Dead brain coral

[tupes]

Over night I found my brain coral dead. For about two days it was not inflated but it was not dead. I have several other LPS in my tank. It's been set up for several years. Here are the photos. After looking at the skeleton I saw a hole in the back of the skeleton. I wonder is this is what caused it to die. Any ideas?

 

[tupes]

And to the right of the obvious hole that dark area is another one too.

 

[tupes]

I have done some looking and I think it's a vermetid snail thing but I haven't seen anything come out of the hole.

 

[DSC reef]

Since its dead maybe crack open the skeleton to see inside. That's crazy tupes. That trachy had serious color.

 

[tupes]

Never thought about that. I'll do that this evening. Hopefully it don't move to my brain next to it.

 

[tupes]

So I cracked it open and it looks like the spawn of Satan @DSC reef

 

[tupes]

It was alive and moving around. But I injuried it when I broke it open so it stopped moving after a bit

 

[DSC reef]

Wow Man! I'm no expert but that looks like it could play a role in the trachyphillia's demise.

 

[tupes]

I'm uploading a short video of it moving around. I want to drop a nuke on my tank. Haha

 

[tupes]

Watch "Spawn of Satan in reef aquarium?" on YouTube

 

[tupes]

#reefsquad. Any idea??

 

[tupes]

I hoping there are not more and eating my other trach....

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Gall crab I think. The worms look like the worms from Dune. Or have catapllar faces with obvious mandible like appendages they use to reel in the mucus string.

Spawns of Satan usually have blue eyes or wear blue jeans.

 

[ritter6788]

I've walked along the beaches of the Caribbean and those Trachy skeletons are EVERYWHERE, small and large. They are very delicate and tough to keep alive long term in a reef tank. I've kept a few myself in a tank and they just seem to die without explanation even after looking healthy for years.

 

[tupes]

@saltyfilmfolks That is most definitely what it is. I found several post where people have encountered these in their tank and the only reason they discovered it was because the coral died. Which leaves me to believe it it's the coral from the inside and kills it eventually.

 

[tupes]

I might set up a coral qt and use it between my tank transfer. I saw there is a medication people use to kill them.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If @Tahoe61 chimes in, I belive she knows a lot more about them than I do.

 

[tupes]

Thanks. I hope she does too.

 

[Davesgt]

#reefsquad

 

[Tahoe61]

These are good links on Gall Crabs. I have never found them to have an adverse affect on LPS personally.

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/1765
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/gall-crab.323890/