White Spots - Flatworms???

[adeocampo]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/27610mini-White_spots_00001.JPG


Hi,


I've noticed a little out break of these little tiny white spots within my sump. I'm concerned that these organisms will be harmful to my tank. Are these some kind of flatworm, which I here are bad for a tank if left unchecked? If so, how do I treat them?


thanks in advance,

Alex

[greenbean36191]

From the pic it's hard to see anything more than white specks. They may be flatworms, but if they are, then they aren't the harmful kind, which are red. Do they move around?
They kind of look like harmless tube worms to me, but if they move then they obviously aren't.

[sWampy]

Not to Hijack, but are light orange/brown ones harmful? I have some on my mushrooms that have moved around for 8 months, but haven't seemed to harm anything.

[greenbean36191]

Yep, the orangish brown ones are the bad ones. In some tanks they can get bad enough that they actually smother out corals, but in most tanks they are just annoying. Most people don't like to get frags with flatworms on them though so if you plan to do some trading or selling you should probably take care of them with some flatworm exit.

[dc]

Are they these?
http://images5.fotki.com/v59/photos/2/28482/235116/DSC02592worms-vi.jpg

Harmless Spirorbidae worms. Kind of like real small feather dusters.