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FAQs about Caryophyllid Coral Disease, Pests, Predation 6

Related Articles: Coral Pests and Disease; pests, predators, diseases and conditions by Sara Mavinkurve, Caryophyllid Corals, Elegance Coral

FAQs on Euphylliid Disease: Caryophyllid Disease 1, Caryophyllid Disease 2, Caryophyllid Disease 3, Caryophyllid Disease 4, Caryophyllid Disease 5, Caryophyllid Disease 7, Euphylliid Health 8, Euphylliid Health 9, Euphylliid Health 10, & Elegance Coral Disease/Pests,
FAQs on Euphylliid Disease by Category: Diagnosing, Environmental (Pollution/Poisoning, Lighting...), Nutritional, Social (Allelopathy), Trauma, Pathogenic (Infectious, Parasitic, Viral) Predatory/Pest, Treatments 

FAQs on Stony Coral Disease by Category: Diagnosing, Environmental (Pollution/Poisoning, Lighting...), Nutritional, Social (Allelopathy), Trauma, Pathogenic (Infectious, Parasitic, Viral) Predatory/Pest, Treatments   Caryophylliids 1Caryophylliids 2Caryophylliids 3, Caryophylliids 4, Caryophyllid ID, Caryophyllid Compatibility, Caryophyllid Systems, Caryophyllid Selection, Caryophyllid Behavior, Caryophyllid Feeding, Caryophyllid Propagation/Reproduction,

Vermetid Snail Mucus Causing Frogspawn Polyp Ejection? - 11/14/07 Hello Wet Web Media, Since launching my 24g nano earlier this year, I have been an avid reader of your site. Thank you for contributing so much information to the reef-keeping world. <our pleasure, thank you> Your site has helped me to diagnose a problem, but now I need input on how, or whether, to "solve" it. The pride of my tank is a bright florescent frogspawn that I added about five months ago. Since that time, two remarkable things have happened: first, the frogspawn has rapidly divided: from four heads to ten or twelve, and dividing still. <wow> Loving my frogspawn as I do, I was initially enthused by its reproduction. I've placed this coral in a nice space where it can expand and be a real showpiece in the tank. But I recently read a post by Anthony Calfo on this site that described polyp ejection (featuring the clear bubble that has developed on a few of my frogspawn heads as they've split) as a "stress induced strategy of asexual reproduction." <Interesting, but I'm not yet convinced that this is what is happening here with your coral. There is certainly plenty of reason and academic research to support the notion that polyp bail out is a response to stress (and method of asexual reproduction). Polyp bail out is when the soft tissue of a polyp detaches and drops out of the coral skeleton. If conditions are right, these dropped polyps will form new skeleton, and ultimately new colonies. (see "Polyp Bail-Out: An Escape Response to Environmental Stress and a New Means of Reproduction in Corals" by Paul W. Sammarco, published in Marine Ecology, Vol. 10: 57-65, 1982). Thus, if your corals polyps were bailing out, I'd expect them to be dropped from the mother colony and forming new colonies (not forming new branches on the same colony).> This got me thinking about the second remarkable thing that has happened since I acquired the frogspawn: in the last several weeks, a great deal of mucus or webbing has accumulated around the stalk or stem of this coral. Today, with the help of your site, I at last found the likely cause of this mucus: the frogspawn came with what I originally believed to be two tube worms attached, but what I now believe to be Vermetid snails. A small colony of Vermetids has since grown up on the frogspawn and the surrounding live rock. (Perhaps they thrive on the phyto I feed my feather duster.) Recently the web of Vermetid mucus has grown pretty thick on the frogspawn and has even trapped a bit of detritus. <Indeed, this is what the webs are for. If you watch them, you can actually see them "reeling in" these webs to collect their catch.> So now I am wondering: could this mucus web be irritating the frogspawn, resulting in stress-induced asexual reproduction? <It's *possible* but I'm not sure how likely...> If so, is that a bad for the long-term health of the coral? <It's hard to say since I'm still not sure your coral is truly stressed. Could you send in some pictures maybe?> If so, what if anything should I do to prevent it? Would you recommend or advise against an effort to baste or vacuum some of this mucus off the coral? <Likely a futile effort...the snails will just make more.> Dare I attempt to remove the snails? Some sort of dip? <Eek, don't dip it. If you MUST kill the snails, use a needle/syringe to inject vinegar/Kalk/etc. into the tubes.> Thank you very much for your time and expertise. Ben Irvin <De nada, Sara M.>

