Goniopora infested?

[Mrcote1]

Hi everyone,

I bought a large really nice goniopora a couple weeks ago. I have only seen it open once, but it is absolutely covered in what looks to be feather dusters.
I dipped it in coral revive twice but that didnt get rid of them. Would the feather dusters make the coral stay closed? And is there anything I can do to kill the feather dusters but not the goniopora?

Im concerned they will spread to other corals so im debating chucking the whole coral. The picture below is the clearest i could get

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Its hard to see anything in that picture, but it doesn't look like a feather duster to me. (But if you see a feather duster, you just need a butter knife or screwdriver to pop them off the coral.)

Is this picture in white light? Can you take a pic in white light?

 

[Miami Reef]

I see the feather duster. If you zoom in and look toward the bottom of the red circle, you’ll see a pretty large one.

 

[Mrcote1]

I see the feather duster. If you zoom in and look toward the bottom of the red circle, you’ll see a pretty large one.

The entire goniopora is covered in them. Ive tried using a toothpick to crush them, but I think the coral skeleton grew around the tubes because the tubes arent visible and all the feather dusters just come from extremely small holes all over the coral

 

[MikeyZo]

Before I even read it I looked at the picture and thought feather duster. You could pull it out and glue their holes shut, or pop them off like Mr. Mojo Rising said.

 

[MikeyZo]

I mean are they bothering the goni? They’re harmless and good filter feeders…

 

[Mrcote1]

I mean are they bothering the goni? They’re harmless and good filter feeders…

I Am pretty sure they are bothering it. The goniopora hasnt opened in weeks. My water parameters are good and I have two other gonis that are opened fully and healthy

 

[MikeyZo]

If you can’t get at the base, your best bet is probably to glue them shut if you can see their hole openings. If you use gel and are careful, there should be minimal collateral damage to the coral.

Maybe someone has a better idea, but that’s my 2 cents

 

[Shirak]

Can't see anything in the picture

If they were there for a long time and the goni grew around them then they are not a problem for the coral.

 

[KrisReef]

And is there anything I can do to kill the feather dusters but not the goniopora?

I would recommend a KCl dip of 5-10 minutes. I don't think feather dusters have an operculum that would protect them in their tubes? The coral won't mind but the worms should die.

 

[dbails]

Possibly barnacles. I just had one on/in a torch

 

[dbails]

 

[Mrcote1]

I ended up cutting the colony up and throwing out all the pieces with worms. I was left with 2 good size frags but they are healthy and growing again. The original piece was the size of a baseball when fully extended though

 

[GSPClown94]

Possibly barnacles. I just had one on/in a torch

That’s what I’m thinking but it’s hard to see from the OPs picture.

I ended up cutting the colony up and throwing out all the pieces with worms. I was left with 2 good size frags but they are healthy and growing again. The original piece was the size of a baseball when fully extended though

We’re you able to get a better look at these things when you took the colony out to frag it up?

 

[Mrcote1]

Possibly barnacles. I just had one on/in a torch

That’s what I’m thinking but it’s hard to see from the OPs picture.

I ended up cutting the colony up and throwing out all the pieces with worms. I was left with 2 good size frags but they are healthy and growing again. The original piece was the size of a baseball when fully extended though

We’re you able to get a better look at these things when you took the colony out to frag it up?

I had to use a dremel and it was my first time fragging a goniopora, and it made an awful mess!

But whatever it was, was boring holes throughout the colony. So i only kept the pieces that hadnt been bore through yet. I dont think it was a tube worm.