My polyps are melting!

[Mermaid]

Please guys help me if you can. Over a course of just a few days my orange
button polyps are disappearing. They are turning white and one by one
melting into a glob then disappearing. Don't know if something is eating on
them or if it is a fungus or disease.

Here are some things I have noticed:
1) I have some bristleworms in my tank. All sizes. If they are the culprit
how do I get rid of them. They are quick in the rocks. I grabbed what I
could but there are some large ones in the large rock that my polyps are on.

2) Last night I noticed that after I turned the PC off and just left the
Actinic on, groups of pods were all over the damaged areas. Like they were
eating on the bad stuff.

3) I also notice on that rock is some weird worms that are large and
telescope on themselves with a mouth on the end. Look evil looking. I tried
to grab one and they are fastened rock hard. It would not let go. They have
stripes on them kind of like a coral snake.

4) There are tons of mushrooms on that rock too. Lifted some of them and
found the bristleworms. If that is the problem, is there a natural enemy for
them?

I hate this. They were so pretty. And I am afraid if it is a disease, that
it might spread all over my tank. Something else to deal with in the
chapters and phases of my tank!

Live Rocks are great but it is still a risk when you get them with the
hitchhikers you get.

Here are the rest of the critters in my tank for your information:

75 Gal with refuge sump, 80 lbs. of LR, Yellow tang, pink basslet, 2 percs,
lawnmower blenny, large emerald crab,
large red brittle star, sea cuke, red scarlet crabs, assorted snails,
mushrooms, orange tree sponge, 1 BTA & one missing, GSP that are
disappearing too, Xenia, Zoos, Daisy polyps, Halimeda,

Please help me, As I said above one of my BTA's and my GSP's are
disappearing too. And I mean flat gone to white rock. Not just going in. The
purple is leaving.

What is going on!

Any ideas would be appreciated, I am at a loss.

Thanks,
Paulette

[Todd Nicholson]

Sounds like they have bleached and are now dying. Nothing you can do to
save them, I'm afraid.

-Todd

"Mermaid" > wrote in message
...
> Please guys help me if you can. Over a course of just a few days my orange
> button polyps are disappearing. They are turning white and one by one
> melting into a glob then disappearing. Don't know if something is eating
on
> them or if it is a fungus or disease.
>
> Here are some things I have noticed:
> 1) I have some bristleworms in my tank. All sizes. If they are the culprit
> how do I get rid of them. They are quick in the rocks. I grabbed what I
> could but there are some large ones in the large rock that my polyps are
on.
>
> 2) Last night I noticed that after I turned the PC off and just left the
> Actinic on, groups of pods were all over the damaged areas. Like they were
> eating on the bad stuff.
>
> 3) I also notice on that rock is some weird worms that are large and
> telescope on themselves with a mouth on the end. Look evil looking. I
tried
> to grab one and they are fastened rock hard. It would not let go. They
have
> stripes on them kind of like a coral snake.
>
> 4) There are tons of mushrooms on that rock too. Lifted some of them and
> found the bristleworms. If that is the problem, is there a natural enemy
for
> them?
>
> I hate this. They were so pretty. And I am afraid if it is a disease, that
> it might spread all over my tank. Something else to deal with in the
> chapters and phases of my tank!
>
> Live Rocks are great but it is still a risk when you get them with the
> hitchhikers you get.
>
> Here are the rest of the critters in my tank for your information:
>
> 75 Gal with refuge sump, 80 lbs. of LR, Yellow tang, pink basslet, 2
percs,
> lawnmower blenny, large emerald crab,
> large red brittle star, sea cuke, red scarlet crabs, assorted snails,
> mushrooms, orange tree sponge, 1 BTA & one missing, GSP that are
> disappearing too, Xenia, Zoos, Daisy polyps, Halimeda,
>
> Please help me, As I said above one of my BTA's and my GSP's are
> disappearing too. And I mean flat gone to white rock. Not just going in.
The
> purple is leaving.
>
> What is going on!
>
> Any ideas would be appreciated, I am at a loss.
>
> Thanks,
> Paulette
>
>

[PaulB]

I seriously doubt that it is bristle worms. Have you checked your water
parameters? Also, a large water change would be in order even if water
chemistry is not the problem because of the dead matter and toxins. I would
run carbon too.