Attn Sara M: Vermetid Snail Mucus Causing Frogspawn Polyp Ejection? -11/14/07 Hello Sara, Thank you again for your time and insight. So, if polyp ejection or bail out results in a complete detachment of the polyp, that is definitely not what is happening to my frogspawn. However, some, but not all, of the heads that have divided on my frogspawn have developed a clear bubble similar to the one pictured on this page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caryfCorlsaqs.htm And the frogspawn does seem to be splitting very fast. <Yeah, this is odd...> Here are two pictures: the first, #546, shows the frogspawn from below. You can the see largest, green worm-like structure, as well as a web of greenish-whitish mucus-like material accumulating on the coral and the rock. <That actually doesn't look like Vermetid snail mucus web. If anything it kind of looks like sponge.> The second, #550, shows the frogspawn from above and behind. You can see more worm-like structures, as well as a web of mucus-like material that is catching detritus. This is the first I've noticed, but there seems to be some algae now growing on the mucus-like material as well. <That wouldn't happen with Vermetid snail mucus.> One last thing that perhaps I should have mentioned earlier: this frogspawn is hosted by two true Percs. <Hmmmm... interesting. Normally I would tell you that clown hosting is very stressful to corals. But this is such an odd thing with your coral growing so fast.> I'll confess, I thought I had it all figured out, so I await your judgment: is this bad for the coral? need it be addressed? if so, how? <I'll be honestly with you, I'm a little baffled myself. Hosting clowns usually stress out corals quite a bit. But if your coral is growing this fast, and if it keeps growing this fast, I'd question how stressed it must be. Typically, stressed corals don't grow so fast (if much at all). Let me ask you, do the clowns feed the coral?> Thanks once again. Ben Irvin <Thanks for writing, Sara M.>

Re: Attn Sara M: Vermetid Snail Mucus Causing Frogspawn Polyp Ejection?-11/14/07 Hi Sara, It's really nice of you to take the time, and I'm happy to respond, even at risk of showing my ignorance, so long as I am not taking up too much of your attention. <Not at all... I quite enjoy hearing from other people about their experiences with their corals.> I, too, wondered about the possibility of a sponge, but was at a loss to explain the worm-like structures in the gauzy, mucusy material. <I know it doesn't look like your typical sponge, but I'm 98% sure it's some kind of sponge. Sponges can be mucus-y, web-like, gauzy... all the things you're describing are not inconsistent with some kinds of sponges.> To give you a better sense of what this looks like, if I saw it growing in my fridge, or in a garbage can, I'd think that it was mold. It is whitish-greenish in color, it clings to (possibly grows on) the adjacent rocks. It has developed worm- or tube-like structures in it. It seems to cling to, or grow on, the lower, green portion of the stalk rather than on the white portions of the heads. Now, ugh, here's my ignorance: in response to your question, do the  clowns feed the coral, my answer is, I don't know what that means. I feed my clowns Mysis and Cyclopeeze every third day, a reduced feeding schedule that is aimed at reducing nutrients in the tank. (I also add a few mg of phyto twice per week.) I occasionally squirt some of the Cyclopeeze in the general direction the frogspawn, but in general I don't target feed it. The clowns stay close to the frogspawn and swim in and around its heads at night. <Just like how clowns bring food to anemones in which they might be hosting, they will often also bring food to any coral in which they are hosting. This is what I mean by "feeding."> Again, I acquired this coral in May. It had four heads when I obtained  it, and I suspect I'll have sixteen soon enough, each heading having split and many now splitting again. <Dear lord that's a lot of splitting. Do you have any pictures of the whole coral colony? I'm just curious to see this thing now.> This coral had been fragged off of a specimen the size of a basketball in my LFS's show tank. So perhaps it is just a quick grower. <Oh cool... I was just going to say that it would be interesting to see if the coral grew just as fast without the clowns (and/or in a different tank). So, if a frag of it in a different tank is growing just as fast, that might tell us something. But I'm afraid I still don't have a real answer for you as to why it's growing so fast. I suppose it could have some sort of genetic "defect" that is causing this. But I honestly don't know. Please do record all this though (take pictures and make notes of observations).> But I want to be sure that whatever is growing/clinging to its trunk is not an irritant. <If you're worried, and if you can easily remove it, go ahead. Better safe than sorry I suppose.> Your insight is greatly appreciated. Ben <De nada, Sara M.>

