Green Star Polyp - DECEASED!

[BarIzoN]

Hi everyone.

Yes, I had one GSP that died! Completely dead!

I bought this coral from a good LFS in Denver area and for about couple months everything seems happy and normal.

However, after a while, I noticed the coral wasn't doing good, the colors faded a little bit and I felt the coral "unhappy".

I thought was a bad water parameter, or something like that. Bought the reef test, and checked all other parameters and everything was normal. I had a Yellow Sea Mat coral which was thriving and seems to be happy.

Then, I introduced a Diamond Goby. The fish messed up with sand and I got the GSP mostly covered with sand and detritus. Used a turkey baster, but still the coral seems unhappy and shrinking.

Long story short: after I see the coral wasn't going to get better, I decided to dip in tap water and after a time, I took it off the small stone plate it was attached and discovered a worm nest at the bottom of the coral. The worms were killing the coral from inside out. I was able to release couple worms out but still one more was deep in the coral flesh and I couldn't capture.

Anyway. I've put the coral back to my tank, but since then it didn't open and looks the coral is gone. The color still quite purple, didn't beach, but no polyps opening.

Do you think it's a good idea to keep in the tank or just discard it?

Thanks,

- BarIzoN -

Here's the most recent picture of the coral.

 

[shadowmonster]

I would just get yourself a soft brush and clean all that debris off of it. After that find a good spot among the rocks or somewhere on the bottom where the coral won't move around and just leave it alone for at least a month. Being that this coral can be very temperamental sometimes, I wouldn't discard it just yet.

 

[BarIzoN]

OK!

I will move it away from the sand and let set for a while.

But... There's a worm inside the coral!

Is that any chance for that worm moved to my sand?

That worm nest at the bottom of the coral was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!

I was so shocked that I didn't even took a picture of it.

I bought bayer for dip, do you recommend a Bayer dip to kill the worm?

Sorry but I'm lost.

Thanks!

- BarIzoN -

 

[BarIzoN]

Also,

I had a lot of white micro algae (I'm assuming that's algae) which I scrubbed off from the coral as well...

This picture was before the tap water dip.

 

[shadowmonster]

What your seeing in the picture above might be algae, but Bryozoans is another possibility. (or a combination of the two)

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/bryozoan/

As far as that worm goes without a picture it's kind of hard to say, but if I had to guess I would probably go with a spaghetti worm. In most cases these are harmless, but they have been known to irritate certain corals. Does anything look familiar in the links below? (Terebellid/Ciratullid worm)

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.php

 

[vashawn]

they always come back
clean it and leave it

 

[BarIzoN]

Good deal!

Thanks Shawn!

I'll do a bayer dip and see if that worm is still living in it.

 

[BarIzoN]

Hi shadow!

Here's a few pics of the worms I found in it.

I didn't take a picture on the moment I was messing with the nest, but after I removed the worms, I took a few shots.

Also, they were digging into the coral, forming tunnels. One escaped inside a tunnel and I wasn't able to remove.

The algae encrusted in the coral really looks like the Bryozoans.

I also have another Yellow Sea Mat and I can see those.

Just for quick curiosity: how do I get rid of this?

Here's the pic:

What your seeing in the picture above might be algae, but Bryozoans is another possibility. (or a combination of the two)

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/bryozoan/

As far as that worm goes without a picture it's kind of hard to say, but if I had to guess I would probably go with a spaghetti worm. In most cases these are harmless, but they have been known to irritate certain corals. Does anything look familiar in the links below? (Terebellid/Ciratullid worm)

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.php

 

[jccaclimber]

I managed to make star polyps look went through a slow decline in color, polyp extension, then finally started receding. It turned out my water was too clean. Upped my feeding and reduced my nutrient export for a while and they promptly took over that half of the tank.

Not saying it isn't any of the things already mentioned, but what do your water parameters look like?

 

[shadowmonster]

Hi shadow!

Here's a few pics of the worms I found in it.

I didn't take a picture on the moment I was messing with the nest, but after I removed the worms, I took a few shots.

Also, they were digging into the coral, forming tunnels. One escaped inside a tunnel and I wasn't able to remove.

The algae encrusted in the coral really looks like the Bryozoans.

I also have another Yellow Sea Mat and I can see those.

Just for quick curiosity: how do I get rid of this?

Here's the pic:

Those look like Bobbit worms IMO. Removing them was definitely a good thing.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

Btw, I wouldn't worry too much about those Bryozoans. While they may be unsightly they don't really pose a threat to the corals IME.

 

[juniorrocketdad]

Those don't sound or look like bobbit worms to me, bobbit worms usually sit in the sand and try to ambush fish, those look like fire worms to me

 

[Sk8r]

bristleworms. They may cluster on a coral that's in trouble and clean the rotting tissue off, much as a doctor does with a wound going bad. It's a symptom, rather than a cause of the problem. The problem probably lay in the deprivation of light and circulation.

 

[BarIzoN]

Strange, all other corals are doing well.

No loss or something.

I have a Maxpect Gyre 130 for flow and T5 VO + LED fixture for light. Water parameters with nothing extraordinary - my nitrates are 5ppm, other than that everything is on the recommended ranges (I don't have magnesium test, but I don't think that would be something to do with GSP).

What I've seen under the coral, was a huge cavity filled with eggs and worms...

 

[BarIzoN]

Also, last night I added couple more corals and had to move the GSP. It simply splitted in two pieces just by handling it. I put it in a new location, but that seems really dead to me. I'm still keeping it, but I have no more hope on this one.

 

[Reefer40b]

did you happen to get that patch from Aquamart?

 

[2smokes]

Also,

I had a lot of white micro algae (I'm assuming that's algae) which I scrubbed off from the coral as well...

This picture was before the tap water dip.

This coral isnt GSP(briareum).It is called tubipora musica and makes hard calcium tubes that are red color and verry brittle.

 

[jccaclimber]

This coral isnt GSP(briareum).It is called tubipora musica and makes hard calcium tubes that are red color and verry brittle.

Looks like GSP to me. Are the "tubes" flexible?

 

[BarIzoN]

This coral isnt GSP(briareum).It is called tubipora musica and makes hard calcium tubes that are red color and verry brittle.

That may be the reason why this coral didn't thrive on my tank. I'm a beginner and this may require more care and "better" water chemistry.

Thanks!

- BarIzoN -

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