Irritation on base of ONE sps

[Biff0rz]

This frag (Tsa the fuzz) has been in my tank for over 2 months doing dandy. About two weeks ago I noticed a small amount of stress near the base, didn't think much of it. It's slowly gotten worse over the past few days but the coral mostly seems fine. It has a little bit of reduced polyp extension but not a ton. Colors seem good. Today I noticed a lot of stress coming off of it and a pink colored area of rock that has coraline on it - I've noticed coraline will go pink if it is exposed to air for a period or if it's scraped. This makes me think something is munching on the base. I have about 15 other sticks, no issues. Ideas?

Sorry for the bad picture, I tried to get it as white as possible.

Params-
Dkh 8.8
PH 8-8.2
Ca 450
Mg 1400
78*
35 sg
po4 0.09
No3 15-20

For this frag-
Flow med-high
Par 250-275

 

[MoshJosh]

Looks like coral boring worms at the base there, could be causing irritation.

 

[Biff0rz]

Looks like coral boring worms at the base there, could be causing irritation.

Where are you seeing that? I'm not seeing anything 'in' the polyps. The strings at the bottom are the stress of the coral, I gently blew some water at it. Is that what you're talking about?

 

[vetteguy53081]

This frag (Tsa the fuzz) has been in my tank for over 2 months doing dandy. About two weeks ago I noticed a small amount of stress near the base, didn't think much of it. It's slowly gotten worse over the past few days but the coral mostly seems fine. It has a little bit of reduced polyp extension but not a ton. Colors seem good. Today I noticed a lot of stress coming off of it and a pink colored area of rock that has coraline on it - I've noticed coraline will go pink if it is exposed to air for a period or if it's scraped. This makes me think something is munching on the base. I have about 15 other sticks, no issues. Ideas?

Sorry for the bad picture, I tried to get it as white as possible.

Params-
Dkh 8.8
PH 8-8.2
Ca 450
Mg 1400
78*
35 sg
po4 0.09
No3 15-20

For this frag-
Flow med-high
Par 250-275

Looks like area was once encrusted and while there may be worms ( Dip coral to be safe), may be an area that either is lacking light or flow or near coral with stingers.
Other causes of tissue loss are:
- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity

 

[Biff0rz]

Looks like area was once encrusted and while there may be worms ( Dip coral to be safe), may be an area that either is lacking light or flow or near coral with stingers.
Other causes of tissue loss are:
- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity

Hmm, none of those things changed. It just started encrusting more on the plug and what is starting to be the rock. There is an Oregon blue tort right next to it, no issues. Nothing with stingers near it either. Like the Obt is close but not polyp touching close. I'm starting to think more and more something munched on it because of all those things you listed nothing jumps out.

 

[MoshJosh]

These look like the tentacles (antenna?) of coral boring worms:

touch them, do they retract?

 

[Biff0rz]

These look like the tentacles (antenna?) of coral boring worms:

touch them, do they retract?

Ok just went down, that is no longer there so no chance to touch them. If I see them again I will test, but, I think it was the stress.

Now, when I just went down there, lights just went out 15m ago, I noticed a bristle worm (1/2"?) literally jump off from around there and go into the rock. Could one of those cause this??

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok just went down, that is no longer there so no chance to touch them. If I see them again I will test, but, I think it was the stress.

Now, when I just went down there, lights just went out 15m ago, I noticed a bristle worm (1/2"?) literally jump off from around there and go into the rock. Could one of those cause this??

Bristle is a maybe but more often not a threat.

 

[Biff0rz]

Bristle is a maybe but more often not a threat.

Thanks, hmm. He jumped off literally right by it like he was stealing something haha. What about vermited snails? Could that cause it?

 

[MoshJosh]

Ok just went down, that is no longer there so no chance to touch them. If I see them again I will test, but, I think it was the stress.

Now, when I just went down there, lights just went out 15m ago, I noticed a bristle worm (1/2"?) literally jump off from around there and go into the rock. Could one of those cause this??

hypothetically I guess, but I have never heard of this being an issue. For me the only "reef safe" critter I have seen munch acros is an emerald crab. What is your stocking?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks, hmm. He jumped off literally right by it like he was stealing something haha. What about vermited snails? Could that cause it?

vermetids will emit webs to capture food but rarely if ever cause physical damage.

 

[Biff0rz]

hypothetically I guess, but I have never heard of this being an issue. For me the only "reef safe" critter I have seen munch acros is an emerald crab. What is your stocking?

No emeralds. Just hermits (a few) and mostly snails of various types. I do have an urchin, it's taken bites of my monti that look similar to this but it wasn't near this coral today... Then again I may have missed it.

 

[MoshJosh]

No emeralds. Just hermits (a few) and mostly snails of various types. I do have an urchin, it's taken bites of my monti that look similar to this but it wasn't near this coral today... Then again I may have missed it.

I have heard folk say certain urchins are reef safe and heard others say those same urchins are not so I would say it's work watching out for.

 

[Biff0rz]

I have heard folk say certain urchins are reef safe and heard others say those same urchins are not so I would say it's work watching out for.

Alrighty, update time.

Since my last post I put a motion detection camera facing the coral, after reviewing about 100 videos, nothing touched the coral from what I can see that the camera would pick up (fish, crab, urchin, etc).

Today I noticed something floating off of it, an hour prior I did not see anything. This was about 30m after feeding.

I took a pic and two videos. Vid 1 shows it, vid 2 shows me placing a tube near it and trying to disturb it, then blowing some water at it.

Thoughts?

Vid1

Vid2

Side note, taping this with one hand while using the baster isn't easy lol.

 

[MoshJosh]

Alrighty, update time.

Since my last post I put a motion detection camera facing the coral, after reviewing about 100 videos, nothing touched the coral from what I can see that the camera would pick up (fish, crab, urchin, etc).

Today I noticed something floating off of it, an hour prior I did not see anything. This was about 30m after feeding.

I took a pic and two videos. Vid 1 shows it, vid 2 shows me placing a tube near it and trying to disturb it, then blowing some water at it.

Thoughts?

Vid1

Vid2

Side note, taping this with one hand while using the baster isn't easy lol.

Could be digitate hydroid, I would anticipate it would retract when you touched it?

 

[Biff0rz]

Could be digitate hydroid, I would anticipate it would retract when you touched it?

It did not. You can see in the video when K touched it, it kind of clung to the tube