Re: Attn Sara M: Vermetid Snail Mucus Causing Frogspawn Polyp Ejection? -11/14/07 Hi Sara, Unless you recommend otherwise, I will put some light water pressure (turkey baster) on what we think is the sponge. If it blows off, great, but if it doesn't budge, I probably won't risk any kind of intervention. <Sounds like a good plan. You could also use a pair of tweezers to try and gently pull it off if the baster doesn't work.> Later this evening, I will send you two pics of the coral, one opened and one closed. <Cool, thanks!> Have I told you that I appreciate your expertise? <Hehe, yes, and thank you again for sharing with us.> Ben <Best, Sara M.>

Re: Attn Sara M: Vermetid Snail Mucus Causing Frogspawn Polyp Ejection? -11/14/07 Thanks for the advice, Sara. During a regularly scheduled water change this evening, I attempted first to suction and later to blow this unidentified material off the frogspawn. I was able to remove a little of the detritus and what looked like a bit of brownish hair algae, but the mystery material stayed put. So, since you haven't identified it as fatal coral-killing death stuff, I'm going to let it be. <Yeah, I'd just let it go for now. Most sponges don't pose any real threat to stony corals.> I've attached two pix: the first, #556, shows the whole coral as it's  beginning to retract for the evening. For scale, the whole thing cuts an arc a  little bit bigger than a soft ball. <Thanks for the pics, looks like a healthy coral. :-)> The second pic, #566, shows the coral closed up a bit. I had hoped to  show you a picture of the coral closed all the way, so that you could distinguish the separating heads, but the frogspawn doesn't seem inclined to close up tight tonight. But, just for example, the two heads at the far right of the picture have each developed two mouths and the splits seem imminent. Likewise, on the far left, what appears to be one big head is actually four. It's really been amazing to watch. <Indeed, very interesting.> But so long as it is not an unhealthy response, I'm happy! <Corals are still so mysterious to us humans. All I can really say is that the coral looks plenty healthy. I'm not going to promise you that there's no chance this accelerated splitting isn't a result of some kind of stress. But I don't have any reason to say it is either. And even if it were, it's obviously not killing the coral. So I say just keep doing what you're doing and keep an eye on it.> (Also, in the background of 566, you can see a bit of pink sponge in the vicinity, so maybe this is a sponge-worthy rock.) <LOL... "sponge-worthy"--too funny.> And speaking of rock, you rock. Thanks for all your help. If you ever need a totally noobtastic second opinion, be in touch. <Fabulous, my pleasure.> Best wishes,
Ben Irvin
<Best,
Sara M.>

Torch coral, no sweeper tentacles - 10/07/2007 Hey guys, I was hoping for some help. <Hi Brian> I got a torch coral about 1 month ago. It seems to be doing well during the day. It is nice and big, but at night I haven't seen any sweeper tentacles. I have tried putting enriched mysis shrimp on his non-sweeper tentacles and eventually it seems to slowly let go of it. I have it under 175 metal halide and 2*65watt actinic. Could it be getting enough energy from light? Is it just unhealthy and that is why the sweeper tentacles don't come out? What should I do? Thank you guys/girls are the best and my main source of information. <LPS corals use the sweeper tentacles for defense against other encroaching corals. They can sense a coral near buy and will move their sweepers to that area in an effort to sting the coral and defend it's space. I have seen Euphyllia sp. go after mushroom corals very aggressively. If your LPS does not capture the mysis but is opened with good color then it is still healthy. The polyps will show you when they are stressed by receding to the skeleton. If the polyps come out with the lights everyday then I would not worry. Try to feed about an hour after lights out. My Hammer and Torch corals don't accept mysis either but are growing very well while my other LPS feed heavily on mysis!  Water parameters are most paramount. Make sure Calcium levels are maintained above 400ppm and Alkalinity is near 3.0meq/l or above 8 DKH. Keep nitrates and phosphates low with resins, activated carbon, and regular water changes.-Rich...aka-Mr.Firemouth>

Frogspawn coral bubble - 10/07/2007 I recently bought a 3 headed frogspawn coral from my LFS. For the first few days it opened up completely - more so than in the LFS - and I was shocked at its size. <... had you studied re Euphylliids...> The question at hand is, today it has not opened nearly as much and there appears to be large bubble sacks in the center of two of the three heads. Are these normal? <Likely so> Doing a search using bubble and Euphyllia just brings up mixed results of bubble corals and frogspawn corals, but I couldn't find anything on this particular feature. I seem to have misplaced my camera, but if I can find it today I will send a photo as well. I just want to know if this is normal, or something I should be concerned about. <Mmmm> While writing this email, the two heads have retracted to almost night time sizes, while the bubble sacks remain the same size. Thanks as always for your insight, Josh <I would keep an eye on this colony, and keep reading. http://wetwebmedia.com/caryophyllids.htm  and the linked files above. BobF>

