Can flatworms, red planaria, live outside of water?

[UncleJT]

Can Acoel flatworms live outside of water?

When I took down my 20 gallon system last year, there was a mild population of what many call "Red Planaria". These are the the common rusty brown Acoel flatworms although Ron Shimek says they aren't planaria at all despite how many people refer to them as such.

Anyway, the rock from the system has been kept dry and fairly clean for almost a year but I'm wondering if any flatworm spores will come back to life once the rock is re-hydrated. There are a couple pieces I'd really like to use in my new system.

I plan on re-hydrating the rock in the dark, outside of the new display, for at least a month just to make sure. I will probably do water changes on it every four days as well as I want to make sure there are no phosphates or anything else leeching out of the rock either.

 

[iReefer]

dont worry youre good to go.

 

[KLR]

Idk with flatworms but I think algae will.......I did the same thing with an algae coated rock, and then I put it in the tank (after it had been dry for months) and the same algae grew on it again...

How much algae and flatworm cells/spores are,im not sure

Maybe it was just happened that way,and the cells didnt do it, im honestly not sure but then I took the rock and dipped it in freshwater and Tech-M..sooo ya

 

[UncleJT]

Idk with flatworms but I know with algae it will.......I did the same thing with an algae coated rock, and then I put it in the tank (after it had been dry for months) and the same algae grew on it again...

Yeah, thankfully these rocks were otherwise clean.. just a couple small aiptasia and the Acoel flatworms.