New parasites on torch coral

[Ricimer]

Hi!
Since 6 weeks I noticed what I think are ostracodes walking everywhere in my tank. Three weeks ago those organism started to gather at the basis of the fleshy part of my branching torch coral (on the flesh, but close to the stony part...). A bit like ants when they find something sweet, they are crawling there in great number. This didn't look good so I started to worry. I finally got a microscope and managed to take a few pictures at 100X. Here is attached one of the pictures and I can send you more if you want. Those creatures move in a clumsy way, are ovoids (football shape), and about half a mm in size. Under the microscope they look a bit like miniature clams with arthropod/crustacean like legs coming out. Only now just before posting I could ID them by looking at the photo gallery. Thanks for any information or advice regarding this situation!

 

[DJ88©]

[moved]

 

[The steven liu]

I think it's nice to mention what forum threads are being moved to so we can track it down. Thanks.

 

[LeslieH]

Yes, those are ostracods. These are scavengers and predators, quickly attracted to decaying flesh. They are capable of eating the entire coral if they start in on it.

 

[Ricimer]

Thanks for the reply. In between I got a reply from Dr. Fenner saying not to worry because they most probably are benign to benificial. I really trust what this man says. So I decided to ignore the ostracods. Otherwise, any opinion on what I would have to do to get rid of them should they ever become a real problem?

 

[LeslieH]

Depends on the species I suppose. Fenner is certainly the one to follow! I've only seen planktonic ones in action & don't know about the ones likely to be in a tank. Getting rid of them entirely might be impossible. Any chemical which would kill them & not corals or fish will also kill other crustaceans. Selective siphoning would only reduce the population for a whiile. Probably a pod eating fish would be best. Good luck!

 

[Ricimer]

I do have a (fat) mandarin. There is a lot of other pods as well in my tank (amphipods, copepods, mysids, and two species of non-parasitic isopods -one species is green). Given the amount of ostracods the mandarin is either ignoring them or he does eat them and there would be an astronomical number of them if the mandarin wouldn't be there.
Thanks!