kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 So I went back to Aquatek last night and talked to the owner Bruce. Really nice guy. Anyway, he went ahead and replaced the carpenter wrasse I was talking with you all about yesterday without even seeing it! I thought that was really cool of him to do. I later came home and found remains of what was the one we were all talking about yesterday. I guess the CUC got to him before I could move anything around. Yes! Rock work got to stay the same, CUC got a little snack and I got the dead one out and replaced with a brand new healthy and lively one. Thanks again to Bruce at Aquatek. Now on to the reason I started this thread. I have heard of people talking about dipping frags before putting them into their tanks, but I always figured that was referring to frags got at swaps or out of other people's tanks. Well I decided to ask Bruce about dipping yesterday while at AT and told him about the candy cane I am having problems with. He suggested I buy some dip and give it a try along with relocating the candy cane. Then I started looking at the frags they had (because I can never walk in and walk out without buying a frag of something, that would be crazy) and came across some pretty cool little colonies of zoas that had a very good price on them. I decided to get those two pieces and head out with my new fish and coral dip. So I got home and prepared to dip the candy cane while the new wrasse was acclimating. Dipped the candy cane and replaced it in the tank hopefully in a better spot and decided since I have the mix of dip and water, I might as well go ahead and dip the new zoas I just bought. Threw them in and holy crap!!! Little critters running everywhere. They looked kind of like a sliverfish in a way and did everything they could to get back to the zoas. I also noticed this red thing crawling all around that looked quite scary. I don't know if it was just an adult of the little ones I saw or a complete different type of pest, but I got them all off. Then I noticed there were several different sized little clams wedged in the branches of the zoas on the bigger piece I got. Are they anything to worry about? I left them there and haven't found much info on them. Next thing i noticed was some flat circular shaped slimy little things. About three of them. I didn't bother since they didn't look harmful. I then rinsed the pieces and put them in the tank. They are still closed up for the most part but a few polyps are starting to open. Also, those slimy round things have an incredible color on them. Two are bright orange and the other is a really bright green. So I started thinking they are mushrooms. But they look different than the mushrooms I have seen. Anyone have an idea of what they are? These are a few pics that I was able to get last night. Pests . Mushroom looking things with a little clam that was on there. New wrasse New zoas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad and Belinda Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The ones that look like silverfish are copepods and are excellect to have in your system. Always dip your corals when you get them regardless of who you got them from. Even members with healthy looking tanks. I found that out the hard way. And that lesson was learned from a frag I got from a friend who had no idea about the pest he had in his tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 first pest pic is an amphipod and those are great to have in the tank, often people buy packs to load their tank with them. Second looks like zoa eating nudibranch... those are bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The ones that look like silverfish are copepods and are excellect to have in your system. Wouldnt that large sucker be an amphipod? copepods are smaller, rotifer even smaller. I could be wrong though and want to learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 I also just noticed what looks to be a little starfish and some sort of what i guess is a type of algae. Anyone have an idea on these? Thanks to everyone who has been helping me out. I learn so much from these forums! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 The ones that look like silverfish are copepods and are excellect to have in your system. Always dip your corals when you get them regardless of who you got them from. Even members with healthy looking tanks. I found that out the hard way. And that lesson was learned from a frag I got from a friend who had no idea about the pest he had in his tank. first pest pic is an amphipod and those are great to have in the tank, often people buy packs to load their tank with them. Second looks like zoa eating nudibranch... those are bad. wow ok. I thought pods of sorts are really small and hard to see? Guess I was wrong. Oops. They just looks like something bad so i got them off of there. Now I know The nudibranch was wicked looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 rotifers look like TINY TINY TINY spec in the water, pods look more like mechanical pencil tip size to me, and amphipods are just crazy. Crazy Cajun Patrick in south Austin has pods in his system that are easily 1 inch long, they are CUC and do amazing work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 to me the next to pics look like 1 asterina star (good in moderation IMO but a harlequin shrimp will hunt them when there are too many) second could be a sponge growth, not sure... whats its true color and feel? I wouldnt bring ti out of water into the air incase it was a sponge though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 rotifers look like TINY TINY TINY spec in the water, pods look more like mechanical pencil tip size to me, and amphipods are just crazy. Crazy Cajun Patrick in south Austin has pods in his system that are easily 1 inch long, they are CUC and do amazing work. to me the next to pics look like 1 asterina star (good in moderation IMO but a harlequin shrimp will hunt them when there are too many) second could be a sponge growth, not sure... whats its true color and feel? I wouldnt bring ti out of water into the air incase it was a sponge though. WOW! 1" long that's crazy. I'll keep a closer eye on those in the future. The sponge like thing feels almost like the surface of the rock but of course with all the little bumps on it. And it's color is just white. I've noticed it since the start up of the tank and it doesn't seem to have grown or moved so I haven't been overly worried about it. I'm just able to take photos again since I found my charger and so I want to get out any questions I have thus far. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 And I have been wanting a harlequin shrimp. Just heard they are hard to keep alive since they only eat starfish. And chocolate chips starfish can be an expensive diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Alson one other thing that is my mind. My biggest clown is doing what appears to be hosting in my frogspawn. And the frogspawn doesn't seem to be too happy with it. Since the clown started doing this, the frogspawn hasn't opened nearly as large as it was before. Is there any way I can stop the clown from this or help the frogspawn out in any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Try getting the clown a nem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesreyn Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Try getting the clown a nem We should find out how long the system has been set up before suggesting that. Anemones usually don't do very well in newer tanks. I found that out the hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Yeah that is why I haven't got a nem. It is only two months old or so. Everything else is doing great. The Frogspawn was doing superb. Then the clown started rubbing all over it and sleeping in it at night and now it stays pretty much closed up all day. It used to extend out and look really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Second looks like zoa eating nudibranch... those are bad. Where are you seeing the nudi? I see the clam things he's talking about which I truly have no idea what they are but I'm not seeing any nudi's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 And I have been wanting a harlequin shrimp. Just heard they are hard to keep alive since they only eat starfish. And chocolate chips starfish can be an expensive diet You may have a hard time supporting a harlequin. If you let the asterina population get huge you may be ok. Mine seem to be only interested in film algae, so I've never minded them. From what I've read the asterina species is more of an ambiguous description of about 30 different species of stars, some of which will eat coral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Yeah, the bright red and bright green things should be mushrooms. Amphipods for sure, not copepods, though sometimes I use the term interchangeably myself even though I know its not right. +1 on the sponge identification... at least that what it appears to be to me. Asterina star for sure, they are harmless. People report some species eating zoas but in my opinion, thats just because the zoa went downhill already and the stars are just cleaning up the rotting polyp. I have 100s in my tank and a ton of zoa polyps. The only one's I have ever seen eating a polyp were on colonies that were going south already. If I have zoa eating stars, they would have cleaned out that colony and then moved onto a fresh colony. They never do. Just my 2 cents though and just speaking with my own experience. Somebody else may have a killer asterina starfish amongst their tank inhabitants! -Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Try getting the clown a nem We should find out how long the system has been set up before suggesting that. Anemones usually don't do very well in newer tanks. I found that out the hard way. Very true. I was able to put a nem in my system after 1 month but I did use live rock, live sand and water from an established tank to do all water changes. Plus the nem I put in came from the established tank... this always leaves me to forget to check tank maturity, good catch! Second looks like zoa eating nudibranch... those are bad. Where are you seeing the nudi? I see the clam things he's talking about which I truly have no idea what they are but I'm not seeing any nudi's. Do I not see a nudi slightly off center to the left on the closed zoa colony? I think I see a little white line about the length of a polyp and has its little spikes off the body.... I dont see the clams though, maybe im looking at this wrong? The above quotes are why we let many members chime in before agreeing with the first person We catch each others mistakes and keep everything working the right way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Second looks like zoa eating nudibranch... those are bad. Where are you seeing the nudi? I see the clam things he's talking about which I truly have no idea what they are but I'm not seeing any nudi's. I see the clams in picture 3 but the nudi in picture 2 just to clarify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Do I not see a nudi slightly off center to the left on the closed zoa colony? I think I see a little white line about the length of a polyp and has its little spikes off the body.... I dont see the clams though, maybe im looking at this wrong? Your totally right. The second image hadn't loaded for me last time, so my 2nd was your 3rd. Definitely a nudi right center in the 2nd photo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I see a nudi on pic 2. The line with the legs looks like a bristleworm but if you go up and right of that, on the rock by itself, there is a nudi sitting in plain view for all to see. Destroy that thing! -Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Also, there's nudi eggs to the left of the nudi, above and slightly left of the bristly worm, in the 2nd photo. You should get this piece out of the DT completely and into QT. These guys are bad, bad, bad. Most dips will not kill nudi eggs. Props on the high res photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I was wondering what that stuff was, thought it was a xenia stalk at first that floated there and attached. Good eye Jestep on the eggs. Good eye Bio on the original spotting of the nudi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 See, this is why the community is great... tons of talk and I just stopped at the first nudi didnt even look further into the pic. After Ty and Jestep pointed those others out its crazy obvious. +1 to the above comment on the pics. Thats the key, you got great high res close ups made it almost like a fun nerdy where's waldo for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Also, there's nudi eggs to the left of the nudi, above and slightly left of the bristly worm, in the 2nd photo. You should get this piece out of the DT completely and into QT. These guys are bad, bad, bad. Most dips will not kill nudi eggs. Props on the high res photos. I don't have a QT is there anything else I can do? I plan to dip the pieces every other day for a week or so. If I get them off with a sharp utensil of some sort would that be ok? Thanks for the comment on the pics. I try and get the best quality photos I can. I hate when people ask about something and upload a pic taken with a potato See, this is why the community is great... tons of talk and I just stopped at the first nudi didnt even look further into the pic. After Ty and Jestep pointed those others out its crazy obvious. +1 to the above comment on the pics. Thats the key, you got great high res close ups made it almost like a fun nerdy where's waldo for me Yes! This community is awesome. I have learned so much from this forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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