RobZilla04
Active member
In my ongoing effort to figure out what is plaguing my coral I have moved from water chemistry to pests. A full thread dedicated to initial water chemistry can be found here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2669333
Last night I decided to do a closer inspection after noticing that a patch of otherwise healthy zoathids was looking rather annoyed, small, and not growing. Below are the pics from what I found.
The long stringy pest does not move other than to retract into its rock hole upon touch. I managed to get one with a pair of tweezers. Pulled it out a few inches before it retracted. Got a small piece off of another one, yet I am clueless as to what it is. I searched high and low with no luck. The common result is bristle worm whenever I used descriptors for search keys. For perspective the picture with the yellow arrow indicates a bristle worm along side my mystery pest.
Also dealing with hundreds upon hundreds of bristle worms.
This picture shows a relatively new (two weeks in my tank) birdsnest coral which I found already receding tissue from the bottom up. Sure enough last night I found one of these mystery pests swinging with the current very very close (less than 1 inch) to the frag. Also found there were three or four bristle worms. Which or both could be the cause for the coral tissue recession?
In almost all area where SPS, LPS, Zoa corals are seen less than fully extended and with possible tissue damage, these long stringy pests are blowing around with the current.
I am open to suggestions including predator fish, possibly crabs, and possibly chemical.
Last night I decided to do a closer inspection after noticing that a patch of otherwise healthy zoathids was looking rather annoyed, small, and not growing. Below are the pics from what I found.
The long stringy pest does not move other than to retract into its rock hole upon touch. I managed to get one with a pair of tweezers. Pulled it out a few inches before it retracted. Got a small piece off of another one, yet I am clueless as to what it is. I searched high and low with no luck. The common result is bristle worm whenever I used descriptors for search keys. For perspective the picture with the yellow arrow indicates a bristle worm along side my mystery pest.
Also dealing with hundreds upon hundreds of bristle worms.
This picture shows a relatively new (two weeks in my tank) birdsnest coral which I found already receding tissue from the bottom up. Sure enough last night I found one of these mystery pests swinging with the current very very close (less than 1 inch) to the frag. Also found there were three or four bristle worms. Which or both could be the cause for the coral tissue recession?
In almost all area where SPS, LPS, Zoa corals are seen less than fully extended and with possible tissue damage, these long stringy pests are blowing around with the current.
I am open to suggestions including predator fish, possibly crabs, and possibly chemical.
Last edited:
