Blasto wellsi warefare?

[Jacob D]

I've had really mixed results w/ B. wellsi. Colonies that have been extremely healthy and show no signs of receeding at all mysteriously receed, and in one case totally died overnight. Now that I've had some experience w/ this I'm starting to see a pattern that always co-incides with the addition of a new B. wellsi. And typically the new addition is the one to survive while the previously healthy colonies quickly die.

I've always kept them in close proximity on the sand near an overhang. So the colonies are closely grouped, not touching, but they are close to one another. Recently I got to thinking that it could be chemical warefare going on so I moved the colonies far apart. Immeadiatly the newly added colony is looking much better, the previously healthy one is only looking slightly better.

Anyone else had this issue w/ multiple B. wellsi's near eachother?

 

[fugupuff]

i agree, i'm a freak with keeping "like kinds" together in close proximity. animals in same genus especially. same thing happend, i had large colonies of blasto wellsi, different coors and different size polys, close together, and spontaneously, some polyps will die off over night. i'm thinking the same thing now, but i really thought blastos don't have very strong stinging cells

 

[Jacob D]

I don't believe they put out sweepers (I've never seen it). I'm wondering if it's alleopathy (sp?) similar to how soft corals do battle. Do we have any wellsi experts out there?

 

[Blastomussaman]

I'm no expert, but I've owned a lot of Blastos in the past. Now I'm down to only 6 colonies.

Blastos don't have sweepers. If anything, they get killed first. IMO they are the weakest of Mussids or maybe all of LPS. Acans will and kill them in a heartbeat.

My experiences are different. I have kept the Blastos together and at times they opened big enough to touch each other with no ill effect.

However, I once introduced a few new colonies of Blasto Wellsi and they all perished like a time bomb right after a week. Initially they were plump and juicy for a whole week, then all of sudden, the mouths open up and they started rotting away so fast as if someone was feasting on them.

I kept them in, thinking blastos will normally bounce back even when they look the worst, but it didn't. All colonies rotted to the bone by the next day or so and what's worse, even affected other old colonies that I have kept for years.

I blamed it on acclimation at first, but then I tried other colonies using all the correct methods and the blastos still rotted away after a week even in my quarantine tank. I didn't even get to introduce it yet!

It is my belief that some blastos from certain collection areas are experiencing the Elegance effect, and especially, the most colorful ones. I have been able to keep normal red/green, orange, alive quite sucessfully, but the extravagant purples w/fl. green centers and other vivid bi-color morphs have been off my list for a while.

Take my word for it, when it starts to rot, take them out. Quarantine them and let them die alone...

 

[Jacob D]

Blastomussaman, thanks for your input.

However, I once introduced a few new colonies of Blasto Wellsi and they all perished like a time bomb right after a week. Initially they were plump and juicy for a whole week, then all of sudden, the mouths open up and they started rotting away so fast as if someone was feasting on them.

I kept them in, thinking blastos will normally bounce back even when they look the worst, but it didn't. All colonies rotted to the bone by the next day or so and what's worse, even affected other old colonies that I have kept for years.

That is exactly what I have experienced on separate occasions now. Note, I didn't have any colonies for years, but for many months all of which the coral looked exceptional. I would equate what happens to RTN seen in SPS corals. It is sudden and there doesn't appear to be any stopping it. In all events that this has happened to me the newly added blastos were either already receeded, or appeared very unhappy to begin with, and the healthy established colonies RTN'd.

The worst case for me was adding a couple of 'bargains' to my blasto collection, thinking I could nurse them back to health, instead I lost ALL of my blastos in an RTN event like this.

 

[Blastomussaman]

Yes, RTN better describes it.

By the way, it is my belief that chemical warfare is very prevalent in our wannabe slices of the ocean. Even though in nature you see similar genus/species crowded together, doesn't mean that we can in our tanks.

We cannot replicate what's in the ocean, nor the waterchanges. I've had a colonies of mixed zoas (wild caught) and have one species completely eradicate the others and overtook the whole colony.

I didn't want to mislead others that my blastos touched and fared. It was not my intention for them to touch and would leave more space as choice.

