What are Acan Worms?

[that Reef Guy]

All my Acans started to loose color.

Then I started to see White Skeleton.

The Polyps got Smaller and Smaller until they Died.

This happened to 8 of my 12 Acans.

The Remaining 4 (2 were in bad shape) were transferred to another aquarium which had 3 other healthy Acans.

The Bad two died and then the Better 2 of the 4 got bad.

And now it spread to the 3 Healthy Acans too.

I bought a Brand new Healthy Acan to test it out and in 2 Days I started to see Skeleton on that one too so I moved it to another Aquarium and now this Once Perfect a Few Days Ago Acan is almost completely gone.

Somebody mentioned to me about Acan Worms.

What are they?

Does anybody have any Pictures of them?

How can I get rid of them?

 

[bct15]

What is your alk? Nitrates? Phosphates? Salinity?

 

[that Reef Guy]

What is your alk? Nitrates? Phosphates? Salinity?

The thing is is that all my Parameters are Great except Phosphate.

Temperature 78
Salinity 1.025
PH 8.2
Alkalinity 10
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1350
Phosphate 0.24 (Was 0.60)

 

[bct15]

I consider your alk high, especially if you have 0 nitrates. My coral react negatively to alk over 9. Also, what did you use to bring your phosphates down and how fast?

 

[that Reef Guy]

I consider your alk high, especially if you have 0 nitrates. My coral react negatively to alk over 9. Also, what did you use to bring your phosphates down and how fast?

I am told that Alkalinity just needs to be between 7 and 11 and you are good.

I have heard this from many many sources.

It is like the Industry Standard so how can you say 9 is good and 10 is Bad?

I am confused?

I used Pura Phoslock GFO and then Switched to Bulk Reef Supply (BRS) GFO when I ran out of Pura.

Here is my GFO usage (2 Months time).

[TABLE="width: 400"]
[TR]
[TD]Date[/TD]
[TD]Test[/TD]
[TD]Aquarium[/TD]
[TD]Result[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Change[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/6/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.6[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]NA[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/11/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.53[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.07[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/15/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.49[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.04[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/22/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.46[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.03[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/26/13[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.42[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.04[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]9/29/13[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.02[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/3/13[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.46[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plus 0.06[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/6/13[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.45[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.01[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/13/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.22[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.23[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/18/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.15[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.07[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/21/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.22[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plus 0.07[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/24/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plus 0.08[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/25/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.41[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plus 0.11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]10/31/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.28[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]11/3/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Plus 0.02[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]11/10/2013[/TD]
[TD]Hanna[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]0.24[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-0.06[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


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[bct15]

It is hard for me to read some of your post, it is in HTML. However I was just relaying to you what works for me, I'll go over it a little better. My alk is maintained at 7.8 - 8.1. When alk gets over 9, I start seeing some adverse effects like burnt tips, color fading, or Slight signs of stn. I have to keep my alk at those levels becaise I keep nitrates and phosphates as close to zero as possible. When you have low nutrients it is advices to keep alk below 9.

On the other hand if you have a dirty tank keep your alk up to 11 or even 12 and everything should do fine.

My guess is when you brought your phosphates down your acans became more sensitive to alk.

 

[that Reef Guy]

It is hard for me to read some of your post, it is in HTML. However I was just relaying to you what works for me, I'll go over it a little better. My alk is maintained at 7.8 - 8.1. When alk gets over 9, I start seeing some adverse effects like burnt tips, color fading, or Slight signs of stn. I have to keep my alk at those levels becaise I keep nitrates and phosphates as close to zero as possible. When you have low nutrients it is advices to keep alk below 9.

On the other hand if you have a dirty tank keep your alk up to 11 or even 12 and everything should do fine.

My guess is when you brought your phosphates down your acans became more sensitive to alk.

I see what if you have a Dirty Tank with Low Alkalinity though?

Is that a Problem?

And what do you consider a "Dirty" Tank?

 

[bct15]

I see what if you have a Dirty Tank with Low Alkalinity though?

Is that a Problem?

And what do you consider a "Dirty" Tank?

If you keep them within reasonable levels you shouldn't see any problems, for dirty ranks the range is bigger 7-11 and for cleaner tanks alk ranges 7-8 generally. Right now my alk is 7.6. People try to have higher alks when their nutrients are up assuming higher alk and cal levels will promote faster growth...so if they can maintain a higher value without seeing adverse effects then why not run a higher value?

Myself, I believe the coral is only going to take what it needs. So I keep my water as clean as I can and maintain parameters that make the corals seem the happiest.

