10 months in - thinking about starting over
- Thread starter Ted_C
- Start date
ReefKeeper64
Wanna be a reefkeeper
I was wondering if anyone knows what this is that is growing on my rock? It isn't a vermetid snail. It's much smaller and doesn't put out a web but it does multiply and I'd like to nuke them somehow if possible. Any ideas?
leveldrummer
New member
I was wondering if anyone knows what this is that is growing on my rock? It isn't a vermetid snail. It's much smaller and doesn't put out a web but it does multiply and I'd like to nuke them somehow if possible. Any ideas?
Google spirorbid worm, see if that looks like your culprit.
ReefKeeper64
Wanna be a reefkeeper
it isn't either of those. I should have mentioned the tube you see is hard and will break if I touch it. I was thinking it is related to the vermetid snail except I can't see what is in the tube since it is so small. No web issue either.
ReefKeeper64
Wanna be a reefkeeper
no, it doesn't move and appears to be a tube of some sort.
rogergolf66
im an addict lol
Check it at night with a flashlight couple hours after lights out. Then report what u see.
aguila88psi
Zoa Addict
Looks like a tube worm to me, possibly a fan worm which are cool to look at and have
aguila88psi
Zoa Addict
Some reef safe wrasses eat tube worms, Google "Halichoeres reef safe" go to images and get one you like, it'll clear them out of your tank in no time but may go for your inverts as they get bigger in your tank so choose wisely 
Ted_C
Active member
Update:
I'm into my second water change with ESV B-Ionic. In total I've changed out around 90 gallons of my 165 gallon total system volume over 4 weeks. The Urchin spawned again when the new water was introudced.
Nitrates are reading 4 PPM.
Salinity around 34 PPT
Phosphates are around 0.04 PPM
Ca at 470 PPM
kH at 3.4 meq/l
Mg at 1340 PPM
A little good news - Something spawned on my MP40 and layed a clutch of eggs. I have no idea what these eggs are as I've never seen them in my tank before (I've got lots of snail eggs on the glass and I've seen the Skunk cleaners carrying eggs on their tails before). I'm guessing these are either the clownfish laying eggs or some free floating eggs that got pulled into the powerhead. The clownfish don't usually host on this particular powerhead and no one is currently at the clutch. I'll try to get a pic of it tonight if I can.
The dosing and water changes are keeping the system pretty stable. I'm still dosing 100 ml of 2 part per day.
In all, I think I've lost around $1,500 worth of corals. I still dont know what to attribute this to. If it is a pest - it has to be a pest (or pests) that attack multiple families of SPS (hence why I thought it may have been the vermetid). More likely I wasn't as stable in the system as I needed to be.
I have lost 1 Montipora, all Millipora, most Acroporas, all torts (would these be considered Acro's?). The items that still seem to be growing and thriving are: Montipora Confusa, Rainbow Montis, montipora digitata, bali green slimer and those acropora that came in with the Zanclea Hydroids and the blue squamosa clam and a few of Mike's corals and the vivid purple monster.
I have so many things that I could attribute this to:
4 keyhole limpets were in the display tank - never knew what they were or that they may eat Xooanlthlae
an Infestation of Vermetid Snails that I brought in in february. never knew what they were or that they can irritate SPS to death.
Brought in Aiptasia on my one piece of live rock - knew what they were and tried everything documented to eradicate them:Laser, Kalk Paste, Copperband, Peppermint Shrimp, Aiptasia-X and now on to Bergia. It's everywhere in the sump and the display.
Added a UV Sterilizer to the return plumbing (through a mag 18). That could have changed the parameters of algae growth in the display tank - cuasing the limpets or vermetid or crabs to start going after the acros.
Changed my LED light cycle from 13 hours to 9 hours.
Changed my LED light mix to drop warm and cool white to 15%
Swapped out my sump due to mechanical issues
switched salts (via water changes) so many times: From IORC to RSCP back to IORC to RS Normal to ESV B-ionic.
Using red slime remover for a severe outbreak of cyano
So many floods. two floods since july with one of them affecting the salinity in the tank.
Heck, it could even be the way I feed that's causing this. I turn off all the pumps and skimmers when I feed for five minutes.
Added a Blue Squamosa clam without quarantine
Added all SPS without quarantine
I'm into my second water change with ESV B-Ionic. In total I've changed out around 90 gallons of my 165 gallon total system volume over 4 weeks. The Urchin spawned again when the new water was introudced.
Nitrates are reading 4 PPM.
Salinity around 34 PPT
Phosphates are around 0.04 PPM
Ca at 470 PPM
kH at 3.4 meq/l
Mg at 1340 PPM
A little good news - Something spawned on my MP40 and layed a clutch of eggs. I have no idea what these eggs are as I've never seen them in my tank before (I've got lots of snail eggs on the glass and I've seen the Skunk cleaners carrying eggs on their tails before). I'm guessing these are either the clownfish laying eggs or some free floating eggs that got pulled into the powerhead. The clownfish don't usually host on this particular powerhead and no one is currently at the clutch. I'll try to get a pic of it tonight if I can.
The dosing and water changes are keeping the system pretty stable. I'm still dosing 100 ml of 2 part per day.
In all, I think I've lost around $1,500 worth of corals. I still dont know what to attribute this to. If it is a pest - it has to be a pest (or pests) that attack multiple families of SPS (hence why I thought it may have been the vermetid). More likely I wasn't as stable in the system as I needed to be.
I have lost 1 Montipora, all Millipora, most Acroporas, all torts (would these be considered Acro's?). The items that still seem to be growing and thriving are: Montipora Confusa, Rainbow Montis, montipora digitata, bali green slimer and those acropora that came in with the Zanclea Hydroids and the blue squamosa clam and a few of Mike's corals and the vivid purple monster.
