Brain coral distress

Fuzzfish · 01/21/2008, 11:45 AM

After a couple days in the tank I noticed some tissue missing from my green brain coral. I floated the coral in a modified tupperware for 2 weeks and it recovered beautifully. After a single night back in the tank it was completely shrunken up and had strands of tissue hanging off, plus i could see several skeletal plates with no tissue. Back to the tupperware. I've heard of the bristleworm issue, but could it be my long spined urchin??? It's the only thing voracious enough to do that kind of damage in a single night.

rigleautomotive · 01/21/2008, 11:55 AM

i would suspect water quality if you did not use the same water in the quarentine container.not much eats brains,they are tough to kill.alelopathy could also hurt them or injury from moving it.if it is near any other corals i would move it away from them and give it some good flow.

Fuzzfish · 01/21/2008, 12:26 PM

I don't have a quarantine tank, I floated the modified tupperware at the surface of my reef tank (which is what the coral was always in), which eliminates water quality as my culprit. I have seen bristleworms (black body, orange tips), but i'm not sure they could do the damage in a single night. Thanks for the reply, I can use any suggestions out there!

rigleautomotive · 01/21/2008, 12:34 PM

my tanks are riddled with bristle worms.they never touch the corals.if i look at night with a flashlight they are on the rocks eating scraps.i dont think it id a bristle worm.maybe you can look at night,lights out.thats when coral predators usually feed.

01/21/2008, 11:45 AM	#1
Fuzzfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 76	Brain coral distress After a couple days in the tank I noticed some tissue missing from my green brain coral. I floated the coral in a modified tupperware for 2 weeks and it recovered beautifully. After a single night back in the tank it was completely shrunken up and had strands of tissue hanging off, plus i could see several skeletal plates with no tissue. Back to the tupperware. I've heard of the bristleworm issue, but could it be my long spined urchin??? It's the only thing voracious enough to do that kind of damage in a single night.

01/21/2008, 11:55 AM	#2
rigleautomotive Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northeast Pennsylvania Posts: 3,705	i would suspect water quality if you did not use the same water in the quarentine container.not much eats brains,they are tough to kill.alelopathy could also hurt them or injury from moving it.if it is near any other corals i would move it away from them and give it some good flow. __________________ Dan Rigle President, * Reef Conservation Society TOTM December 2010 Coral Magazine Sept/Oct 2012 Current Tank Info: 180 gal SPS dominated display, 3 X 250 watt Radiums , lumenarc III minis , with VHO actinics, ETS downdraft skimmers, closed loops and 2 Tunze 6105 & 7095 controller,DIY calcium reactors DIY custom built sumps,since 1992

01/21/2008, 12:34 PM	#4
rigleautomotive Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northeast Pennsylvania Posts: 3,705	my tanks are riddled with bristle worms.they never touch the corals.if i look at night with a flashlight they are on the rocks eating scraps.i dont think it id a bristle worm.maybe you can look at night,lights out.thats when coral predators usually feed. __________________ Dan Rigle President, * Reef Conservation Society TOTM December 2010 Coral Magazine Sept/Oct 2012 Current Tank Info: 180 gal SPS dominated display, 3 X 250 watt Radiums , lumenarc III minis , with VHO actinics, ETS downdraft skimmers, closed loops and 2 Tunze 6105 & 7095 controller,DIY calcium reactors DIY custom built sumps,since 1992

01/21/2008, 12:26 PM	#3
Fuzzfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 76	I don't have a quarantine tank, I floated the modified tupperware at the surface of my reef tank (which is what the coral was always in), which eliminates water quality as my culprit. I have seen bristleworms (black body, orange tips), but i'm not sure they could do the damage in a single night. Thanks for the reply, I can use any suggestions out there!