Dying bubble coral... Poor system and species mix  9/26/07 Good Morning Crew. I wanted to thank you for all the valuable info you provide, without it I would be lost! Here is my question though. We have a 40 gal. tank with 1 3" maroon clown who hosts in our Condy, <A poor match... will likely kill this Caribbean animal with growth, time...> a lawnmower blenny, a Mandarin goby, a Magenta Gramma, a Pajama cardinal,, 4 astrea snails, 4 hermit crabs, Various polyps, and a Bubble coral. <Quite a blend... these last two are not compatible in such small volumes> There is about 35 lbs. of live rock, and 2" to 3" in. of live sand. We have had the Bubble coral for about 5 months, and up until a month ago it was doing great, looked extremely full, and all calcified parts were completely covered. It is now slowly retracting from it's rock and is down to about half the original size. <Not surprising...> where it looked like it had three separate mouths, it now only has two, and one is totally shriveled up. It also has some reddish brown spots on some of it's bubbles, but it still has a healthy appetite. Please help, I don't know what is wrong! <Cnidarian allelopathy> Temp between 79and 81 Specific gravity 1.024 PH 7.8 Alkalinity ideal Nitrites 0 Nitrates a little high ( 40 ppm on quick dip test strip?) <Need to be at most half this> but the nitrates have been at this level the entire time the tank has been here ( 1 year, running 4 years total) Thanks for your time, any input would be helpful! <Read on... start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidcomp5.htm  and the files above... the search tool, indices... You need to re-think your stocking "plan"... Read about the needs/systems and compatibility of what you have, intend to keep... What you have now is untenable. Bob Fenner>

Torch Coral... hlth.    9/12/07 Hi Bob, <Hi Cameron, Mich filling in tonight.> I have a torch coral that I have recently noticed missing two polyps next to each other. <Aye! Doesn't look happy!> The last time I noticed tissue there was around 3 - 4 days ago. Is it possible that it could disintegrate that quickly without my noticing? <I highly doubt that it disintegrated without you noticing... it's usually a pretty nasty process. Trust me, been there done that. Sometimes when the coral is really unhappy it will bail its polyps. I suspect that's what may have happened here. It is possible for the polyp to survive detached from the skeletal base, but it is uncommon. But if you look in the nooks and crannies of your tank you may find these two missing heads floating around somewhere in the LR. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carydisfaqs.htm  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corldisfaqs.htm  > Or perhaps some other explanation? The rest of the coral appears healthy and normal. <Mmm, I don't know that I would say that. Looks rather deflated and unhappy to me. This coral should be fuller and fatter. I suspect allelopathy is at work here. You may need to relocate this coral or one of its neighbors. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carycompfaqs.htm  A water change and adding carbon likely wouldn't hurt either. I would also check your calcium levels. I suspect they may be low.> I hope you receive my photo ok. <Yes.> Also I have a question regarding Tubastrea (sun coral) feeding; I have been using Tropic Marin's Pro-Coral Zooton. A substitute for zooplankton feeders, is this enough to sustain the coral or continue with feeding with Mysis shrimp? <I am not familiar with Zooton, which makes me question it's nutritional value, I suspect you would have more success with Mysis or other finely minced fresh seafoods or if you're looking for something prepared then perhaps Cyclop-eeze. If you really want to go crazy with feeding see the method employed here: read about Re: Feeding of Tubastrea.. Follow up to Baby Tubastrea Timeline 8/7/07 on this page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dendroreprofaqs.htm  > Cameron Teague Tasmania, Australia
<Michelle Lemech
Pennsylvania, USA>

Re: Torch Coral-Health 9/13/07 Hi Mich, <Hello again Cameron!> Just to let you know my corals are fine. I took the photo last night, I turned the light on for 5 minutes for a shot. I guess they were 'asleep'. <Ahh, they do look better in today's photos.> I can't find the polyps anywhere, is it possible to have been eaten by anything?? <Always a possibility.> The only thing I can think of is my snowflake eel. <I guess anything is possible.> Also is there anyway to entice a sleeper goby to sift the gravel? <Hmmm, not that I'm aware of... likely similar to the old adage about leading a horse to water....> Cameron
<Mich>

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