reef safe flatworms?

[taldrich13]

Just how reef safe are the clear flatworms? I've been out of town for a week and when I got home I've noticed 6 or 7 so far. I've been syphoning them out as a precaution. Should I leave them?
Here is a link to a picture of exactly what they look like:
http://melevsreef.com/id/clear_flatworm.jpg

[mathias]

sure its flatworms and not copods?

[taldrich13]

They look just llike that picture. The biggest one is about 1/4 inch long :blink

[GaryP]

I've seen those in my fuge, but not in the main tank. I would assume they are algae eaters. There is a clear flatworm that is an SPS predator though. I'm not saying that's what you have though. There are thousands of species of these guys.

[watered_down]

That looks like the ones we had in our tank, just showed up one day (proof positive you should fw dip your LR before putting it into your tank!!!) I sat there in horror as I watched the first of many devouring copepods. I won't say those are the same species, as Gary pointed out: there are thousands, but if you sit there and see them form a hood over a copepod then push the hood into their midsection, I'd say that was pretty close. Bad news is, we didn't do anything about them, we just let them breed and wipe out the copepod population until they ate themselves out of existence. I still don't know if they are gone for good though. Hopefully you don't have a dragonette. We have flatworm exit, but did not use it because we don't believe in using a chemical for a quick fix, so we don't even know if it will actually kill them.

[pickle311]

I would treat with flatworm exit before they get out of control, the problem with those flatworms is they are toxic if there is a large die off. If you treat now and get rid of them while there is only a few, you will have nothing to worry about. If you wait, they multiply fast. I've used Flatworm exit and it is completely reef safe and it works great.

[jap1]

That's why I want a six-line wrasse. I hear they do a good job taking care of flatworms. As a bonus I really like the way fish looks too.

[GaryP]

That's why I want a six-line wrasse. I hear they do a good job taking care of flatworms. As a bonus I really like the way fish looks too.

Don't count on it. A six line may eat a few, but they will reproduce faster then a six line will eat them. I think this discussion got off onto another kind of flatworms. The red ones are the toxic ones. The tail spot wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) does a better job of eating flatworms then the six line and isn't nearly the terrorist that a six line is.

[pickle311]

That's why I want a six-line wrasse. I hear they do a good job taking care of flatworms. As a bonus I really like the way fish looks too.

Don't count on it. A six line may eat a few, but they will reproduce faster then a six line will eat them. I think this discussion got off onto another kind of flatworms. The red ones are the toxic ones. The tail spot wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) does a better job of eating flatworms then the six line and isn't nearly the terrorist that a six line is.

so the clear ones don't contain any toxins? I was under the impression that all of them were toxic and certain ones ate acros.

[GaryP]

Which species of the couple hundred "clear ones" are you talking about? Not all flatworms are toxic, but many are.