red small worms

[walkytalky]

I noticed that I had this red flaky stuff stuck to the glass of the tank, so when I went to clean it, there were tons of little red worms.
What is it and what do I do with it.
I would post a pic but I can't seem to. ??

[Darth]

u need a photo image site like flikr or photobucket, but it sounds like it could be flatworms

[Dakotamay]

u need a photo image site like flikr or photobucket, but it sounds like it could be flatworms

I'll second what Darth said. You can get a product called flatworm RX from most of the LFS. Follow the directions very carefully as flat worms release toxins into the water as they die. Too many dieing at once wouldn't be a good thing if your tank is a smaller water volume.

[veron]

I'd even go as far as to remove your rock and treat seperatly in a can.
You won't believe how many hide in the rock. Plus I'd treat twice.
Always dip any thing you add to your tank. Pest are no fun.

[walkytalky]

k are they bad for the tank? Does any critter/fish eat them?
Thanks for the help.

[Greatwhite]

Some Wrasses will eat 'em.. Yellow Coris.. 6-Line (don't get this guy for some reason)... Some other wrasses.

IF you do use flatworm RX, have some carbon ready to run because the worms are toxic when they die, and you stand a risk of killing everything in your tank if you don't get the toxic waste out quickly.

[montisaurus]

I used a blue velvet nudibranch with amazing success ....So long as you don't have crazy amount of flow, and semi-protected powerheads, they mow those little red worms down pretty quickly.  I found one locally despite what this article says

http://www.seahorse-nw.com/Predators.html

Some Wrasses will eat 'em.. Yellow Coris.. 6-Line (don't get this guy for some reason)... Some other wrasses.

IF you do use flatworm RX, have some carbon ready to run because the worms are toxic when they die, and you stand a risk of killing everything in your tank if you don't get the toxic waste out quickly.

Also, I wanted to mention I have a Yellow Wrasse ........He never once touched them... but all fish are different, you must remember that. How ever 98.9% of the time six-lines are bullies!

[Darth]

again this assuming its flatworms, make sure it is that before you go ripping the tank apart or treating it

[Feivel]

flatworms or bistleworms? are they the same thing?

[Dakotamay]

No flat worms are small red worms. Bristle worms are larger and hairy looking. They are round and long. Similar in shape to a regular earth worm. But with white hairs.
Flat worms are bad for your tank. It's debatable on bristleworms. Some say they're good for the tank. Some say only small ones are good. Some say none are good at all. I'm of the opinion that none at all is the best.
Six lines I agree are more often than not. Good little citizens while small. When they are full grown they can be terrors. We had one for a long time in our tank. Got it when it was about an inch. When it got to about 2 or 3 inches. It began to terrorize everything in the tank. It fond a new home.
As I mentioned and GreatWhite confirmed. IF you have flat worms and choose to go Flatworm RX route. Make sure you have water ready to do a water change and carbon ready as well.

[Greatwhite]

Black bristle worms are bad - they'll catch and eat whatever passes by them.  Pink/white ones are some of the best detrivores you'll ever get (for free) in your tank.  I have some pink guys who come out for my soft sinking pellets, and although I "removed" about a dozen when I moved, I'm happy to see that there are still a healthy number in my tank.

I told my daughter that a bristle worm she saw was a caterpillar - because that's what it looks like, and she was happy with that and stopped asking...

Flatworms look like little red pieces of playdough after my 3 year old makes a snake.  There's always little bits all over the table, floor, etc that are smaller than a grain of rice, and slightly flattened -- kind of reddish brown.

You can google both types of worms for pics...

[Dakotamay]

Wow after 3 years in this hobby I learned something new today. Thanks Greatwhite. I had no idea that a black bristleworm existed. Guess, I've just never run across any.
We have a couple little pink and white ones. buggers. If they get out of hand they'll be plucked and flushed.

[76brian]

Could be worse: http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

[Dakotamay]

Could be worse: http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

Nasty!!!!!!!!!! 

[Greatwhite]

Wow after 3 years in this hobby I learned something new today. Thanks Greatwhite. I had no idea that a black bristleworm existed. Guess, I've just never run across any.
We have a couple little pink and white ones. buggers. If they get out of hand they'll be plucked and flushed.

Yeah, they had one "on display" at Fish Tail for a while...  Someone pulled it out of their tank after losing a bunch of fish.  It was "only" about 8" long, if I remember right.

[Greatwhite]

Here's a pic I just managed to take of one of my worm friends.  I was dropping soft pellets down for my emerald  crab to catch, and this bristly guy appeared.  It stretched about 2" out of the rock to reach a pellet, grabbed it in its mouth, and disappered back into the rock.  It never "let go" of the rock with its hind end.

This is a good guy.