limpet or so eradicating Acropora ?

[SHNICI]

This one eradicate 2 colonies of Acropora coral, one was really valuable.., now is gone and that after dipping them in revive, Seachem dip and Dettol ...
Do someone have idea how to get rid of them, as I have few other acros in the tank and if can to prevent them from losing it ....
This "limpets" when I got the acros was completely fine, no any sign of them, but I got why.., they was "part"of the skeleton and with the same coloration wasn't able to see them at all. So when there left only the skeleton (white) they still was "part of it"..., but when part of it become green..., I start to see them. Now I can see many of them on the skeleton. something else I realise, they do feed and on the skeleton as well I think, as I took off few of them (was like part of it and one I broke it), under them was a hole like where they eat the flesh and the skeleton (I think). I got some macro photos and video as well. Unfortunately can't magnify them more, as my microscope isn't under hand at the minute.
I think they grow up under the flesh, also on the videos (from the link) I can see something like a mouth or so which tend to suck. Probably they poison it to death I don't know.
If you can let me know what they are and how to eliminate them I'll appreciate it.

Link to all of the photos and the videos

 

[HuduVudu]

The green on the acro is where the tissue has completely receded and is covered in algae. The limpets are eating the algae on the dead skeleton.

 

[SHNICI]

The green on the acro is where the tissue has completely receded and is covered in algae. The limpets are eating the algae on the dead skeleton.

unfortunately can't agree with you, as I don't had any of this in the tank. and on some of the photos you can see the color of them is like the flesh (where the flesh is near gone and the limpet is there.
Also 2-3 photos show, what hole is under it (after I took some of them off), it have completely the limpet shape, and there stay the rest of the body. The body itself is a bit twice the shell, een after I kept one without water, the body stay still lot over the shell when it's upside down.

 

[HuduVudu]

unfortunately can't agree with you, as I don't had any of this in the tank. and on some of the photos you can see the color of them is like the flesh (where the flesh is near gone and the limpet is there.
Also 2-3 photos show, what hole is under it (after I took some of them off), it have completely the limpet shape, and there stay the rest of the body. The body itself is a bit twice the shell, een after I kept one without water, the body stay still lot over the shell when it's upside down.

I don't know how to break it to you gently, but your coral are dead.

Sorry

 

[Goaway]

That video shows a bacteria of some form on the acro. I have no idea how long dead it was. But the skeleton should not be green, but white as bone. It was white where the limpets were, because they were grazing there.

Sorry, not sure what to tell you. The limpets did not cause the acro to turn green.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You may have to remove them and sump them. They seem to be going after tissue or slime which is not typical behavior

 

[Tired]

Limpets etch a hole into a rock or coral skeleton and live in it. However, they won't damage anything around it, and they shouldn't be eating a healthy coral. The holes you're seeing are on dead coral skeleton, where the limpet has made a home. They'll return to that home when they aren't eating.

Limpets have no poison. It wouldn't do them any good to poison an entire coral colony, because then they wouldn't be able to eat it, if coral was what they ate.

All of that green area is dead skeleton with algae on top. The limpets are probably eating the algae, and have made holes in the dead skeleton to live on.

If you're quite certain they're actually eating the living coral flesh, as in the parts of the coral that extend, you should remove them. But all I see in the pictures are limpets living in a mostly dead skeleton.

 

[SHNICI]

I don't know how to break it to you gently, but your coral are dead.

Sorry

unfortunately it's going away..., even the top peace don't present alive polyps in the tubes.
Just I think how to prevent that to happen and to the rest of the acros I have (not sure diping is going to help, as I already done to all of them, and this was the 1st one gone, second one is on the same way)

That video shows a bacteria of some form on the acro. I have no idea how long dead it was. But the skeleton should not be green, but white as bone. It was white where the limpets were, because they were grazing there.

Sorry, not sure what to tell you. The limpets did not cause the acro to turn green.

I got the Acro near 3 weeks ago, since week and half ago it start to get green alg at the bottom and slowly it go up on the dead skeleton (after the flesh go...) the tissue where the white is now is off near 2 days ago.

You may have to remove them and sump them. They seem to be going after tissue or slime which is not typical behavior

Really don't know mate, just trying to prevent more issues in the tank, as I can't see what's eating the acros at all, no bugs, no nudis, no worms..., and my microscope isn't near to see the left tissue what's on it (if I can detect it)

Limpets etch a hole into a rock or coral skeleton and live in it. However, they won't damage anything around it, and they shouldn't be eating a healthy coral. The holes you're seeing are on dead coral skeleton, where the limpet has made a home. They'll return to that home when they aren't eating.

Limpets have no poison. It wouldn't do them any good to poison an entire coral colony, because then they wouldn't be able to eat it, if coral was what they ate.

