Worm attacking Acanthophyllia??

[bakana]

Recently I have been noticing the acanthophyllia on the bottom of my tank have been retracting, and I have even lost two very quickly. A Couple of Echino's have died to on the floor too. However, the Echino and Acanth on rocks are unharmed and are healthy. I noticed this worm-like creatures on the bottom of the corals on the ground, and noticed damage marks on my living acanth. Does anyone know what they are? I think they are the culprit. I am more looking for an ID on it than anything. Thanks for your help.

 

[bakana]

Bump? Anyone?

 

[greenskull]

Looks like a spaghetti worm.... not known to eat corals.

 

[chrissreef]

Well, not exactly like my worm but here's my thread I started and I got crickets.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2365633

I see about 2 per week in my (bare bottom) tank. It's usually traveling across a rock or extending onto an acantho from a rock. If I disturb it it will either retract to the rock (tweezer off) OR if it's already made a hole in a coral (acantho, or torch coral in my tank) it will zoom in quickly. I've seen one on a blasto, chalice as well as acan b4. The corals seem to live but are clearly irritated on whatever side it's making a hole in (like a mosquito I would say). Basically if I see one I lower the currents and grab it with tweezers. I hope to get a wrasse soon which may help. When I first noticed I was pulling out ~7 week (and they seem to be originating from an acantho I got at MACNA last year)... now it's like 2 or 1 at the most and usually on the left side of my tank where the original MACNA acantho was) (I just went 4 weeks without seeing one but my steak ended when I got 3 this weekend, 1 adult and 2 younger/babies I would say). I usually find them within a few hrs after the lights come on and rarely in the evenings.

Good luck. I say pull them when you see them if your coral is irritated.

 

[bakana]

Well, not exactly like my worm but here's my thread I started and I got crickets.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2365633

I see about 2 per week in my (bare bottom) tank. It's usually traveling across a rock or extending onto an acantho from a rock. If I disturb it it will either retract to the rock (tweezer off) OR if it's already made a hole in a coral (acantho, or torch coral in my tank) it will zoom in quickly. I've seen one on a blasto, chalice as well as acan b4. The corals seem to live but are clearly irritated on whatever side it's making a hole in (like a mosquito I would say). Basically if I see one I lower the currents and grab it with tweezers. I hope to get a wrasse soon which may help. When I first noticed I was pulling out ~7 week (and they seem to be originating from an acantho I got at MACNA last year)... now it's like 2 or 1 at the most and usually on the left side of my tank where the original MACNA acantho was) (I just went 4 weeks without seeing one but my steak ended when I got 3 this weekend, 1 adult and 2 younger/babies I would say). I usually find them within a few hrs after the lights come on and rarely in the evenings.

Good luck. I say pull them when you see them if your coral is irritated.

Thanks for the advice. I have a melanaris wrasse who does nothing, I am getting Orchid Dottybak to try and I purchased an arrow crab too. He actually spends a lot of time around the acantho's eating something. I remove all of my sand, which had a lot of them and left the cutting board there from before. I am getting rid of everyone I have seen.