A dirty tank in my opinion is a tank with higher the normally accepted values of parameters that promote algae growth and discoloring of corals, like nitrates, phosphates, but to many amino acids and other supplements can do the se thing, making the water dirty. When I say dirty tank I actually meaning a type of water quality, the tank itself isn't dirty and the water quality isn't dirty either, just high in nutrients.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Interesting.

So back to the Topic.

What exactly are these Acan Worms people are talking about?

 

[nova65ss]

What are the fish and inverts in the tank? Some fish and shrimp love to nip acans when you ain't lookin.

 

[Surfside74]

Question. There is a lot of focus being done on the water quality of the tank which is good. What I caught from his original post was he took the bad acans out of one tank and placed it into a tank with healthy ones. End result, all got sick. Not just the ones from the original tank. Question I have did you check for bugs or pests on them? Did you dip them before moving them over? Is there anything else doing poorly? Just trying to look at some different areas because it has affected two tanks now correct? I hope this helps or gives you some ideas maybe

 

[Tahoe61]

I have never heard of Acan worms which leads me to believe this is the beginning of another hobbyist myth. A reasonable explaination is less than ideal water chemistry, poor acclimation to lighting or insufficient lighting. Bristleworms and Amphipods will eat dead and decaying tissue but they are not to blame for the demise of the coral. A worm would not cause a change in coloration.

Regardless of if you keep your ALK within the suggested parameters 7-12 depending on your tanks nutrient level, you need to keep that value consistent. If you run at 10 then try to maintain that value, avoid swings.

Images go a long way into trouble shooting the issue, lighting type please.

Have you dipped the corals at all and if so in what?

 

[that Reef Guy]

What are the fish and inverts in the tank? Some fish and shrimp love to nip acans when you ain't lookin.

A Clownfish and a couple of Damsels so no fish that ever bothered them.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Question. There is a lot of focus being done on the water quality of the tank which is good. What I caught from his original post was he took the bad acans out of one tank and placed it into a tank with healthy ones. End result, all got sick. Not just the ones from the original tank. Question I have did you check for bugs or pests on them? Did you dip them before moving them over? Is there anything else doing poorly? Just trying to look at some different areas because it has affected two tanks now correct? I hope this helps or gives you some ideas maybe

I dipped them a couple days ago but it was after I moved them.

The Big problems that I am having are all with Acans and Chalices.

Other stuff has lost color but seems to be getting better now.

 

[EpicWin]

Look up black bugs. Everyone on r2r will have u post ur water perams and then pick them apart. I had this issue and an interceptor dip took care of it.

 

[johnnymu]

acan worms does exist, they will eat you acans from inside out. They look like bristleworms. If you pick up your acans that are looking bad and look underneath or even frag them you might be able to see them. They are what cause the brown jelly for acan to occur. Getting a wrasse in the halichores family helps eats them

 

[goodtimes]

There was a retailer on R2R that fragged a acan and found the worm inside. I don't recall who but it is on r2r.
I had a similar thing happen to all my acans. Finally lost the last one this weekend. In my case, it started with one acan colony and when that was just skeleton left it moved to the next. I dipped in lugols but it didn't help.

 

[bct15]

The concept of an acan eating worm infestation that wiped out entire colonies or tanks full of acans is an aquarist myth. There is some known worms that bore through the skeletal tissue of scolies and acans. It is a type of small red eunicid worm. Here is a small excerpt from coral magazine July/August 2010

"a small red eunicid worm that sometimes arrived with imported scolymia an acanthaestrea corals lives in tunnels in the skeleton and eats its way through the soft polyps. Iodine dips can help kill these pests. This worm has not been positively identified yet. According to Dr. Leslie Wright, some members of the genus lycidice are known coral borers. Photos courtesy of Vince sug and Eddie Vargas."

Issues arriving from these worms will not cause rampant death of all of your acans with tissue recession. The coral will slowly die from the inside out and you will not notice it, just a head will be dead one morning. After the entire colony has been eaten, the worm will move to another and the corals will slowly die in a systematic fashion. If you suspect you have this worm you can cut your coral in half and find its holes. Aquarists are to quick to find something to blame besides themselves. Below are the pics from the magazine

 

[Lazys Coral House]

This is great advice and from my experience I 100% concur.

It is hard for me to read some of your post, it is in HTML. However I was just relaying to you what works for me, I'll go over it a little better. My alk is maintained at 7.8 - 8.1. When alk gets over 9, I start seeing some adverse effects like burnt tips, color fading, or Slight signs of stn. I have to keep my alk at those levels becaise I keep nitrates and phosphates as close to zero as possible. When you have low nutrients it is advices to keep alk below 9.

On the other hand if you have a dirty tank keep your alk up to 11 or even 12 and everything should do fine.

My guess is when you brought your phosphates down your acans became more sensitive to alk.