Help with clove polyps?

[rporter996]

Hello, I noticed this algae growing in the stalks of my clove polyps, they were there a while ago and I was able to blast it away with a baster but now they won't budge and I don't want to pull with tweezers as I know clove polyps can be a bit fragile. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also the lights were off which is why they're all closed up I turned them on briefly to get a photo. Normally during the day they're open and look great other than whatever is growing on them. I have other corals in the tank and they don't have any issues.

 

[Timfish]

You might try a 2 minute dip in a 6-1 solution of aquarium water to H2O2. As it looks like your system is still very new from the bright white aqauscaping I'd also suggest adding some herbivores like urchins, hermits and /or snails. If you haven't used any maruicultures or wild liverock I'd suggest getting some als as it will introduce benficial sponges and microbial stuff that can't be stuck in a bottle, see Aquabiomics article here

You might find these links informative also. It's a big data bomb but they present a lot of research on reef ecosystems.

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" This video compliments Rohwer's book of the same title (Paper back is ~$20, Kindle is ~$10), both deal with the conflicting roles of the different types of DOC in reef ecosystems. While there is overlap bewteen his book and the video both have information not covered by the other and together give a broader view of the complex relationships found in reef ecosystems

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Microbial view of Coral Decline

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching

DNA Sequencing and the Reef Tank Microbiome

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

15 Answers

 

[rporter996]

You might try a 2 minute dip in a 6-1 solution of aquarium water to H2O2. As it looks like your system is still very new from the bright white aqauscaping I'd also suggest adding some herbivores like urchins, hermits and /or snails. If you haven't used any maruicultures or wild liverock I'd suggest getting some als as it will introduce benficial sponges and microbial stuff that can't be stuck in a bottle, see Aquabiomics article here

You might find these links informative also. It's a big data bomb but they present a lot of research on reef ecosystems.

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" This video compliments Rohwer's book of the same title (Paper back is ~$20, Kindle is ~$10), both deal with the conflicting roles of the different types of DOC in reef ecosystems. While there is overlap bewteen his book and the video both have information not covered by the other and together give a broader view of the complex relationships found in reef ecosystems

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Microbial view of Coral Decline

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching

DNA Sequencing and the Reef Tank Microbiome

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

15 Answers

I do have a hermitless CUC from reef cleaners and I add copepods every few weeks

 

[Dburr1014]

Bryopsis?

 

[Timfish]

I do have a hermitless CUC from reef cleaners and I add copepods every few weeks

Urchins? Why no hermits? (I find them more useful than snails.)

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello, I noticed this algae growing in the stalks of my clove polyps, they were there a while ago and I was able to blast it away with a baster but now they won't budge and I don't want to pull with tweezers as I know clove polyps can be a bit fragile. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also the lights were off which is why they're all closed up I turned them on briefly to get a photo. Normally during the day they're open and look great other than whatever is growing on them. I have other corals in the tank and they don't have any issues.

Tank is new, when was the cycle?
I had a hard time when my tank was new. Some coral just don't make it until it's aged a bit.

 

[rporter996]

Tank is new, when was the cycle?
I had a hard time when my tank was new. Some coral just don't make it until it's aged a bit.

It's been going good for 4 months

 

[rporter996]

Urchins? Why no hermits? (I find them more useful than snails.)

No urchins or hermits. This is my first reef tank I was told hermits pick at corals sometimes.

 

[Dburr1014]

No urchins or hermits. This is my first reef tank I was told hermits pick at corals sometimes.

If you don't feed them, yes. But hardly.
What size tank is this and you have fish? Which?

 

[stoney7713]

I find hermits get on and into cracks snails do not. I also think the blue hermits do better than the red ones. Don't kill snails as much and have seen them everywhere picking at algae and stuff.

A few hermit crabs, if they cause issues, remove them.

Urchins eat and eat and eat a lot. They will also push things around or pick things up. Still nice to have if your rocks are stable.

 

[rporter996]

I find hermits get on and into cracks snails do not. I also think the blue hermits do better than the red ones. Don't kill snails as much and have seen them everywhere picking at algae and stuff.

A few hermit crabs, if they cause issues, remove them.

Urchins eat and eat and eat a lot. They will also push things around or pick things up. Still nice to have if your rocks are stable.

Yeah my rocks are on the glass and also glued together so they're stable. What kind of urchin would you recommend and how many hermits? I have a 20g innovative marine nuvo

 

[Dburr1014]

Tuxedo will stay small longer.
I would start with about 10 hermits. Add extra shells so they don't fight. Bigger shells than they are currently in.

Edit: imo, wait on the urchin. Not much to eat yet. Unless you plan to feed it algae pellets.

 

[rporter996]

Tuxedo will stay small longer.
I would start with about 10 hermits. Add extra shells so they don't fight. Bigger shells than they are currently in.

Edit: imo, wait on the urchin. Not much to eat yet. Unless you plan to feed it algae pellets.

Okay sounds good thank you. I'll do the peroxide dip as well and see how that helps

 

[Dburr1014]

Okay sounds good thank you. I'll do the peroxide dip as well and see how that helps

Bryopsis is tough to get rid of.
Fluconazole is the treatment.
Can you pull some of the algae out and put it on a paper towel and spread it out? Need a good ID. Looking for a fern like structure. That would be bryopsis.

 

[rporter996]

Bryopsis is tough to get rid of.
Fluconazole is the treatment.
Can you pull some of the algae out and put it on a paper towel and spread it out? Need a good ID. Looking for a fern like structure. That would be bryopsis.

Sure I can do that when I get home from work

 

[Timfish]

No urchins or hermits. This is my first reef tank I was told hermits pick at corals sometimes.

More likely they picking ot stuff that's landed on the coral IMO. My favorite algae eaters are Tuxedo, Pink Short Spine, and Royal Urchins, Thin Strip Hermits (they're big and clumsy) and Sally Lightfoot crabs. What I like and appreciate with urchins is they scour rocks down to ehte bare surface removing any "holdfasts" or basal areas that allow algae to regrow quickly.

 

[Subliminal]

I've never heard of clove polyps as fragile, before. I have one that fell off the plug and drifted under the rocks and is growing new heads in the shade. Seem pretty indestructible.

But to answer your question, is it just the one polyp with the algae on it? I'd pull it out of the tank, lop it off with scissors in the trash, and put the rest back in.

 

[rporter996]

I've never heard of clove polyps as fragile, before. I have one that fell off the plug and drifted under the rocks and is growing new heads in the shade. Seem pretty indestructible.

But to answer your question, is it just the one polyp with the algae on it? I'd pull it out of the tank, lop it off with scissors in the trash, and put the rest back in.

It's not it's most of them

 

[rporter996]

Bryopsis is tough to get rid of.
Fluconazole is the treatment.
Can you pull some of the algae out and put it on a paper towel and spread it out? Need a good ID. Looking for a fern like structure. That would be bryopsis.

It seems more stirgny then fern like this is the best I could do. I did do a diluted hydrogen peroxide dip for around 3-4 minutes and manually pulled off what I could as well.

 

[Dburr1014]

It seems more stirgny then fern like this is the best I could do. I did do a diluted hydrogen peroxide dip for around 3-4 minutes and manually pulled off what I could as well.

Okay, hard to tell on the paper towel.
Good that it's not fern looking. Must just be gha.