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BrianR

Reefer
Help! These suckers are taking over my friends tank.
I feel bad because they hitchhiked on a plug from my tank. They mysteriously died off in my system but are blooming out of control in his!
Please advise us on what to do.
Thanks
Wy48112.jpg
 

MedicineMan1

Advanced Reefer
Yup, those are the red photosynthetic flatworms. BUT the are NOT planaria. As has been pointed out many times, planaria are freshwater flatworms, they are white and non-photosynthetic and, generally, are much smaller than what we see. It generally takes some magnification to see planaria.

How do you get rid of them? I have a six-line wrasse that eats them but that's a hit and miss situation, much like peppermint shrimp eating aiptasia. I've heard of a couple of other critters that will eat them but don't remember their names. I wouldn't be too concerned about them, though; their population tends to wax and wane and they really don't hurt anything other than be a little unsightly.
 

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