I think I got 2 types of worms smothering my torch skeleton and Its been closing near the mouth for a couple weeks now

[Placenta89]

I thought they were harmless feather duster but I then noticed it seemed to be agitated but still decent extension everywhere else. Started with just 2 of the white tube worm looking shells and now its everywhere and a couple look very different. I haven't been able to see the mouth of the torch for weeks now it's always hiding it with shrunken tenticals covering it.

I dipped it once thinking it had some type of flat worm and nothing like that came out.

Parameters are

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Magnesium 1400
Calcium 436
Phosphate 0.05
Nitrate 5
Kh 10
Ph 8.2
Salinity 1.025

I have a longnose hawk fish and 2 clownfish only in the tank. The hawk fish stays away from both my torches and same with the clowns. I don't wanna epoxy over the worms (maybe it's the best idea though) or I was reading a type of wrasse would clean them up nicely? I am wary of getting crabs and shrimp as I've had ones that bother the corals far too much.

 

[homer1475]

Spionid worms, harmless filter feeder. Not the reason your torch is closed.

 

[Placenta89]

Spionid worms, harmless filter feeder. Not the reason your torch is closed.

Thanks, there is a couple other shells that look different than the rest on the first picture but it might be the same thing just a bit bigger. I thought they were harmless but wanted to make sure. Just thought it was wierd that it started closing when they showed up around the skeleton so much. My other thought is that it might be splitting as before its mouth was a straight line basically and a couple weeks ago it looked like a v shape almost. But It might just be wishful thinking. Thanks for easing my mind though.

 

[homer1475]

The other white "blobs" appear to be sponges.

If you can get a pic of the mouth, I can certainly tell you if it's starting to split or not.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ist pic has pineapple sponge which favor shaded areas of tank and are short lived.
I also see what appears to be cyano film which is a bacteria and may warrant you checking levels such as nitrate and phosphate and also check calcium as these coral do not do well in low calcium environment. If you have leathers nearby or within, they may release toxins which will affect torch coral.
Torch coral require typical parameters including a temperature around 78 degrees, a specific gravity of about 1.025, ph of about 8.2, and a calcium level of about 400 ppm. Like most large polyp stony corals, a torch coral benefits from moderate water flow. The polyps will remain retracted and under-inflated if the water current is too fast because the large flowing polyps are prone to rip and tear in high or ultra-high current environments.
The torch coral is a photosynthetic coral, meaning it has a relationship with symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-cell photosynthetic organisms) that live inside its tissues that converts the light energy into sugar. In exchange for a home inside the coral, the zooxanthellae split their harvest and feed the coral.

 

[Placenta89]

The other white "blobs" appear to be sponges.

If you can get a pic of the mouth, I can certainly tell you if it's starting to split or not.

Let the research begin. Thanks! I wish I could get a pic of the mouth. I've been keeping an eye on it for so long thinking it was changing shape. I noticed a bit of growth on the skeleton and it seemed to have changed a bit of shape but nothing hugely noticeable. But yeah the thing that annoys me is thay it always has either shrunken or almost twisted tenticals covering the middle area covering the mouth. But the extension seems fine everywhere else and I have never noticed it closing tightly yet. Only slightly when it's making a poop.

 

[Placenta89]

Ist pic has pineapple sponge which favor shaded areas of tank and are short lived.
I also see what appears to be cyano film which is a bacteria and may warrant you checking levels such as nitrate and phosphate and also check calcium as these coral do not do well in low calcium environment. If you have leathers nearby or within, they may release toxins which will affect torch coral.
Torch coral require typical parameters including a temperature around 78 degrees, a specific gravity of about 1.025, ph of about 8.2, and a calcium level of about 400 ppm. Like most large polyp stony corals, a torch coral benefits from moderate water flow. The polyps will remain retracted and under-inflated if the water current is too fast because the large flowing polyps are prone to rip and tear in high or ultra-high current environments.
The torch coral is a photosynthetic coral, meaning it has a relationship with symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-cell photosynthetic organisms) that live inside its tissues that converts the light energy into sugar. In exchange for a home inside the coral, the zooxanthellae split their harvest and feed the coral.