I have so many things that I could attribute this to:
4 keyhole limpets were in the display tank - never knew what they were or that they may eat Xooanlthlae
an Infestation of Vermetid Snails that I brought in in february. never knew what they were or that they can irritate SPS to death.
Brought in Aiptasia on my one piece of live rock - knew what they were and tried everything documented to eradicate them:Laser, Kalk Paste, Copperband, Peppermint Shrimp, Aiptasia-X and now on to Bergia. It's everywhere in the sump and the display.
Added a UV Sterilizer to the return plumbing (through a mag 18). That could have changed the parameters of algae growth in the display tank - cuasing the limpets or vermetid or crabs to start going after the acros.
Changed my LED light cycle from 13 hours to 9 hours.
Changed my LED light mix to drop warm and cool white to 15%
Swapped out my sump due to mechanical issues
switched salts (via water changes) so many times: From IORC to RSCP back to IORC to RS Normal to ESV B-ionic.
Using red slime remover for a severe outbreak of cyano
So many floods. two floods since july with one of them affecting the salinity in the tank.
Heck, it could even be the way I feed that's causing this. I turn off all the pumps and skimmers when I feed for five minutes.
Added a Blue Squamosa clam without quarantine
Added all SPS without quarantine
CrazyEyes
New member
Just a couple things, Ted I'm right down the street and have a Red sea kit for No3, mag, ca and KH. I know it's the same brand but I know red sea had a recall on some of their Ca kits, maybe we could test them side by side to see if there is any difference. I wanted to comment on the E.S.V salt too. I tore my tank down like 2-3 weeks after switching from regular Red sea to E.S.V and I did notice some improvements, nothing against Red Sea but the E.S.V seams like a great salt. And John at Faois speaks highly of it and I believe that's what Faois runs in their entire coral system. I know you said you lost most of the frags I sold you, that's not a suprise to me as some of them weren't doing so great I blame high KH in my system while carbon dosing but how has the big Acro copiosa I sold you doing?
Ted_C
Active member
is that what it's called? I saw some base bleaching / recession (maybe 1/16'th of an inch around the base) - but it appears to be doing fine now and coloring up nicely. Its starting to turn a vivid purple color. If I can clean the glass tonight and have enough time to set-up my DSLR, I'll get a shot of it. I'm certianly not seeing the growth I was seeing when I first set up my tank - and I dont have a beginning picture of it. So I can't gauge if its growing or not or how fast.
I've confirmed my red sea NO3 kit with a saifert test. they both are reading right on the money. I also checked my lot on the red sea Ca - I'm ok there. If you'd like to confirm your water against my test kit - that wont be a problem - come on over.
I've confirmed my red sea NO3 kit with a saifert test. they both are reading right on the money. I also checked my lot on the red sea Ca - I'm ok there. If you'd like to confirm your water against my test kit - that wont be a problem - come on over.
Ted_C
Active member
More pics - The damage
More pics - The damage
Now this is interesting... when I look at Pedro's Superman Montipora and close ups of my Ora Red Planet - the SPS' skin is all "bubbly." I dont find any other occurances or images of this using google searches
Pedro's superman monti (before):
Pedro's superman monti today:
The same thing is going on with an ORA Red Planet
Close-ups:
More pics - The damage
Now this is interesting... when I look at Pedro's Superman Montipora and close ups of my Ora Red Planet - the SPS' skin is all "bubbly." I dont find any other occurances or images of this using google searches
Pedro's superman monti (before):
Pedro's superman monti today:
The same thing is going on with an ORA Red Planet
Close-ups:
aguila88psi
Zoa Addict
My Verde Acro did the same thing maybe 7months ago, did some testing and my alkalinity was high, nitrates and phosphates were super low, did some research and came to the conclusion that due to low nutrients more light was penetrating through the water thus causing a sunburn effect on the corals skin. Another possibility is that the coral was producing zooxanthella faster or slower then what the skeleton of the coral was growing. The fix for me was to dose iodine and feed more, I dosed and tested iodine as well as added more fish instead 
. My goal is to keep the paramteres that red sea coral pro has to promote growth so I try to keep 1-3ppm nitrates, .03 phosphates, .06-.09ppm iodine
. My goal is to keep the paramteres that red sea coral pro has to promote growth so I try to keep 1-3ppm nitrates, .03 phosphates, .06-.09ppm iodine
MJNTWise
7 Year Newbie
My Verde Acro did the same thing maybe 7months ago, did some testing and my alkalinity was high, nitrates and phosphates were super low, did some research and came to the conclusion that due to low nutrients more light was penetrating through the water thus causing a sunburn effect on the corals skin. Another possibility is that the coral was producing zooxanthella faster or slower then what the skeleton of the coral was growing. The fix for me was to dose iodine and feed more, I dosed and tested iodine as well as added more fish instead
With your PO3 and PO4 like that, Do you get any GHA growth?
aguila88psi
Zoa Addict
Unfortunately yes, that is the side effect, it doesnt help that i also have a pink t5 bulb installed as well lol,
aguila88psi
Zoa Addict
Well... I saw the coral blister, in some case actually pop and expose the skeleton. Ive read some information somewhere that too much light would cause corals to expell Zooxanthella, this probably didn't apply to my situation.
I added more nutrients so the light won't penitrate as much and not continue to burn the coral. The verde acro recovered quite well and is alive and thriving. The only problem I have with it is that my blue hippo tang keeps knocking it over or picking it up and placing it onto other corals :/
I added more nutrients so the light won't penitrate as much and not continue to burn the coral. The verde acro recovered quite well and is alive and thriving. The only problem I have with it is that my blue hippo tang keeps knocking it over or picking it up and placing it onto other corals :/
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