what eats ricordea?????

[Qdoggie]

I went away on vacation for a week and after a few days back I noticed they were gone???????????

The tank had some algae and the ph was a little low but nothing unusual.

Ive had them for about 5 years. They grew from about 5 polyps to about 40-50. All of them wiped out. The only remnants I found was a small piece of torn tissue I am trying to recover them.

 

[capncapo]

Have you added anything recently?

 

[Azurel]

Tiger serpent stars, afew other serpent type stars will also. I had one eat 4 of my Pink ricordea yumas.

 

[Qdoggie]

i do have a sand sifting star... nothing new added...

 

[capncapo]

What other tank inhabitants?

 

[Qdoggie]

a couple of tangs, tomato clown, yellow tail damsel, chromis, yellow watchman, anthias..

Ive got this in another thread as well.. Someone suggested a eunicid worm, but I think I would have noticed the population dwindling.... ANother was possible a peppermint shrimp. I did have a couple but they may be dead. If not they have been around for a few years and dont really think they are the cause.

Thanks for the interest thus far.

 

[capncapo]

So the eunicid just appeared from nowhere? That's why I asked about new additions.

Got hermits?

 

[charlesr1958]

I find it hard to believe that a single creature could consume that many mushrooms in a relatively short period of time. I think the answer lies elsewhere within the water's chemistry as in to much or not enough of something. Did you have someone watching the tank while you were gone? Could they have added a supplement thinking they were doing a good thing for you? A power outage?

 

[Qdoggie]

Charles I was leaning toward the chemistry as well. I did have someone watch the tank. He only fed them daily. Im wondering if a low ph, (which it usually is around 8.0-8.1), at 7.9 for a few days caused them to dissolve.

I do have hermits but only about 5 of them. And again, they have been there awhile.

 

[capncapo]

The only remnants I found was a small piece of torn tissue I am trying to recover them.

That doesn't sound too much like a chemical issue to me.

 

[Qdoggie]

It is so small I cant really say it was eaten. Its about the size of a half of a mysis shrimp.

Im still going to check for the worm tonight.

 

[charlesr1958]

Sorry, I just find it hard to believe that something could eat 40-50 mushrooms in a single week (and only when you are gone?), when it never happened before in the previous five years, I think the answer would be found in your being gone for a week, something happened to the tank's water quality / temperature. Such a slight PH drop would not be the reason. And yet again, the "worm" gets the blame...lol

Chuck

 

[capncapo]

I have to agree but if there was a shredded piece, that doesn't exactly spell chemistry either.

I also find it very difficult to believe that a eunicid worm eats only once every 5 years.

That's why I'm wondering about the hermits. If they happen to get too humgry, they'll tear a polyp apart to get to the little bit of food in its "stomach".

 

[charlesr1958]

True, and one other problem I have with all of this is that if the mushrooms did "melt" you would think there would be a major ammonia issue or a resulting nitrate spike, unless the tank's systems are able to deal with such spikes quickly. The whole thing is just very strange. You sure your buddy just didnt need some beer money and cashed them in?...lol

Chuck

 

[iCam]

Maybe brown jelly is a possibility. If they seemed to dissolve, it's possible.

 

[steveweast]

Guys.... don't discount the possibility of a predator worm. I use to poo poo the idea too....until I experienced their wrath first hand...not once ....but twice. The ugly scene was the same both times.......polyps there one day.....gone the next.

The latest crime started with a large colony of blue tonga mushrooms.....about 40 or so polyps.... that I've cultured for years. I awoke one morning to the entire rock being cleaned of so much as a speck of mushroom. I knew I had another enuicid since the same thing happened to me a few years ago. I night viewed for a few nights at the scene of the crime....and sure enough...there he was coming back for more.....only this time his head was in my ricordia patch.......mowing them down like daisies.

So how can we miss these worms....easy....these worms form lairs. They will not venture far from the lair.....always keeping part of themselves in the lair. When food runs out in a particular place (maybe it was a place that we didn't pay too much attention to)....they find a new lair....only this time it might be near your favorite polyp colony. These things are commonly found on ALL Fiji rock and if they grow.....you will face losses.

My first worm was over 7 ft long....the second a mere 5 ft long. These worms are impossible to see in the day....and very difficult at night. It took me three nights of viewing to find a five foot worm!!!! ....they are very good at staying hidden in and under rocks.

I never thought that such a thing could grow unnoticed too....until I faced their wrath twice. I'm not saying that this the case here....just a possibility.

[/IMG]

 

[capncapo]

Steve,

I'm not denying that it can happen BUT a creature big enough to eat that much in a single week MUST feed the other 51 weeks of the year. If so, you would have to have noticed SOMETHING missing previous to ALL of the ricordia going away. After all, what did it eat when it wasn't eating ricordia?

If these ricordia have survived and multiplied without a single one going missing for five years I tend to think that whatever "creature" that might have eaten them has not been in the tank for long OR something in the tank that normally doesn't eat them got so hungry that it ate them just to survive. He stated that he really hasn't added anything new to the tank. If so, do you think the work of the worm would go unnoticed for 5 years in a 180g tank?

Your signature says you have an 850g reef tank. It may be a bit easier not to notice something missing in that size tank vs. a 180g.

 

[Qdoggie]

I also have numerous other soft tissues. Numerous kenya trees, xenias(damn things), open brain clams, plate coral, other polyps and shrooms. They are all doing very well and multiplying.

My only losses over the last year were: a large cup coral, bubble coral, and fox. For some reason I am not doing well with these types. The last death was the cup that had tissue loss in a matter of a week. Tis occurred about 3 weeks prior to vacation.

I can accept the idea of maybe a crab, but I am not really sure there is food in the stomach of a polyp when its utilizing photosynthesis. I dont target feed them. But what do I know.

Brown Jelly? HMMMM... Maybe the last death of the cup started something with the polyp colony and they coincidentally died while away.

And my friend does like his beer!!!!! Ill have to press that issue a little further.

I really appretiate all the replies. Im still going to continue the worm hunt. I dont want to start another colony if there is one.

 

[Qdoggie]

OK OK OK!! I just remembered that there were small pieces of polyps before I left, on the sand that had fallen from the rocks. I just thought they were multiplying. But really they dont multiply like that, they split.

Steve, did the worm leave small pieces like that??? If not, Ill have to lean toward the hermits.... and KILL them!!!!!

 

[steveweast]

My two worms pretty much cleared every trace of my mushrooms. Perhaps my larger tank allowed their growth unnoticed. I have many softies in my tank....both added and hitchhiked...... I'm sure they were both just scavenging here and nipping there.....until they found the true buffet of rics and mushroms.....but, they did go unnoticed (I'm asshamed to admit) for several years until their glutony could not go unnoticed.