ID Please...

[mharmon]

I've seen at least three of these critters in my fuge. It's about 1/4" long and seems to glide along the walls and open and close. Any ideas?

http://mlharmon.googlepages.com/ID1.jpg
A copepod can be seen to the lower left for scale.


http://mlharmon.googlepages.com/ID2.jpg


http://mlharmon.googlepages.com/ID3.jpg

[versach000]

Flatworms.



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Amphiscolops sp. This type is virtually clear, and quite small. The rounded end is inflated like a sail, and stretches in the direction it wants to travel, then like a suction cup it grabs the glass and pulls the rest of its body that direction. This is a benign type and you shouldn't worry if you see any in your tank. I've seen them on and off in reef tanks as well as refugiums.
Reef-safe.

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[mharmon]

Thanks - looks like you are spot on!

:applause:

[Joshua]

They eat pods by throwing themselves over them, pretty cool looking.

[tropicana]

are they bad? I might like them in my sump just for the heck of it lol. Thats pretty cool.

[clone]

yes thay are bad,VERY BAD.
from what i know they eat coral.

[Chris]

Actually, from your pictures it appears you have the harmless clearer flatworms. They're not as much of a nuisance as the brown or often orange variety of flatworms.

I've had them before and they never multiplied enough to cause a problem... you may want to keep an eye on them, but I doubt you'll have any problems.

[versach000]

That's not Red Planaria .
That is BenignFlatworms. Amphiscolops sp







capture
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==== Red Planaria ====

When I bought my tank, it was infested with Flatworms - Red Planaria - which propagate via fission. They are known to increase rapidly, smothering the sandbed and corals. If they all die at once, that crash will wipe out a tank due to the toxicity of the flatworm juice. I vacuumed out 1000's over the past 10 months, and then dosed my tank with Salifert's Flatworm eXit which removed them entirely


==== Acropora eating Flatworms ====

For those that keep Acropora sp, they've heard of Acropora eating Flatworms. The best way to identify if your coral has these it to place the coral in a white container with tank water and a few drops of Lugol's Solution. Wait a minute, then use a turkey baster to blast the coral. If you see small oval flat disks flying off the coral, it is infested with AEFW. These are a real threat, and will consume all Acropora sp. in the tank. The above picture points out just how small they are, and that doesn't even include the eggs!

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