White Flat Worms

[SteveHk]

I was looking a my tank today and I noticed about 3 white flat worms on my glass. They have a split tail like the bad ones.

 

Are these safe or should I remove them?

 

Thanks,

 

Steve...

[c est ma]

No worries, the white ones are harmless. Here's a quote from another ID thread about them:

 

>>Thought you might like to know what Delbeek & Sprung (The Reef Aquarium, vol. 1) have to say about your flatworms:

 

"There are approximately 14 different non-parasitic forms that have been seen in aquariums...Some of these feed on small copepods, others feed on diatoms and others act as scavengers...The most commonly encountered flatworm in the reef aquarium are the small, semi-transparent, whitish ones belonging to the suborder Maricola. These are usually found in newly setup aquariums with live rock. They have a length of 5-10 mm with a rounded anterior end and fork-shaped rear end. Mainly active at night, they are usually found crawling along the glass or rock but they can swim short distances when disturbed. These small worms should not cause any undue alarm as they are actually quite helpful and will usually disappear within a few months as their food supply diminishes. If they do not, it could be that you are overfeeding the aquarium..."

 

--Diane

[SteveHk]

Excellent, thank you for your reply.

 

Steve...

[seahorsedreams]

I love these guys. Very interesting critters. Sadly, they are all gone now.