Euphyllia Eating Flatworm (EEFW)

Huly · 07/25/2013, 08:19 AM

My husband and I are still new to the hobby. Our tank will be a year old next month but a few months ago we experienced a unique phenomenon that most people (even those in the hobby for years) have never seen. I thought I would share the experience with y'all to see if anyone here has seen this or had this situation.

On Monday 6/3/13 we noticed our Torch corals were a little sucked in. All water parameters were good so we decided to watch them. On Thursday 6/6/13 we noticed something that looked like algae on the side of the yellow torch but when we touched it, it moved. We were able to grab one with a tweezer (apx 1-1.5 inch long) and they move very fast. Most affected seems to be Yellow Torch.

Before photos

Huly · 07/25/2013, 08:19 AM

After lots of research (not much out there on these) we decided to do one dip on Coral RX (do more as needed). We also dipped other LPS including Aussies and SPS. We used 2 home depot buckets with 2 gallons tank water each. One with small light pupmp for Coral RX dose and one for rinse. I want to say the recommended dosage is 20 ml per gallon, so we did 40 (as we used 2 gallons). We left it in there with the small pump running for about 10 min. and then turned them upside down and swirled them in the mixture and to remove excess dead worms. We then swirled them in the clean 2 gallons of tank water to rinse off excess dip for about a minute and then placed back in the tank.

Treatment Photos

We ended up losing one gold torch but all of the others are healthy and thriving. Has anyone else had these and what did you do? We are always paranoid that they might come back, that we might have missed an egg etc.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/25/2013, 08:39 AM

I've never seen, or even read of such a pest.

I would definitely keep an eye on them over the next few weeks in case they do come back. I ran into that issue with Nudibranch problem I had last year. I ended up dipping the coral every week for a month to kill them all. You have to get them after they hatch, but before they lay eggs.

Good luck and please keep this thread updated.

mayjong · 07/25/2013, 09:01 AM

wow, that's a new one.
did you add any other lps recently? had to come from somewhere...

Huly · 07/25/2013, 09:45 AM

The gold torches were added 4-6 months prior to the outbreak and the yellow 2 months prior both were dipped at the LFS I got them from and neither saw this issue. We assume one had eggs that most dips do not kill and it hatched in our tank. Also no one knew to keep an eye out for these either. This has been a new one for pretty much everyone I have talked to.

This outbreak happened in June of this year and after 2 dips we think we are still clean but we are so paranoid at the same time.

vafgooden · 01/14/2016, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huly

My husband and I are still new to the hobby. Our tank will be a year old next month but a few months ago we experienced a unique phenomenon that most people (even those in the hobby for years) have never seen. I thought I would share the experience with y'all to see if anyone here has seen this or had this situation.

On Monday 6/3/13 we noticed our Torch corals were a little sucked in. All water parameters were good so we decided to watch them. On Thursday 6/6/13 we noticed something that looked like algae on the side of the yellow torch but when we touched it, it moved. We were able to grab one with a tweezer (apx 1-1.5 inch long) and they move very fast. Most affected seems to be Yellow Torch.

Before photos

Hello! I have the same problem!!! How is your torch going? What is the best solution? Thanks in advance!

vafgooden · 01/14/2016, 05:15 AM

Hello! I have the same problem!!! How is your torch going? What is the best solution? Thanks in advance!

Dkuhlmann · 01/14/2016, 05:21 AM

This thread is 2 1/2 years old. The original people may or may not answer. I'm pretty sure that someone will come along to directly answer your question.

But if it were me, I'd do exactly what was said in the previous comments.

Washout · 01/14/2016, 10:38 AM

Coral dip like above works really well, though I don't know if you would 100% zap everything though. Once that is done I would add something like a melanarus wrasse or a 6 line wrasse to your tank, they control these pests really well.

sde1500 · 01/14/2016, 10:43 AM

And here I am looking forward to stocking my tank with Euphyllia and not having to deal with pests like SPS has. There goes that :/ Still going with that plan, but dang...

ReefWreak · 01/14/2016, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sde1500

And here I am looking forward to stocking my tank with Euphyllia and not having to deal with pests like SPS has. There goes that :/ Still going with that plan, but dang...

If it grows in the ocean, there's at least a dozen things that eat it. You might be able to stop 10 of them, but there's always the chance for the last two (or more).