 

[reefnroll]

These observations have been discussed in detail in the past.
I remembered this thread and dug it up for all of your information.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122991&highlight=blastomussa

I've had the same experiences you've described, which is why I recall the issue and the discussion so clearly. I was helplessly losing this incredible specimen around the time this thread was happening.

Hope this helps... at least in commiseration.

bec

 

[Jacob D]

Reefnroll, some good reading there, thanks for that link. I guess there is some comfort in knowing my observations have been shared by others. I know what it's like to lose a collector's piece like yours above and don't wish that on anyone. I hope we can uncover the causes here.

After reading the thread above I'm fairly certain allelopathy is at work. I do have a sinularia in my tank, as well as a nephthea. The nephthea is nearby the blastos, and the sinularia is in the direct path of the flow that passes over the blastos.

I almost suspect though that the blastos themselves are effecting eachother based on my observations and the timing of the RTN events and new additions being introduced.

 

[Blastomussaman]

Thanks Reefnroll. Wow, that was a beauty.

The past thread was very informative. However, my blasto w. deaths were in my LPS only tank. It could be allelopathy but I had other Wellsi for years w/no probs. Plus, Blastos were the only new introductions and not only was it not receding, it showed vibrant colors and not a bit of illness for a whole week before it killed itself and others alike.

It could be that the Blastos themselves have problems from what I observed, not just chemical warfare.

I know many others with the same problem and we're all looking for answers.

 

[Jus Reefin]

Good reading. I lost a few myself and Pray I never lose any more. I can't stand to lose these awesome creatures. I have had this beauty close to 3 years now

 

[Nanonut]

I've had the same thing happen to my Wellsi. I added a new Wellsi placing it almost touching the older one. I noticed that within a couple of weeks I had lost about half of my old one and the new one was doing fine and still is today. My old one is still with me with new polyps coming up and sometimes dying off, but the color has never been the same. I will be getting a new tank soon so I will move them farther apart next time and see if this helps. There is a picture of my blastos in my gallery, thankfully I still have them.

 

[GMGQ]

1 Day after getting it from the LFS (straight from a fresh shipment arrival):

3 days later (moved to the refugium now):

It's currently in stable condition. Doesnt look any better, doesnt look any worse. I'm spraying Reef-Roids onto it daily, hoping it will eat. <fingers crossed>

 

[xdusty6920]

ive thought over a thousand possiblities of what it could be that causes blastos to do this........but its inconclusive and completely random. i say qt them and dont spend an arm and a leg on them because they can be a very temperary coral. i view them like carnations or gonis.

 

[mschriskim]

Just my 2 cents

I lost some and brought some back healthy condition (Actually I am nursing a baby blue colony that I got form LFS 1 week ago)

Here is tips that I take care my balstos.

Ones stressed or open mouth and fresh shippment (If you do not know the balsto you are getting is not kept in captivity more few months than you need to think about it as fresh shippment - most of case you pick up balstos are in this case as a nice blastos not sitting there for while) I keep them in my sump without light for 1-2 weeks (I mean no light at all - does not need to be in dark but no direct light even low PC light) if condition is not recovered I treat them as just live rock in my sump and check 1-2 weeks timeline.

Once you see them recovered - no more open mouth I start turn PCs in sump maybe 3-5 hours only from begining and increase little by little and move them to main tank shade area and so on.

I know people scared to put corals without light more than few days but it works for me.

If blastos that I am getting is from someone's prop frag or I know it was kept in captivity more than 4 months than it goes to my display until I see a sign of open mouth.

Oh during this recovery if you have lots of pods and hermits they will actually boost killing process as they start picking on it and which stress the blastos even more... (For some corals I think this is actually good as they will eat died off area but they also touch some healthy area or too open touched by them which I think too much stress for balsto to take on while recovering)

I pick the skimmer section of my sump for this recovery as I normally do not have pods or hermits there (Need to keep it out of skimmer outlet as you need lowlowlow flow and no light no pods and hermits).

I want to find out answers just like everyone but it is too random.

I do think this is all from history of that certain blasto... like how it was collected and kept in collection stations and wholesalers and all... but as we cannot find all those condition when we get them

I gave up on why but I try to save them when they are in bad condition. I cannot tell you this will work for everyone but at least you could try....