First sps? desperate for success

[jetmotorcycle]

Ok story so far, Cold water for 20 yrs + Marine for 3.
FWLR first 2 yrs then added LPS torch coral, mushrooms, star polyps, clove and zoos, so far so good. Adjusted ALK Cal Mag over passed month or so with a view to adding the much talked about and admired SPS.
Visited LFS today only to find its going on shut down. Picked up one of the last corals all but rejected but hopefully survivable. Help and advice needed.

Photo's added show a few areas of what appears to be bleaching/die off, white patches to what I think was the back of the coral. Just to clarify I did not see this until I removed it from the paper bag, it was obviously presented on display with this to the rear and concealed during packaging.

Following closer inspection I found a little white crab, a tiny colonie of green polyps and an odd little thing that lives in a tube much like a feather duster that has yet to show its self all hitch hicking on the rock.

Your comments most welcome.

 

[neoalchemist74]

Be prepared to lose that coral. Even in ideal conditions in an established well maintained reef systems, necrosis or bleaching can be hard to reverse. That being said miantain you alk cal mag and temp as close to ideal and more importantly STABLE, keep up with your water changes, make sure your lighting is adequate, and stay on REEF CENTRAL and you'll do fine

 

[jetmotorcycle]

Sounds good for me but not so good for the poor coral, anything I can do to increase its chances like frag it down retaining Just the healthy part or would that be pointless?

Found the crab ID and that looks like a positive.

Tiny trapeziid crab helps prevent coral death. Photo by Hannah Stewart of UCSB

The tube like creature is still a bit of a concern as it seems to be laying a mat of tiny threads like a spiders web?

 

[camostore]

tube thing is probably a hydroid which can sting but i have many with know problems as of yet

 

[cjtice]

The tube like creature is still a bit of a concern as it seems to be laying a mat of tiny threads like a spiders web?

Pull the coral out and put superglue on that thing! I cannot remembed the name of them, but they irritate the heck out of corals.

I can not tell by the picture if it is new recession or not. If it is very white, it is likely going to continue. If it is brown, it has likely stopped the stn. I would be sure that there is plenty of flow, but not direct flow.

Good luck!

 

[GXPKY]

Strands could be from the coral being iritated and sending out slime as well.

 

[jetmotorcycle]

Checked out the hydroid and its not one of them, sorry for the poor picture! Sound like cjtice has it nailed. This little critter has its tube attached to the side of the rock in easy reach of a sharp knife.

When you say superglue that thing? is that for the stn patch or the critter?

 

[cjtice]

Sorry, I was meaning to cover the worms hole with super glue. I think they are called spinoid worms or some thing like that. I had one in a cluster oz zoas and could not figure out why they would not open. I may be wrong, but the "web" looks like a bunch of silky strands especially when you feed, right?

Checked out the hydroid and its not one of them, sorry for the poor picture! Sound like cjtice has it nailed. This little critter has its tube attached to the side of the rock in easy reach of a sharp knife.

When you say superglue that thing? is that for the stn patch or the critter?

 

[cjtice]

I was wrong... Its a vermetid snail, I knew that soinoid worm didnt sound correct although, they also can irritate corals.

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=536

 

[jetmotorcycle]

Hi

The threads are the same as the vermetid snail but the critter is more like a feather duster with no duster just a two forked tongue. Not to worry as it has been removed.
I'm not 100% sure if one has entered one of the polyps but reading above I notice it is possible for ARCO to secrete threads when irritated so hopefully I'm wrong and its just a response to residual treads from the critter still floating around.

I am getting polyps showing on about half of the coral but most of one side looks very pale with nothing showing.
Unless advised otherwise I think I may frag it down and try to save the good part?