a magnifying glass.
I only see them on my red slime algae,
<They are likely elsewhere as well, just may be harder to see in other
places.>
which I just had a bad outbreak of.
<No fun!>
None of my corals are suffering,
<A good sign.>
and I don't see any of these flatworms on any corals.
<Lucky!>
Is it possible for flatworms to eat red slime?
<I guess anything is possible, they generally feed on detritus and
algae.>
They seem to have shown up around the same time as the red slime,
<Maybe just the first time you noticed them because of the background
color of the Cyanobacteria.>
and have exploded in population the past few days.
<Yikes!>
The larger ones have beautiful patterns on their backs, like a diamond
back snake or an x-ray, I can't tell on the small ones. It really seems
too good to be true--beautiful cyano eating flatworms.
<Yes I do believe you are correct here.>
By the way, my tank temperature is 70* F maintained by chiller,
<Really 70 F? Is this a typo or are you really running a cool water
system?>
if that makes any difference.
<I know naught on cool water systems.>
These are the best out of about 50 pictures I took.
<Oh yes, been there done that!>
I asked for a microscope for Christmas.
<Heehee! Will you ask Santa to deliver on to me as well?>
Thank you for any help you can give me.
<Not too much I'm afraid. They do look like flat worms and I would be
very careful as they are known to reach plague proportions. Though some
aquarists report having a continual population of Planaria that never
gets out of control. If it were my system I would try to remove as many
as possible as quickly as possible.
Good luck to you,
Mich> |
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Flatworms:
Amphiscolops sp...what to do? - 8/19/07
I found these in my tank. Can you please guide me on what to do, if
anything at all?
<No worries and no need for action (nice picture, though!). These are
harmless little flatworms (Amphiscolops sp.). They tend to pop up in
tanks and disappear a short while later. Please see these links for more
info re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatwrmfaq3.htm
<Take care –Lynn> |
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