Coco Worm Trouble

[SpateD]

I have a coco worm that was doing awesome in my buddies 40 gallon tank that was about a month old, I brought it into my 10 gallon when I had the ammonia level in check, he did great for about 2 days.

While moving him out of the flow of the powerhead, the top of his shell cracked. Ever since then, he only came out once to check it out after it happened. Now he's been in the shell pretty much all day. He rarely comes out, and when he does he doesn't show all his ''fingers'' or ''feathers'' or whatever they are are usually all tucked up.

I'm worried he might be dying. Before I go spend money on chemicals to put in the water, just hoping for some ideas of what you guys think I should do?! I've checked my Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates, and all seem to be 0 except the ammonia is like .05 maybe. He's only came out twice today.

[whatcaneyedo]

Try giving it to someone more experianced with a mature tank, preferably someone who feeds live phytoplankton. These worms require a lot of particulate organic matter and phytoplankton to survive in a closed system and will starve to death in a few months to a year without it.

[fishytime]

how new is your tank???? they really do better in a more mature system..... they are rather sensitive to water conditions.....if your tank is new, I would definitely recommend re-homing it to someone with a mature tank while your tank settles down

[SpateD]

My tank is over a month and a half old, and all levels seem to be in check. I was thinking of buying some of the phytoplankton liquid, but I want to know if theres something else to do before I spend a bunch of cash on things that won't work.

[hillbillyreefer]

A month and a half old is not an established tank. I made the same mistake when starting out too. Try and find someone who can take care of it while your tank matures a bit. Then bring it home and have another try. At the very least get some phyto and try it.

Good luck, and remember nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby.

[SpateD]

The only thing is, my friends tank, who it was thriving in for a week. His tank was only a month old. I have zoa's and mushrooms living in my tank who are thriving, and hermit crabs and a cleaner shrimp.

[hillbillyreefer]

Find out what your friend was doing different than you. Thriving for a week doesn`t mean success in this hobby. I`m not trying to be a dick, if I come across that way it is not intentional.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/featherfdgfaqs.htm Check out this thread it`s long, and I didn`t read it all but you should get some good info from it.

How bad did the shell crack, is it possible that a piece of the shell is sharp and irritating the worm when he extends. Mine have also been known to get a bit grouchy when I move them and won`t extend alot until they acclimate to their new spot in the tank. They like lots of flow. You could try some phyto or other filter feeder foods in the tank, but they probably are not necessary. If you are going to try feeding use TINY amounts a 10 gal tank can go south on you very rapidly.

[NuraNori]

Geez Dustin I take total offense to you calling MY tank Craig's tank! :wink:

And my tank may only be set up for less than a month but I did set it up with mature cycled live rock. So I never had the ammonia issues you're having. I found that your worm didn't like too much flow actually. I had to turn off the powerhead for him to come out. Although I do have a closed loop so there is still lots of flow without the powerhead. I also soaked the mysis for the fish in Kent zoe amongst other things. It contains some spirulina, not sure about phyto. Since I wasn't directly feeding it with phyto I wouldn't say he was thriving, but he was surviving for the time being.

You're goby is doing well. Eating lots of mysis now as long as the mysis are going past his mouth! Gonna miss the little guy when it's time :cry:

[SpateD]

lol sorry Nora. I think the mushroom is also doing way better with the powerhead in my tank. He does a little flow as of right now. Not much, so if he doesn't pop out within a weeks time, I'll move him more onto the bottom to get the flow from the filter to see if that helps him.

When I first put him back in my tank, he had a lot of flow from the power head for 2 days and he was out quite a bit but was getting thrown around so thats why I decided to move him.

I need to find some mature live rock for sale. lol

It's good that he's eating well, I really hope to get him in like a week or two. I don't know how long until the ammonia is absolutely 0. It's realllly close though. I was also looking at a pistol shrimp Craig was talking about. Looks soooo cool. But I'm pretty sure it and a cleaner in a 10 gallon would be a fatal mix. lol

But I guess before I do anything drastic I'll leave him for a few days, see if he takes well to the rock he's on, and maybe it's the shell is sharp, but I don't know how to make it more dull for him. Any ideas for that HillBilly?

[NuraNori]

Or you know, you could just wait...

It wasn't my way of saying get mature rock, it was my way of saying, you can't compare the 2 systems! Oh and by the way, even if you were to put in cycled live rock, your old stuff is still cycling so it wouldn't really matter....

So WAIT!!!! Good things come to those who wait...

[Marlin65]

I don't know how long until the ammonia is absolutely 0. It's realllly close though.

I would say this is probably why your worm won't come out.

[SpateD]

lol I ment for my bigger system when I get a new place. :)

Hopefully thats not the case, cause who knows how long it will take to get to 0 since it hasn't already.

[NU-2reef]

I have a coco worm that was doing awesome in my buddies 40 gallon tank that was about a month old, I brought it into my 10 gallon when I had the ammonia level in check, he did great for about 2 days.

While moving him out of the flow of the powerhead, the top of his shell cracked. Ever since then, he only came out once to check it out after it happened. Now he's been in the shell pretty much all day. He rarely comes out, and when he does he doesn't show all his ''fingers'' or ''feathers'' or whatever they are are usually all tucked up.

I'm worried he might be dying. Before I go spend money on chemicals to put in the water, just hoping for some ideas of what you guys think I should do?! I've checked my Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates, and all seem to be 0 except the ammonia is like .05 maybe. He's only came out twice today.


i agree with others on your tank being too young. i personally waited a year and some before i decided to get one. dont worry about the crack on the worms tubing, the worm will repair it its self. as long as proper alk/cal/mag are in check.

the fact that a friend had it in his tank for a few weeks means very little. it takes quite some time for the worm to starve to death. it could be that the worm was weak when you got it and is just getting weaker. if you can't get the worm to a more established tank you need to supplement with some phyto.

dont start buying any chemical compounds when you're unsure of what the issue is. get some phyto and mix with tank water and gently target feed with a turkey baster. turn off the powerhead while doing this. or spray upstream from the current to it can catch particles from the current

[SpateD]

get some phyto and mix with tank water and gently target feed with a turkey baster. turn off the powerhead while doing this. or spray upstream from the current to it can catch particles from the current

The only problem I see with this is that the worm isn't coming out to even catch any particles... All I can think of is slowing putting the phyto into the tube. Maybe it will draw him out.

[NU-2reef]

give it a chance the worm will sense the phyto floating and may intice it to come out. i have several worms in my tank and for the most part of the begining days, it stayed inside its tube only peaking out about half an inch. but a few more days of teasing it with food the worm is out all day everyday. btw i fed marine snow. good alternative to live phyto culture

[Marlin65]

Brightwells makes a few different sizes of food for them I use reef snow and Zooplanktos-m but I use it for my SPS. Out of those sizes of Zoo-plankton so you would need to find the best size for coco worms.
If you find out let me know I aways wanted one but heard they are hard to keep alive.