High Tide Aquatics

Afternoon of Pests

MolaMola

MolaMola

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After being out of town for a week, returned to check on tanks yesterday after picking up some frags that had been ordered. Although things looked great overall despite zero maintenance, I encountered pest issues:
1) Mystery hitchhiker on new frags - seeking ID:
Photo - see post below
Noticed these in dip tub, then saw many still attached to dipped frags. Kinda feel like asterina - sandpapery and solid, not slimy or soft. Scraped them off, removed frags I could from plugs, placed in QT. Wondering what they are. Frags looked fine, so I'm guessing they do not eat coral.

2) Mystery worms. Probably going to lose Moseleya I got in Sept. Around Thanksgiving saw it was warring with Platygyra maze brain because they had gotten pushed close together. Hasn't been looking great past month, attributed it to that. Looked at it today under dissecting scope and saw dark wormlike creature with transparent edges sliming along and possibly white oval eggs. Dipped. Examined dip liquid and found two tiny beige worms - looked like thin pasta, no different coloration, markings, visible body structures of any kind, but they were traveling out of my view - after Bayer dip! I could not get any decent pics and gave up. I freaked out, toothbrushed off everything that looked suspicious and put Moseleya in QT. It looks horrible. Was wondering if anyone knows of a marine worm pest picture database. Husband later tells me that not everything succumbs to dip immediately but may be poisoned and dies later. Also reminds me some worms eat necrotic tissue, not healthy tissue, so maybe they are not really pests and coral's demise is due to some other cause.

3) Asterina. Had a few in frag tank. We see ~3 during the day. Saw about 10 now and know people say they are a pest, so decided I could remove them even though we like seeing them. Over the next half hour between acclimating frags, looking at above pests, and topping off ATO reservoirs I removed more asterina that kept appearing on the glass for a total of 50+. Hmm. Seems like a lot. They don't seem to eat anything desirable. Are they cleaning the sand? Looks like they might eat slime from glass. Why exactly are they considered pests, though?
 
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I've always considered asterinas to be a benefit. Maybe not a big benefit, but I've never had a downside and I think they are cool to look at.

I can't tell without a picture, but are your oval asterina like things limpets or chitons?
 
IMG_3700.jpg
 
You know, I think it is a chiton. Is it weird a company sold me frags with tons of these or normal buyer beware?
Are they a problem? I think they just eat algae including coralline. Could scratch acrylic I bet. Glad I have a QT now.
 
No idea if they are good or bad, but I know at least person who has had them in a nice SPS dominant tank for several years with no apparent issues. Glass, not acrylic though.
My personal motto at this point is that if I'm at all concerned it doesn't go in my tank, so if you aren't comfortable keep it out.
 
Coral reefer said:
I finally saw asterinas eating zoas. Had never seen it until recently.
Click to expand...
Yanno, I had 2 zoa frags from the last swap disappear on me, and the entire 300g tub almost has as many of them as there are aiptasia. I just assumed the water quality was so shitty they melted, really sad too. I was hoping to grow them out so I have more than a frag when I move stuff. Oh well. My maxi-mini anemone managed to split, I have the magic touch to get
 
Anyone in the club is welcome to have them. I brought asterina to a past frag swap because I knew at least one person had a starfish-eating shrimp and someone else had a pest tank, but no one took them.
I forgot that I have not set up a Beaker of Doom yet this year! That will become home to any more chitons I may find and some asterina. I was thinking I should add an echinoderm lab this term - maybe we can see some cool stuff on asterina.
 
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