Tiny orange flatworms

[Animal-Chin]

So last week I noticed what I thought were orange eggs on my glass but after googling like crazy I think i may have some orange flatworms. The internet is crazy with missinformation, depending on where I look they are either going to kill everything and I may as well take down my tank or they are totally harmless and will die in a couple of weeks.

Does anyone have real experience with these? Do they eat coral? Do I have to actively worry about these things or not?

I'd say I can visible see maybe 10 of them in the corner on the glass. I figure I'll suck them out with my next water change but would love to hear what you all think of these things....

Thanks.

 

[JJ-MIK]

Can you post a picture?

 

[SeanMonster]

I had flat worms and my lfs said if you see 10 there are many more than that in the tank. I treated with flatworm exit, once, and the population was basically erraticated.

 

[Animal-Chin]

Got home today and the few I saw yesterday were a hundred today. Did an emergency water change and sucked them out. Are the orange flatworms bad for coral?

 

[SeanMonster]

Got home today and the few I saw yesterday were a hundred today. Did an emergency water change and sucked them out. Are the orange flatworms bad for coral?

According to my lfs, they irritate corals such as torches, hammers, Duncans, etc. They get on them and eat the secretion that they produce making them recede but rarely killing them. If you use Flatworm Exit, follow the directions and make sure you siphon out as many as possible. Apparently when they die en masse they can release a toxin that can kill corals. But don't get nervous (like I did when I treated) if you miss a few that won't hurt anything. The Flatworm Exit will not hurt fish or corals.