Mushroom leathers eaten

rossco · 03-09-2006, 11:53 PM

Hi fishy folk
Ever since I started introducing mushroom leathers to my tank I have noticed that once in a while chunks get eaten off them. Like the shape of what happens when a bug like a caterpiller eats something. Deep hole in the middle, shallow to the sides. Around the size of your little fingernail. Only happens at night. And now I'm getting really peeved with it however it is as it is taking chunks out of my new elegance!

I know its not the fishy inhabitants because it happened even when I took them all out for treatment for over a month.

Any suggestions as to what critter is likely to have developed a taste for mushroom leathers? Bristleworm????
And how to deal with it/them?

Woodstock · 03-10-2006, 12:10 AM

Crab? Murex snail? eunicid worm? Time for you to do some midnight hunting with a red flashlight....

Here is a photo of a murex snail sucking the life out of a xenia... look towards the bottom and you can clearly see its feeding tube stuck in the xenia stalk. Needless to say, I removed the snail immediately after taking this pic...

Reefstick · 03-10-2006, 12:56 PM

I had a crazed emerald crab who would eat my leather, I seen him doing it once, and he ended up back at the LFS...then I got another for bubble algae removal, and after he had the algae under control, he ate all of my cabbage leather in two nights!!!!!!
They are all crazy if you ask me.
Do you have a emerald crab?
I agree with Woodstock, I would get a flash light.

rossco · 03-10-2006, 05:19 PM

Don't have any emerald crabs (to my knowledge).

I have a flashlight that I pay random night visits to the tank with but no sign of any munchers. I'll try the red cover idea to see if it helps.

I put half a plastic bottle over the top of my elegance coral at night in an attempt to keep the muncher off. I put some holes in it so the coral could still get some water movement. The first attempt had holes 3-4 mm in size and the elegance still got a bit of munching which sort of led me to guess its something the shape of a bristleworm that is skinny but with a BIG stomach!
I made the holes smaller and no apprent damage since.

Charlie97L · 03-10-2006, 05:33 PM

it could be a eucnid worm. those are horrid.

the red flashlight is key... all those night critters are fast, and will disappear sometimes before you can even see them with a normal flashlight. they can't see the red, though, apparently.

rossco · 03-10-2006, 06:21 PM

Each chomp, top left and bottom centre, was overnight....

Woodstock · 03-10-2006, 07:33 PM

Wow! Make a pot of coffee tonight and have extra flashlight batteries on hand

rossco · 03-10-2006, 09:13 PM

And a shotgun?????

Woodstock · 03-11-2006, 09:29 PM

Any luck?

rossco · 03-12-2006, 06:04 AM

No joy yet. I shifted the victim to my sump. No other leathers have been nibbled in its absence.
Do you reckon adding a Copper Band Butterfly to the family would help keep the critters head down? Or would it be like Sigourney versus the Alien Monster Thing!!???!!

Woodstock · 03-12-2006, 11:30 AM

No, I would not add a CBB for such critter control. Just keep your eyes open... hopefully you will solve the mystery soon!

03-09-2006, 11:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
rossco Tunicate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 22 View Gallery Karma Komment	Mushroom leathers eaten Hi fishy folk Ever since I started introducing mushroom leathers to my tank I have noticed that once in a while chunks get eaten off them. Like the shape of what happens when a bug like a caterpiller eats something. Deep hole in the middle, shallow to the sides. Around the size of your little fingernail. Only happens at night. And now I'm getting really peeved with it however it is as it is taking chunks out of my new elegance! I know its not the fishy inhabitants because it happened even when I took them all out for treatment for over a month. Any suggestions as to what critter is likely to have developed a taste for mushroom leathers? Bristleworm???? And how to deal with it/them?

03-10-2006, 12:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten Crab? Murex snail? eunicid worm? Time for you to do some midnight hunting with a red flashlight.... Here is a photo of a murex snail sucking the life out of a xenia... look towards the bottom and you can clearly see its feeding tube stuck in the xenia stalk. Needless to say, I removed the snail immediately after taking this pic... __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

03-10-2006, 12:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
Reefstick Limpet Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Aurora, CO Posts: 125 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten I had a crazed emerald crab who would eat my leather, I seen him doing it once, and he ended up back at the LFS...then I got another for bubble algae removal, and after he had the algae under control, he ate all of my cabbage leather in two nights!!!!!! They are all crazy if you ask me. Do you have a emerald crab? I agree with Woodstock, I would get a flash light. __________________ 12 gallon reef + 75 gallon reef + bad seals = flooded basement. Take the remainder of the living corals, fish & rock subtract all sanity and you have an extremely full 30 gallon reef with a crying owner.

03-10-2006, 05:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
rossco Tunicate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 22 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten Don't have any emerald crabs (to my knowledge). I have a flashlight that I pay random night visits to the tank with but no sign of any munchers. I'll try the red cover idea to see if it helps. I put half a plastic bottle over the top of my elegance coral at night in an attempt to keep the muncher off. I put some holes in it so the coral could still get some water movement. The first attempt had holes 3-4 mm in size and the elegance still got a bit of munching which sort of led me to guess its something the shape of a bristleworm that is skinny but with a BIG stomach! I made the holes smaller and no apprent damage since.

03-10-2006, 05:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
Charlie97L Reef Lobster Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Bethesda, MD Posts: 1,288 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten it could be a eucnid worm. those are horrid. the red flashlight is key... all those night critters are fast, and will disappear sometimes before you can even see them with a normal flashlight. they can't see the red, though, apparently. __________________ 40 Breeder, 20H Frag Aquactinics T5s, CPR Fuge, Deltec AP600, AC Jr, WavySea

03-10-2006, 06:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
rossco Tunicate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 22 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten Each chomp, top left and bottom centre, was overnight....

03-10-2006, 07:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten Wow! Make a pot of coffee tonight and have extra flashlight batteries on hand __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

03-10-2006, 09:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
rossco Tunicate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 22 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten And a shotgun?????

03-11-2006, 09:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten Any luck? __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

03-12-2006, 06:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
rossco Tunicate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 22 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten No joy yet. I shifted the victim to my sump. No other leathers have been nibbled in its absence. Do you reckon adding a Copper Band Butterfly to the family would help keep the critters head down? Or would it be like Sigourney versus the Alien Monster Thing!!???!!

03-12-2006, 11:30 AM	#11 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Mushroom leathers eaten No, I would not add a CBB for such critter control. Just keep your eyes open... hopefully you will solve the mystery soon! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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