That's why QT is always better than dips, if you can do it. Most of us can't, so we don't. Some of us don't even bother dipping.

bdturtle21 · 03/19/2016, 09:26 PM

About a week ago I noticed a flatworm on the base of my torch - I pulled him out with tweezers and thought it was a polyclad flatworm. At this time the torch (golden Aussie) was still doing really well... I have since realized that these are EEFW and my torch is not doing so well anymore. Strangely, my hammer is unaffected... as are all the other LPS in the tank.

Anyhow, I've now dipped the torch twice (4 days apart) and get 3-4 flatworms off each time. The torch isn't doing great, but isn't getting worse. I am hoping it will survive.

From reading this thread, I understand I should dip the other LPS in the tank. But, what about zoas? Will this worm eat zoas? I have a few really great, unique zoas that I def do not want to get eaten!!

Thanks in advance!!

07/25/2013, 08:19 AM	#1
Huly Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Leesburg VA Posts: 18	Euphyllia Eating Flatworm (EEFW) My husband and I are still new to the hobby. Our tank will be a year old next month but a few months ago we experienced a unique phenomenon that most people (even those in the hobby for years) have never seen. I thought I would share the experience with y'all to see if anyone here has seen this or had this situation. On Monday 6/3/13 we noticed our Torch corals were a little sucked in. All water parameters were good so we decided to watch them. On Thursday 6/6/13 we noticed something that looked like algae on the side of the yellow torch but when we touched it, it moved. We were able to grab one with a tweezer (apx 1-1.5 inch long) and they move very fast. Most affected seems to be Yellow Torch. Before photos

07/25/2013, 09:01 AM	#4
mayjong Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 2,426	wow, that's a new one. did you add any other lps recently? had to come from somewhere... __________________ No Tanks... I'm out! still lurking, though...

01/14/2016, 05:21 AM	#8
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	This thread is 2 1/2 years old. The original people may or may not answer. I'm pretty sure that someone will come along to directly answer your question. But if it were me, I'd do exactly what was said in the previous comments. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

03/19/2016, 09:26 PM	#12
bdturtle21 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Kalama, WA Posts: 61	Do EEFW eat zoas? About a week ago I noticed a flatworm on the base of my torch - I pulled him out with tweezers and thought it was a polyclad flatworm. At this time the torch (golden Aussie) was still doing really well... I have since realized that these are EEFW and my torch is not doing so well anymore. Strangely, my hammer is unaffected... as are all the other LPS in the tank. Anyhow, I've now dipped the torch twice (4 days apart) and get 3-4 flatworms off each time. The torch isn't doing great, but isn't getting worse. I am hoping it will survive. From reading this thread, I understand I should dip the other LPS in the tank. But, what about zoas? Will this worm eat zoas? I have a few really great, unique zoas that I def do not want to get eaten!! Thanks in advance!!

07/25/2013, 08:39 AM	#3
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I've never seen, or even read of such a pest. I would definitely keep an eye on them over the next few weeks in case they do come back. I ran into that issue with Nudibranch problem I had last year. I ended up dipping the coral every week for a month to kill them all. You have to get them after they hatch, but before they lay eggs. Good luck and please keep this thread updated.

07/25/2013, 09:45 AM	#5
Huly Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Leesburg VA Posts: 18	The gold torches were added 4-6 months prior to the outbreak and the yellow 2 months prior both were dipped at the LFS I got them from and neither saw this issue. We assume one had eggs that most dips do not kill and it hatched in our tank. Also no one knew to keep an eye out for these either. This has been a new one for pretty much everyone I have talked to. This outbreak happened in June of this year and after 2 dips we think we are still clean but we are so paranoid at the same time.

01/14/2016, 05:15 AM	#7
vafgooden Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Monaco Posts: 3	Hello! I have the same problem!!! How is your torch going? What is the best solution? Thanks in advance!

01/14/2016, 10:38 AM	#9
Washout Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 101	Coral dip like above works really well, though I don't know if you would 100% zap everything though. Once that is done I would add something like a melanarus wrasse or a 6 line wrasse to your tank, they control these pests really well.

01/14/2016, 10:43 AM	#10
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	And here I am looking forward to stocking my tank with Euphyllia and not having to deal with pests like SPS has. There goes that :/ Still going with that plan, but dang...