Problems in paradise

[marie]

or "Can anyone tell what the heck is chowing down on my coral?"
Unfortunately I can't give you a pic of the creature or even a discription but it builds a tube that isn't hard and has some sand incorparated in the tube.
It doesn't appear to actually live in the part of the tube that I can see because I've tried to kill it and it keeps coming back :twised:

This is the damage done last night. It is removing all the tissue from my millie leaving the skeleton behind. The arrow is pointing to the end of the most recent tube its made

Any ideas on what it is? and more importantly how to kill it??
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/mariesnell/dec27005.jpg

[Chaloupa]

OH NO! Sorry I can't offer what might be going on.....but sorry to see the destruction it is causing

[atcguy]

looks like stn

[marie]

looks like stn

Yes it does, except there is also small portion of skeleton missing and it only happens around the tube.
A few months ago the tube being built was considerably smaller and on the other side of the coral, the damage done was proportionately smaller as well and the coral was able to recover in a matter of a few days

[marie]

Well, that particular coral died shortly after. Not because of "whatever it" is that was eating it but because of other troubles.

"Whatever it is" survived my tank troubles though and has moved on to new corals, specifically a prostrata that came as a freebie in an order from Snappy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/mariesnell/dec508-1.jpg

[Borderjumper]

Can you snip off the branch and get the pest?

[marie]

This particular coral is still small and is encrusting the rock so no I can't snip a branch but in the past I removed a 4" long branch of coral/tube and the tube was empty.
Either the coral grows around the tube or the thing eats its way through the center because the branch I fragged was hollow, the tube running down through the center and almost perfectly round

[Myka]

I've seen this somewhere in my neverending hunt for more info on the 'net. I can't recall what the heck it is though. I will go poking about and see if I can find something for you.

EDIT: Sorry I can't relocate the information.

[Lance]

Hey Marie. Not sure if this is your problem. Google (Halofolliculina corallasia).
a parasite that burrows into the coral and cause rapid tissue loss.

[marie]

I don't think thats the problem, this thing builds a tube as big around as a pencil. I could see the tube travelling along the outside of the coral and where the tube ends there is what appears to be chewed upon corals. The skeleton is eaten along with the tissue

[tang daddy]

marie I've never seen anything like it.....

I have seen in the past though small shell builders in acro colonies that live in the acro structure however they never eat the coral skin like you described what they do is feed by casting a string and these are small like 2mm wide.

[Ken]

Marie, did you purchase any new corals recently that may have hitchhike from there. Sounds like something you just encounter, possibly contact the vendor and see if they are having any similar problem. If you noticed any new damage, how about removing that particular piece if possible? Regards Ken

[marie]

I first noticed damage done by this guy a year ago and at that time I wanted it out of there but after living with it for a year I'm not as bothered by the damage. As long as the coral it's munching on is healthy it appears to be able to grow quicker then its being eaten.

The tube it builds reminds me of an egg a chicken lays that doesn't have enough calcium. White and kind of soft but still holds it's shape, it also has sand and debris incorporated into it when available. No strings, tentacles or webs ever come out of the tube that I can see and the tube travels in multiple directions...it has lots of entrances/exits.
All this info I got from when I first found it last year, I have only recently just rediscovered it and the tube so far appears to be coming directly out of the rock

[Chaloupa]

That is sooo weird Marie. And, you do just learn to live with stuff, as long as it all looks good, and is growing faster than this creature can eat it..then all is good...in a way!