robojet
11/19/2008, 02:49 PM
[Since this is a clam predator, I'm hoping folks in this forum will know the answers to some questions]
So, I used to have a couple of croceas... but they were taken out by what I later found and removed... a polyclad flatworm (a couple months ago). Here it is...
http://members.cox.net/robojet/flatworm.jpg
So, I thought my problems were over, until I came home yesterday and found my scooter blenny dead, and being picked over my by cleaner shrimp. I got my forceps and removed him (kinda tucked into a dark area of rock). But noticed it looked like there was still a little piece of him... so I went to pluck out the remains, and it moved... as I got my eyes adjusted I was shocked to have yet another Polyclad Flatworm! I tried, but was unable to capture it and it disappeared into the rock.
It took me a week of very sleepless nights and a red lens flashlight to catch the last one. I'm hoping there's an easier way.
Here's my questions if someone can help:
1) Is there another way to catch this rather than staying up late lurking over my tank? For instance, a predator of the polyclad flatworm that wouldn't kill corals and/or fish?
2) How do these things reproduce? I'm trying to figure out how big my problem is, and if it's going to get worse.
3) My Scooter Blenny seemed otherwise healthy the night before its unfortunate demise. I'm wondering if the flatworm had anything to do with it's death... My first thought was that the blenny must have died, and the Polyclad Flatworm took advantage of a free meal, but from what I read, that is not it's preference. It prefers live food... which leads me to believe my rock/sand dwelling blenny was attacked by the Polyclad Flatworm. I have not read anything that makes me believe that it attacks fish, but I know from experience it ate all my snails and my clams. Any opinions?
Thanks!
So, I used to have a couple of croceas... but they were taken out by what I later found and removed... a polyclad flatworm (a couple months ago). Here it is...
http://members.cox.net/robojet/flatworm.jpg
So, I thought my problems were over, until I came home yesterday and found my scooter blenny dead, and being picked over my by cleaner shrimp. I got my forceps and removed him (kinda tucked into a dark area of rock). But noticed it looked like there was still a little piece of him... so I went to pluck out the remains, and it moved... as I got my eyes adjusted I was shocked to have yet another Polyclad Flatworm! I tried, but was unable to capture it and it disappeared into the rock.
It took me a week of very sleepless nights and a red lens flashlight to catch the last one. I'm hoping there's an easier way.
Here's my questions if someone can help:
1) Is there another way to catch this rather than staying up late lurking over my tank? For instance, a predator of the polyclad flatworm that wouldn't kill corals and/or fish?
2) How do these things reproduce? I'm trying to figure out how big my problem is, and if it's going to get worse.
3) My Scooter Blenny seemed otherwise healthy the night before its unfortunate demise. I'm wondering if the flatworm had anything to do with it's death... My first thought was that the blenny must have died, and the Polyclad Flatworm took advantage of a free meal, but from what I read, that is not it's preference. It prefers live food... which leads me to believe my rock/sand dwelling blenny was attacked by the Polyclad Flatworm. I have not read anything that makes me believe that it attacks fish, but I know from experience it ate all my snails and my clams. Any opinions?
Thanks!