What are these stringy things?

[sushi_and_sashimi]

New reefer and have had a quarantine set up for a few weeks. I haven't dipped anything yet and am keeping my nutrients up a bit. I got some chaeto from the LFS and stuck it in there but the shrimp and crab ate it I think. I think that came with a lot hitch hikers though. Mostly pods I think as I see a ton of tiny things swimming around that are too small to see well with a 15x magnifying glass. On a snail I might have feather dusters as well but in this post I'm concerned what these stringy things are that are suddenly growing all over my green star polyps.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

Maybe byprosis? It’s hard to tell from the pics...

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Thanks, I just looked that up and those are green. These are white or perhaps clear fibers that seem to be sticky. Like the frozen fish I put in there is sticking to them.

Yeah, my phone sucks. That is a 15x magnifying glass. I don't recall seeing them a few days ago but the polyps were fully extended back then.

 

[GooseCommander]

Could just be bits of algae. Do they move independent of the water column?

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

I think they might be moving independently. I'll go kill the pump and report back.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

No, they don't move independently. I took some more pictures, some w.ith a 35mm but clearly I need to buy a macro lens.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

You can see the superman to the left doesn't have any algae if that's what that is. Actually today is the first day superman extended it's polyps. I caught my cleaner shrimp and arrow crab picking on my frags so they are now isolated in clear plastic cups as of last night.

I'm really not sure that this is algae. I'm a total reef beginner but have many years of experience with freshwater and am a molecular biologist. I'll learn quickly. FWIW, I spent 2 years slowly building my display tank and stand before I bought any livestock. I have most of the hardware one would want. Totally ignorant of the life that's going into it though. Apex fusion, skimmer, over did the pukani and I'll be good to go soon.

Another quick question: The standard 76 day quarantine for inverts -> Does the clock start after dipping corals? If so I wasted 3 weeks!

 

[GooseCommander]

I'm not sure what it is. Almost looks like grass with the head-like structure on the end.

And your QT clock starts at day 1 of observation. Dipping won't generally alleviate ich, but can help with other pests that don't need the full duration to ensure eradication.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Good to hear. I have the fish in another quarantine tank. Well, actually I started the Tank Transfer Method last Sunday so they are in a bucket. Last night I swapped.

I plan to dip the corals this weekend.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

It's growing quite quickly. Two days since my polyps opened. It looked much worse before I knocked the entire frag stand over/upside down. Hopefully that doesn't help it spread.

New pictures...

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Oh, also the Astera and Trochus snails won't eat it nor will the Pistol and cleaner shrimp. Or the arrow crab. Can't say I blame them.

 

[Hemmdog]

Branching hydroids

Branching Hydroids

Hi, Fellow R2R member helped me to ID. I could not find that much info on these other than they are stinging type jelly fish and hard to irradicate? I have tossed out lot of live rock already. Before I tossed out, I did a super hot water with vinegar soak for 20 minutes. The hydroids came back...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Yeah man, looks like you nailed it. Thanks for the ID!!!

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

So I read that and am soo glad it's in my quarantine. I plan to re-frag and dip everything this weekend using CoralRx and the Bayer insecticide I've seen recommended. That was before I noticed this issue.

So it looks like they'll be going into a bucket after that while I bleach and scrub the heck out of the quarantine tank.

Any tips on an additional chemical I should buy to dip my frags specifically for this? I have a duncan, hammer, green and superman montiporas and a rasta zoa. I'd rather not kill them. I'd rather even more to never had that crap in my display.

Rub them off with a soft toothbrush?

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

I'll answer myself in case anyone is reading: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/here-it-is-fenbendazole-use-against-hydroids.214950/

You all are such an invaluable resource thanks!

 

[ScottR]

Since it’s in QT, don’t feed it. Hydroids need nutrients. That means no fish food in the water. This is in addition to whatever route you take.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Yes, I plan to put them on a diet after re-fragging, dipping and perhaps adding some H2O2 as an additional dip. Toothbrush application to the snails and I might just throw out the GSP. That's the only thing I see it on.

They'll live in a bucket until I can bleach, scrub and thoroughly dry the qt tank, pump and heater they are using now.

Then, after the diet I'm going to up the feeding again to see if they come back.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

Decided to throw the GSP frag out. Will refrag the rest and dip tomorrow. Fingers crossed it hasn't spread.

It was hard. The GSP was looking quite happy when I got home from work tonight.

 

[sushi_and_sashimi]

The next day I noticed my tank glass appeared to have been splattered with little white things. I think these are the medusa jellies after landing or something? There were everywhere.

Right now that QT and everything in it (except livestock) is out back soaking in bleach.

Snails: I scrubbed with a tooth brush, hit them with wet sanding paper, dipped in 3% peroxide for about a minute. They are all fine 24hrs later. Even two fan worms on one of their shells survived. The shells glow orange under the blue lights where before they didn't.

Green and Superman Montipora, Reggae Zoas, Hammer and Duncans: 15 mins in Bayer Insect Killer (20ml in 2 cups of Salt Water), 10mins in CoralRx, 2 mins in 3% H2O2, 10mins in Lugols iodine (5 drops in 2 cups)

The superman looks dead but it was barely hanging on already. I see a bit of pink in there but it's basically white. The green lost 75% of it's color but I think it'll come back. The zoas act like nothing happened. The hammer and duncan are pretty shriveled today. Not closed.

Crabs and shrimp: I just transferred. I assume the fact that they molt makes them shed there sorts of problems.

Oh, and I cut the mounts off and threw that out. The plugs were easy with a bone cutter but the LPS and zoas were embedded in rocks which I had to cut out with a dremel. (with mask and eye protection)

My first time with any of this so I am thinking for a beginner this will wind up okay.

I've ordered some fenbendazole and after a couple of weeks I'm going to run 1-3 cycles of that. If my snails die so be it.

That is nasty stuff I don't want in my display. Might have been >1 variety of hydroid for all I know.

Still after all of that I'm pretty sure I saw what appears to be some branching hydroid stuck in some of the slime the corals produced.

So this is not over...