Vermetid issue?

[keaton]

You may know Keaton is off at college and I have been left in charge (sigh). For the most part all is going well. The clown fish seem to be insistant on shuffling the new clam I got at the frag swap around...what is with them? And why does it seem like our zoas have really short skirts? Zoa hos??

Sorry, I got off track. Anyway here is the issue at hand. We have a green birdsnest that WAS flourishing-I mean growing like crazy. About 1-1/2-2 months ago it started loosing tissue at the tips (I guess that is what was happening because many tips turned brown like algae colonizing). Also about maybe a month ago one of our candycanes started getting "skinny". Forgive my amateur description, but all the other candycane colonies in the tank are fleshy and full and this one just wasn't. Recently I started being able to see skeleton under the tissue on several of the polyps. No other sps is (or is it are?) having trouble and all the other candycanes are doing great so I just don't think its something in the water parameters.

Today I when I was blowing detritus off the rocks, etc. with a turkey baster I was able to see (because of the junk that got caught) that the vermiteds that live on the rock with the birdsnest had filaments stretched not only on it but over on the candycane. Most of what I've read claims that vermetids are "harmless", however, it seems suspicious to me that these two corals are seemingly very unhappy. I moved both of them and found that the far side of the candycane isn't nearly as pitiful as the side that was within easy reach of the vermiteds.

Could I be on to something? I seriously have been looking several times a day helplessly watching these corals deteriorate. If the skeleton is visible through tissue on the candycane, is there any hope for those polyps or should I break them off? I need to fatten it up quick!

YIKES! Keaton will be home in a couple weeks! :eek1:

Comments please...

Pam
Keaton's mom

 

[mempho reefer]

I had an outbreak of vermetids a couple of years ago. Probably came in on a piece of LR. I thought they were unique and what I'd read suggested they were harmless. Then they quickly spread all over my tank. They were growing everywhere, in between zoas, on Frog Spawn and Hammer skeletons, and at the base of several other softies and a couple of SPS. One issue for the rapid population was a nutrient problem. I quickly got that under control and slowed the spread but I still had what seemed like hundreds. So, I got two emerald crabs and within a few months they were all gone. However, the vermetids never posed a problem for my corals. Not sure what could be causing the problems with the birdsnest and the candycane.

A list of water parameters may shed some light. Also, have you changed anything recently? Has anything been added to the tank prior to the degeneration? Has the flow in the tank changed recently? Maybe directed away from the SPS and toward the LPS. What type of lighting and how old are the bulbs? Just some thoughts.
ron

 

[OneReef]

I had them before. Better water quality cleared them up.

 

[keaton]

Unless I have crap test kits, the water is in pretty good shape and tends to be stable. I test several times a month.

0 Nitrate
0 Ammonia
0 Phosphate (how useless is that test anyway?)
Calcium between 420-450
pH 8.2 (I test mid morning)
Alk 7-8 dkh
Magnesium 1200-1300

There are only a handful of fish in the 150 gallon aquarium, a yellow and a hippo tang, 3 chromis, a scooter blenny, and a pair of clowns. I don't think I have a water quality problem.

I do regular water changes, empty and clean the skimmer at least 2x per week, I run a filter sock that is changed 2x per week. I feed lightly 1x day. I'm talking about max one rinsed frozen cube of some variety of frozen OR chopped frozen shrimp, scallops, etc. OR literally a fat pinch of granular (or small pellet) food. Dave C. explained the stomach as big as their eyes rule of thumb to me

During the summer, I had let the alk creep up to the 10ish range and I originally attributed the decline in the birdsnest to my gradually bringing it down knowing sps don't like those swings but now I don't know.

Regarding flow, I only changed the flow about 2 weeks ago to try to put a little more on the struggling birdsnest hoping it might help.

Regarding lighting, all the lamps are soon due for change around the first quarter of the new year. I run actinics 12 hours and MH 6 only hours most of the year to control water temp.

Since I moved those two corals, I looked again at the vermetids and they now have their filaments on a piece of xenia and it is looking drawn up and angry. It really seems like they are at least irritating to corals...Maybe they are not vermetids???? They have a tube structure somewhat similar to a feather duster tube and you can see two short "antennae" protruding from the top opening. In the past I had seen filaments just extended out into the water, but had never noticed them "attaching" to objects.

These two were residing within a couple inches of each other and that is why I am somewhat connecting their decline. There are two other large candycane colonies (a pale blue-green and one of the ever popular fluorescent green ones that everyone in the club has), and numerous sps colonies that are very healthy and growing.

I posted pics taken last week in the show your tank thread earlier today. They aren't great photos, but maybe you can see something. The two corals I'm talking about are in the "right side" picture. They are at the top of the rock stack in front of the overflow. Birdsnest center of the overflow and candycane to the left and a little further back. You probably can't see them very well but you can see their placement.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[mempho reefer]

The only thing I see from your post that may be an issue, and it's slight, is the hours of light. The birdsnest can handle lower level light but grow best with strong current and strong light. You might want to consider adding an additional two hours of the MH light. If heat is a problem a small fan blowing across the top of the tank will take care of that. That's the only thing I can think of. Smarter minds may be needed on this one so you may want to check with one of the pros at Kermits or Memfish first.

 

[JoshPremierAuto]

How have they done since you moved them? I had a decline in a few items in my tank, I changed my MH bulbs that were only 7 mos old and within 2 days they had a noticable change. I do run my MH 9 hours a day so maybe they wore out quicker. If the 2 corals are getting better it was obviously the vermetid that was bothering them. Just my .02

 

[keaton]

I have two thermostatically controlled ice cap fans in the canopy. Even with them and the reduced MH lighting period the temp can push 82-83 in the summer. :eek1: Of course that is better now, so I could add a couple hours. However, that is how I have run the lights from the beginning (over a year ago) and the birdsnest grew from a 1-1/2" frag to a baseball sized colony in about 11 months so it seems SOMETHING changed.

I suppose I could have a problem with that lamp...I have moved the birdsnest to the other side of the tank so that might resolve that. I put the candycane on the sandbed sited near a healthy colony so at least in terms of "candycane environment" it would seem to be correct.

Its only been about 24 hours since the move so no change in the birdsnest, I'm waiting for new growth and no brown tips...the candycane MIGHT look a little better. I'm going to do some target feeding at night when it is opened up.

I agree that wait and see will be the proof. I just really couldn't find anything else to blame it on than those critters.

 

[keaton]

I know you are all anxiously awaiting this report...ha ha...In the three weeks since I moved the birdsnest and candycane both have made amazing progress. The candycane is fattening up-even where there was skeleton showing before tissue is growing back. Where I trimmed off the dead tips, new tissue has grown over the cut tips. So whether it was the vermetids or some other problem...Who knows...either way the corals have recovered. If only we knew exactly what we are doing in this mysterious hobby...