Reef Discussion

Col81

Member
Feb 6, 2016
69
21
Airlie beach
Flat Worm ?
Does anyone know if there are xenia eating flat worms.. apon doing my morning kz dosing i noticed a small bump on one of the larger xenia stems.. it was the same colour but looked like it had three lighter coloured strips running longways to it. I pulled out the tweezers to inspect.... when i touched it it moved like grease lightening!.... so did I.... and snatching it up and removing it.
I didn't get a photo it turned to mush when i tried to get it of the tweezers.
 

Savage Henry

Member
Feb 2, 2015
653
254
I don't know if they specifically target Xenia, but I'd suggest a Halichoeres wrasse if your tank has the capacity to take on another small fish.
 

Col81

Member
Feb 6, 2016
69
21
Airlie beach
I don't know if they specifically target Xenia, but I'd suggest a Halichoeres wrasse if your tank has the capacity to take on another small fish.
Thanks for the advise but I might have to look into another option? Little blue damsel is nightmare for new dish and I cringe at the idea of a tank strip down to remove it.
I believe hallichoeres like to eat more than flat worm...fond of my fan worm population.
 

Col81

Member
Feb 6, 2016
69
21
Airlie beach
I imagine there is going to be more than just one worm in there.. the xenia has been in for at least 4 months.... my fault i just buy coral acclimatize and introduce to the tank, making it the third hitchhiker i have found from the last lot of corals i bought. 1st mantis shrimp living under a leather... a nudibranch on a palm coral having a good old chew .. now this flat worm.
 

Savage Henry

Member
Feb 2, 2015
653
254
If you choose the appropriate wrasse you should be OK. I had a Dusky Wrasse and a Canary Wrasse together for a couple years and still had those small feather dusters in the tank. I had no detectable copepods though. Then again, whose to say that an individual wrasse won't take a liking to feather dusters?

Interestingly, the two tangs that I have kept ate different beneficial bugs and worms as the tangs grew up. I guess with any fish it just depends on how many of each thing they eat.