Reefs.org Forums

[jimmyj]

I have now caught two of these. They eat/kill snails very aggressively, like one good sized turbo per day. (this is a cross post with RC. I'm asking for help where ever I can get it)

Please help, what can I do about these? Predator fish?

Please see link, I am not able to post pics here, so this is a link to my local forum where I did post the write up with pics.

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums...1262#post731262

TIA
jk

[jimmyj]

The link didn't work for some reason, trying again'

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/sho ... hp?t=78806

[pslee]

If you are successful in capturing these flatworms I would love to take them off your hands. I can pay for shipping. Good luck!

[vitz]

flatworms that kill turbos are a good thing

turbos have no business being in any tank-they feed/create just as much, if not more algae than they eat-and they generally do not survive beyond six months on avg in any tank-they are a phosphate factory both when alive, or when dying un-noticed behind a rock

why anybody still keeps buying/keeping them (or any of the other snails) , is beyond me

attacking algae issues AT THE ROOT CAUSE makes so much more sense than spending money on a non-functioning band aid

[Goldstein]

flatworms that kill turbos are a good thing

turbos have no business being in any tank-they feed/create just as much, if not more algae than they eat-and they generally do not survive beyond six months on avg in any tank-they are a phosphate factory both when alive, or when dying un-noticed behind a rock

why anybody still keeps buying/keeping them (or any of the other snails) , is beyond me

attacking algae issues AT THE ROOT CAUSE makes so much more sense than spending money on a non-functioning band aid

I agree with you Vitz, the whole 'buy more cleanup crew to battle that algae' mindset is annoying but its a big money maker. Especially when all those snails die and time to restock. On the lifespan I had at least one turbo that lived 3 + years and was baseball size before he bit the dust.

Also, mixing snails and hermits is just asking for trouble but its a staple for cleanup packages.

On topic - I've seen those flatworms before and they do get big, didn't know they preyed on molluscs. They have a really cool undulating motion when swimmin / crawling along the substrate.

[davidmohr]

It's a species of Paraplanocera a predatory flatworm. Just remove it/them manually.
It's nice to have my eyes back.

Regards,
David Mohr

[Lawdawg]

that thing is huuuuge!

[Bucolic Buffalo]

Cool!

[Saltlick]

Even though I am not expressly intent on having fish, I did a little Ddippity Do on all my new
coral I got in last night, and one one rock, 4 isopods bolted immediately, and on another,
6-7 of these flatworms swam quickly away. I was PLEASED as PUNCH to be getting rid of
both of these species, and am happy I decided to dunk em first. Could be I didn't get em all,
but those are several creatures who will not be reproducing in my tank. I once had a flatworm
invasion in my quarantine tank, and I was going to be sure I did all I could to prevent that.
These were 4 times the size of the normal tan flatworm with a red spot. They looked like
leeches as they undulated/swam around the dip container. Gave me a shiver just thinking
about them being loose in that tank.