All of that green area is dead skeleton with algae on top. The limpets are probably eating the algae, and have made holes in the dead skeleton to live on.

If you're quite certain they're actually eating the living coral flesh, as in the parts of the coral that extend, you should remove them. But all I see in the pictures are limpets living in a mostly dead skeleton.

Probably you're right about the limpets etching holes, but it look a bit strange to me, as one of the holes look completely like the shape of the limpet I took off, even and the spines are marked there, like it's complete part of it.

Ok, so they don't poison it, but I do believe they make the acro to die off

I do observe the skeleton since 3 days ago, watching it slowly to become greenish, also never saw any of them on the green part of the coral till today. 2 of them appear on the skeleton just after the flesh go off of that area today, then I saw them, the difference between the greenish part and the white with small brown area limpets shells took my attention.

Do you think they can etch the skeleton just for matter of few hours ? 5 hours before that tissue go off, there was nothing, only almost dead off tissue, after near 5 hours the skeleton appear on particular area and then I saw and the limpet burrowed on the skeleton)

P.S. you can watch the rest of the photos and video from the link in the 1st post before the photos there

 

[vetteguy53081]

unfortunately it's going away..., even the top peace don't present alive polyps in the tubes.
Just I think how to prevent that to happen and to the rest of the acros I have (not sure diping is going to help, as I already done to all of them, and this was the 1st one gone, second one is on the same way)


I got the Acro near 3 weeks ago, since week and half ago it start to get green alg at the bottom and slowly it go up on the dead skeleton (after the flesh go...) the tissue where the white is now is off near 2 days ago.



Really don't know mate, just trying to prevent more issues in the tank, as I can't see what's eating the acros at all, no bugs, no nudis, no worms..., and my microscope isn't near to see the left tissue what's on it (if I can detect it)



Probably you're right about the limpets etching holes, but it look a bit strange to me, as one of the holes look completely like the shape of the limpet I took off, even and the spines are marked there, like it's complete part of it.

Ok, so they don't poison it, but I do believe they make the acro to die off

I do observe the skeleton since 3 days ago, watching it slowly to become greenish, also never saw any of them on the green part of the coral till today. 2 of them appear on the skeleton just after the flesh go off of that area today, then I saw them, the difference between the greenish part and the white with small brown area limpets shells took my attention.

Do you think they can etch the skeleton just for matter of few hours ? 5 hours before that tissue go off, there was nothing, only almost dead off tissue, after near 5 hours the skeleton appear on particular area and then I saw and the limpet burrowed on the skeleton)

P.S. you can watch the rest of the photos and video from the link in the 1st post before the photos there

Too much light can produce same effect. If you are not comfortable with their presence, by all means eliminate them

 

[SHNICI]

Too much light can produce same effect. If you are not comfortable with their presence, by all means eliminate them

I'll, but the issue for me is the Acropora, do actually they're the reason it die off, or something else, and as they're there (for me appearing under the flesh) they may be the issue and have to figure out what they are and how to get rid of them before is too late (the coral is already in separate tank, the second one as well). The light is that bright just for the photos mate.
Over that coral tray I have mainly Blue and UV usually and because I got alg on the LR (over only dead matter) I reduce the lights with near 30%. I'll try to get proper photo tomorrow.

 

[HuduVudu]

The limpets didn't kill the coral. They are herbivores and really good ones at that.

 

[Tired]

Coral skeleton is fairly soft, and limpets are very good at etching. They probably could etch that in a few hours. It's possible they were nestled into the coral flesh somehow? But they aren't the culprits here. It may be that they're interested in the dying flesh?

I would suspect that the coral is dying of something else, and the limpets are attracted to the algae growing on the dead skeleton. That green means the skeleton has been bare for some time, to allow the algae to grow on it.

Limpets are basically a snail. They have a different shape, but everything else about them is a snail. They don't gestate under coral flesh or anything like that, since there's no algae under coral flesh for them to eat.

I would remove the limpets, and place them in a large container of clean tank water. Then post in a coral disease section and ask what may have been killing the coral. If the coral continues to die with the limpets gone, they aren't the culprit, and you should put them back in your tank.

 

[SHNICI]

The limpets didn't kill the coral. They are herbivores and really good ones at that.

Coral skeleton is fairly soft, and limpets are very good at etching. They probably could etch that in a few hours. It's possible they were nestled into the coral flesh somehow? But they aren't the culprits here. It may be that they're interested in the dying flesh?

I would suspect that the coral is dying of something else, and the limpets are attracted to the algae growing on the dead skeleton. That green means the skeleton has been bare for some time, to allow the algae to grow on it.

