Flatworm?

DaveR11

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Got home from work and checked the tank and saw this gliding across the sand. It is around 40-50mm long. My first suspicion was some sort of flatworm but now I'm not so sure. Netted it and it is now residing in the sump until its true nature can be determined....

 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
If you haven't done so yet, you need to get that polyclad flatworm out of your tank. These prey on mollusks. Most of the time you don't even know they are there, but what you do notice is that your snails are slowly dying off. Hopefully it didn't lay eggs in your tank. :eek:
 
DaveR11

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
Oxylebius said:
If you haven't done so yet, you need to get that polyclad flatworm out of your tank. These prey on mollusks. Most of the time you don't even know they are there, but what you do notice is that your snails are slowly dying off. Hopefully it didn't lay eggs in your tank. :eek:
Click to expand...

Thanks Oxy, yes got it out. It is the first HH I have got rid of.
 
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cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
That is a creepy looking critter!How can one tell if they "might" have flatworms in the tank? My snails seem to die off over time. I thought it was poor acclimation or poor water maybe. I have not seen anything like that in my tank. Is there another way to find out? Perhaps a trap maybe?
 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Not sure. Haven't had the need to do much reading on these guys. I know what they look like. I know what they eat, depending on the species it eats mollusks, clams, snails, bivalves, etc. And I know you don't want it in your tank.
 
DaveR11

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
The one I had was quite brazenly moving around on the sand with the lights on. I have lost a couple of snails but presumed this was down to them falling off rocks and not righting themselves and me not spotting them quickly enough. I also have hermit crabs. Not seen any other flatworms since the one I photographed but then who knows as there are lots of places to hide. I do spend a lot of time tank watching though.....
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Snails are particularly susceptible to parasite infection (as are terrestrial snails and slugs). That combined with them not giving out any visible signs of poor heath usually result in a high mortality rate.

I think that would be great if there was a way to quarantine and treat snails for these prior to dumping them into the tank. I'd bet 4 out of 5 snails sold with cleanup crew packages, or LFS are infected. I haven't found anything that works in the past 18 years or so...

Jeff
 
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