Red Bugs?

[ohioreef]

I really looked at my tank tonight and noticed what appears to be red bugs. I have not added anything to the tank in months so I'm surprised that they have suddenly popped up.

How do I confirm they are really redbugs? What do I do to treat them?

[Blown76mav]

Have Nikki look at them, she can spot a red bug at 50 yards.   Seriously I don't know, but Nikki is excellent at spotting them.

[lazylivin]

Are the on your SPS if so likely redbugs if they are on the rock and glass they are probably not. There are red pods out there

[Joel]

Since your tank is not a SPS dominate tank (At least I think so anyway) I would bet they are not red bugs. Flat worms seem more likley. A common specie had a reddish-brown coloration to them and the can reproduce into huge numbers very quickly.

If this is the case, I'd vacuum out as many as possible, fresh water dip the item that are safe to dip, treat the items not safe to fresh water dip in a bucket of aquarium water with flat worm exit and then when after doing all that, treat the entire system with flat worm exit. Have newly made water on hand ready to perform a water change and have fresh activated carbon on hand as well.

I suggest this because these little buggers are pretty toxic, if it's a heavy infestation, killing them in the aquarium can have serious negative affects afterward. Killing them in buckets and by freshwater dips outside the aquarium is much safer and can get the "in tank" populations down where it's not as risky treating the tank.

THis is assuming that it is flaw worms of course. Can you take a pic and post it?

[jake]

I had a case of flatworms in my 180 and treated. All was good after that

[ohioreef]

Would it be normal for them to stay hidden for several months and then BOOM!! I have literally not added anything to my tank for months. As a matter of fact, I've been neglecting it pretty badly this summer. Maybe that brought it about.

I'll see if I can get a pic on Tuesday when I'm off work.

[slandis3]

Hey do they look like this?

[ohioreef]

Pretty much

[slandis3]

yep flat worms. I would do as Joel said.

[jake]

ya I didn't see mine for a bit. Then I saw a few. Then alot. Then they died flatworm exit I think is what I used and as stated get all the dead ones out you can

[Riderc82]

I have had flat worms for at least a year ( I don't sell anything) but they have never got out of control.  They seem to hang out on the couple of shrooms I have and don't seem to bother anything else.   What do you have to remove from your tank if you use flatworm exit?  I believe I read somewhere that they reproduce faster if your water becomes nutrient rich so maybe you just had a couple and since you have been neglecting your tank they reproduced quicker.

[Joel]

Flat worms can be very toxic when they die. This is why I suggest getting the bulk of the flat worms out of the aquarium before treating the aquarium with flat worm exit and to have new water and fresh carbon on hand when you treat. I add flat worm exit to a bucket of aquarium water with an air stone or small power head and add a coral or two to it. Then I return the corals to the tank, dump the bucket of water and repeat the process until I have dipped all the things I wanted dipped. I don't continue to use the same bucket of water because of the potential toxins that could be present in the water.

I also siphon out as many flat worms from the tank as I can with a piece of air line tubing. Only after I have removed the majority of the flat worms do I treat the aquarium with flat worm exit. This can significantly reduce the risk of the toxins released by the flat worms harming the other aquarium inhabitants. And I do a water change, add fresh activated carbon and get the protein skimmer cranking all to help reduse the toxins potentially present in the aquarium water.

If your tank was getting dirty, this is likley why the population had increased so much.

You don't need to remove anything from the aquarium while treating with flat worm exit (other than excessive amounts of flat worms)

[rayviv]

yep flat worms. I would do as Joel said.

Talking about the red things or the small brown dots ?