Limpets are basically a snail. They have a different shape, but everything else about them is a snail. They don't gestate under coral flesh or anything like that, since there's no algae under coral flesh for them to eat.

I would remove the limpets, and place them in a large container of clean tank water. Then post in a coral disease section and ask what may have been killing the coral. If the coral continues to die with the limpets gone, they aren't the culprit, and you should put them back in your tank.

ok, for both of you about some of the limpets, or actually the "keyhole limpets"and some SP of them:

"The only potential problems would come from keyhole limpets. The name "limpet" covers a multitude of different types of animals. Those limpets with a small hole in the apex of the shell are called "keyhole" limpets as the hole sometimes looks like the keyhole in old doors. This type of limpet is mostly carnivorous and some of them will graze on some corals"
Almost everyone in the hoby this days know they're eating corals. So like exist snails which are carnivorous, Nudis (molusk) etc.., the same way have and Limpets which are carnivorous end feed on the corals flesh (can't say for sure that's one of them), just can't see anything else at the minute. I'l try to get my microscope, but probably is too late, as the tissue is near gone and there is mainly bare sceletone.

Post
just GOOGLE

 

[HuduVudu]

ok, for both of you about some of the limpets, or actually the "keyhole limpets"and some SP of them:

"The only potential problems would come from keyhole limpets. The name "limpet" covers a multitude of different types of animals. Those limpets with a small hole in the apex of the shell are called "keyhole" limpets as the hole sometimes looks like the keyhole in old doors. This type of limpet is mostly carnivorous and some of them will graze on some corals"
Almost everyone in the hoby this days know they're eating corals. So like exist snails which are carnivorous, Nudis (molusk) etc.., the same way have and Limpets which are carnivorous end feed on the corals flesh (can't say for sure that's one of them), just can't see anything else at the minute. I'l try to get my microscope, but probably is too late, as the tissue is near gone and there is mainly bare sceletone.

Post
just GOOGLE

I have these snails. I have coral. They don't eat the coral.

I have had these snails in my tanks for many years. They are herbivores.

The way that your coral died was not from predation. If I was to guess as to the cause of the death of your coral I would say water quality. SPS aren't easy to grow for a reason.

 

[SHNICI]

I have these snails. I have coral. They don't eat the coral.

I have had these snails in my tanks for many years. They are herbivores.

The way that your coral died was not from predation. If I was to guess as to the cause of the death of your coral I would say water quality. SPS aren't easy to grow for a reason.

I'll replay to you only with the photos, what's the quality of the water and only 1 acro gone in that condition after 3 weeks from the supplier (there have 3 more present at the same time )
It's a Coral Tray, only for frags (few are very exp mate). So that's why I'm looking what's going on, and can't find anything else at the minute.

you can play the video from here if you can't load it from the page

 

[Goaway]

I'll replay to you only with the photos, what's the quality of the water and only 1 acro gone in that condition after 3 weeks from the supplier (there have 3 more present at the same time )
It;s a Coral Tray, only for frags (few are very exp mate).

you can play the video from here if you can't load it from the page

If that acro was from this system you have just proven the limpets did not kill the acro. It was probably sick to begin with.
My .02 cents.

 

[malacoda]

SOME types of limpets will and do eat coral. (I literally watched a key hole limpet from the Gulf of Mexico eat a portion of healthy, colorful acan across the span of afternoon in my home office while I worked. (Once it had made it's way through half a head, I removed it ... and all the limpets I could find. And the acan healed over the course of a month.)

That said, as others have mentioned, the corals pictured look dead and covered in algae...

So, it's possible that the type of limpets you have a not coral eaters and are merely consuming the algae off the skeletons.

Your options:
a) Don't worry about the limpets for now and concentrate on getting/keeping your corals healthy. Once the corals are growing, just keep an eye on the limpets to see if the exhibit and coral-munching behavior.

b) Remove the limpets as you see them if you don't want to risk it. (But that won't resolve our current coral health problem.)

 

[SHNICI]

If that acro was from this system you have just proven the limpets did not kill the acro. It was probably sick to begin with.
My .02 cents.

I can agree with that, but it start to happen 3 weeks after it's in there, as for near 3 weeks it was completely fine and the polyps was coming out:

 

[Goaway]

I can agree with that, but it start to happen 3 weeks after it's in there, as for near 3 weeks it was completely fine and the polyps was coming out:

If you truly believe they are the culprit, look at other across and see if they are being munched on. It is your system.

But... People have healthy colonies for years that get sick. It happens. Stn, rtn. It happens. This looked like stn. Because algae had time to grow on the acro.

My question now is, when did you just notice the acro was green with no polyps and a few dying tips left?

 

[Goaway]

Also, there gave been reports of turbo snails eating zoa and palythoa.