Thanks! yeah I posted my parameters and they have been fairly steady around those levels. I haven't noticed any cyano anywhere in the tank. Not quite sure where you saw that in the picture. Maybe it was the colored lense making it look like that? And yeah I have great flow swaying back and forth so nothing gets stuck in it. I spent 400 on this torch so I did a ton of research on what they need. My levels are good and stable. I had a major issue with cyano on my very first tank which made me restart the while tank last year. This time round I've been doing testing every day almost to make sure I don't get that again. I do 25% water change every Wednesday. The other torch is healthy and so is everything else in the tank, even getting good growth on my sps. The only thing I noticed was wierd was the worms on the skeleton. And thank you so much for pointing out the sponge. I will be looking into that immediately to see.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks! yeah I posted my parameters and they have been fairly steady around those levels. I haven't noticed any cyano anywhere in the tank. Not quite sure where you saw that in the picture. Maybe it was the colored lense making it look like that? And yeah I have great flow swaying back and forth so nothing gets stuck in it. I spent 400 on this torch so I did a ton of research on what they need. My levels are good and stable. I had a major issue with cyano on my very first tank which made me restart the while tank last year. This time round I've been doing testing every day almost to make sure I don't get that again. I do 25% water change every Wednesday. The other torch is healthy and so is everything else in the tank, even getting good growth on my sps. The only thing I noticed was wierd was the worms on the skeleton. And thank you so much for pointing out the sponge. I will be looking into that immediately to see.

And can very well be the light showing that.

 

[Placenta89]

And can very well be the light showing that.

I think so. What a nightmare that was. But I'll definitely be taking an even closer look now. I just finished up with my diatom problem. Now healthier algae are forming thay are not such a nuisance. Haven't noticed any diatoms for a month or so (probably still there but my CUC gets to it before I see) . I have been dosing magnesium, calcium and alkalinity when needed though to level out at 1450 mag, 450 calcium and a kh of 10 or 11. Only had a couple days where the kh was around 7 but I test every day almost so I dealt with it quickly. My salt mix tests at 1300 almost magsium and only 380 calcium so I try to boost it up especially for my rescue SPS I got.

 

[Placenta89]

And can very well be the light showing that.

Do you recommend any smaller type of fish that eat the spionids? Possibly compatible with a longnose hawk and 2 clown s? I hear wrasse do a good job but they can bully the hawk fish. But maybe since the hawk fish has been in the tank first they just might get along

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you recommend any smaller type of fish that eat the spionids? Possibly compatible with a longnose hawk and 2 clown s? I hear wrasse do a good job but they can bully the hawk fish. But maybe since the hawk fish has been in the tank first they just might get along

Nothing really eats spinoids although coral banded shrimp have been noted to do such
Best method is to starve them by directing water flow towards them- not at them and they can’t get food
I scrape off and net if I ever see any

 

[Placenta89]

Nothing really eats spinoids although coral banded shrimp have been noted to do such
Best method is to starve them by directing water flow towards them- not at them and they can’t get food
I scrape off and net if I ever see any

Ah I've always had bad luck with cleaner shrimp annoying the soft corals I keep. I'm probably just paranoid and the situation will resolve itself in a month or so but always good to have a second opinion. I but I'm gonna stop spot feeding them the ab+ amino acid once a week. See if it stops them from at least spreading. I mean they seem to be okay to have and they clean your water. Just thought since they arrived and the torch closing in the middle, it could have been connected but sounding like it has nothing to do with it. Thank you

 

[Placenta89]

Thanks, there is a couple other shells that look different than the rest on the first picture but it might be the same thing just a bit bigger. I thought they were harmless but wanted to make sure. Just thought it was wierd that it started closing when they showed up around the skeleton so much. My other thought is that it might be splitting as before its mouth was a straight line basically and a couple weeks ago it looked like a v shape almost. But It might just be wishful thinking. Thanks for easing my mind though.

Hey man, sorry to bother you. I was gonna try and clean some of the sponges off and a bit of the other stuff and I gently took it out and it didn't retract at all. In the process of turning it in the tank it's tentacles 2 of them got stuck on the skeleton.... I tried to use a tiny baster to blow it off but it's really stuck on there and won't budge. Any suggestions so it doesn't get an infection from this? Pretty sure those two tentacles are gonna be a goner. I didn't even fully take it out of the tank, I slowly took it out and half way I noticed it and put it back

 

[Gtinnel]

Spionid worms, harmless filter feeder. Not the reason your torch is closed.

I could be wrong but what I mostly see are spirorbid worms not spionid.