Hey all I have a 8" red monti cap that is bleaching at the base and down inside but the tops are all healthy and growing quickly. The water and all levels are fine. I noticed a fairly large 4" long pinkish colored bristle worm nestling down and along where the coral appears to be bleaching. Everytime I feed the tank he appears from the base of the monti. Has anyone ever experienced this? There are hundreds of these worms in this tank but he is by far the biggest. Any suggestions on removal as the other colonies of monti cap are fine with no bleaching just the biggest one. Im thinking maybe his bristles are irritating the coral as he moves along his same passage ways over and over. Am I crazy?
Bristleworm causing red monti to bleach???
- Thread starter Skywalker
- Start date
puffermike
Active Member
It's possible that it could be causing an issue. It's also possible that the coral might not be getting enough light on the bottom and it's causing it to bleach. As most plate or branching corals grow they block out the light from the bottom and just continue growing upwards. If you think the worm is causing the harm and you want to remove it, use a turkey baster to suck it out. It's the easiest way I've found to remove worms, even ones lodged in rocks and inside corals can be enticed with food and sucked out.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Not a freshwater dip, but there are products that you can use. Here is a good thread on options: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/aquarium-corals/89244-coral-dip-best-brand-use.html
puffermike
Active Member
I've been documenting iodine dips upon new arrivals. I put my corals into a small plastic container and add 5-10 drops of iodine and use a turkey baster to spray them down. I do this about 3-4 times until the cups water has a brown tinge and then I let them soak for 20 minutes in it. I can't say for sure that iodine kills parasites but I will say that the combination of iodine + shooting them with water has dislodged all kinds of critters. When they are exposed I just pull them out with the baster. I've stunned pods and worms of many kinds using the first aid bottle of iodine you can buy in the thrift store for 6 bucks.
If you're really interested in killing parasites I'd suggest using bayer insect repellent. This is about 9 dollars.
The formula I used for success was 10ml per 4oz of water soaked for 10 minutes. Be sure to rinse the coral off with tank water before putting it back into the display tank.