#3 sounds like a peanut worm. Not a problem, but check on the ID.
http://www.rshimek.com/odd_critters.htm#Echiuran%20Worms




"Mermaid" > wrote in message
...
> Please guys help me if you can. Over a course of just a few days my orange
> button polyps are disappearing. They are turning white and one by one
> melting into a glob then disappearing. Don't know if something is eating
on
> them or if it is a fungus or disease.
>
> Here are some things I have noticed:
> 1) I have some bristleworms in my tank. All sizes. If they are the culprit
> how do I get rid of them. They are quick in the rocks. I grabbed what I
> could but there are some large ones in the large rock that my polyps are
on.
>
> 2) Last night I noticed that after I turned the PC off and just left the
> Actinic on, groups of pods were all over the damaged areas. Like they were
> eating on the bad stuff.
>
> 3) I also notice on that rock is some weird worms that are large and
> telescope on themselves with a mouth on the end. Look evil looking. I
tried
> to grab one and they are fastened rock hard. It would not let go. They
have
> stripes on them kind of like a coral snake.
>
> 4) There are tons of mushrooms on that rock too. Lifted some of them and
> found the bristleworms. If that is the problem, is there a natural enemy
for
> them?
>
> I hate this. They were so pretty. And I am afraid if it is a disease, that
> it might spread all over my tank. Something else to deal with in the
> chapters and phases of my tank!
>
> Live Rocks are great but it is still a risk when you get them with the
> hitchhikers you get.
>
> Here are the rest of the critters in my tank for your information:
>
> 75 Gal with refuge sump, 80 lbs. of LR, Yellow tang, pink basslet, 2
percs,
> lawnmower blenny, large emerald crab,
> large red brittle star, sea cuke, red scarlet crabs, assorted snails,
> mushrooms, orange tree sponge, 1 BTA & one missing, GSP that are
> disappearing too, Xenia, Zoos, Daisy polyps, Halimeda,
>
> Please help me, As I said above one of my BTA's and my GSP's are
> disappearing too. And I mean flat gone to white rock. Not just going in.
The
> purple is leaving.
>
> What is going on!
>
> Any ideas would be appreciated, I am at a loss.
>
> Thanks,
> Paulette
>
>
>

[Ross Bagley]

"Mermaid" > writes:

> 1) I have some bristleworms in my tank. All sizes. If they are the
> culprit how do I get rid of them. They are quick in the rocks. I
> grabbed what I could but there are some large ones in the large rock
> that my polyps are on.

Unlikely. There are some varieties of bristleworms that are risky,
but most bristleworms are very good for the balance of your reef.

> 2) Last night I noticed that after I turned the PC off and just left the
> Actinic on, groups of pods were all over the damaged areas. Like they were
> eating on the bad stuff.

This sounds very much like pods. I doubt they would be able to handle
the defenses of a live corallimorph.

> 3) I also notice on that rock is some weird worms that are large and
> telescope on themselves with a mouth on the end. Look evil
> looking. I tried to grab one and they are fastened rock hard. It
> would not let go. They have stripes on them kind of like a coral
> snake.

This is almost certainly a peanut worm. They are indeed very eerie
looking and they are equally helpful at clearing away detrius.

> 4) There are tons of mushrooms on that rock too. Lifted some of them
> and found the bristleworms. If that is the problem, is there a
> natural enemy for them?

Some varieties of fish are immune to mushroom toxins, but you don't
have any of those in your tank.

> Please help me, As I said above one of my BTA's and my GSP's are
> disappearing too. And I mean flat gone to white rock. Not just going
> in. The purple is leaving.

What you're describing here is bleaching. It's usually the result of
a stress on your critters and puts them in a "near death" category.
Corals and other critters can recover from bleaching, but don't expect
too much. Unless you changed something recently (like doubling your
lighting or something), it's almost a guarantee that your water has
become toxic to your critters whether a nitrate spike or something
else. You don't mention your water parameters, but I would do a
substantial water change and cosely monitor your parameters for a
while.

Good luck. It's never fun to see things die in your tank and I
can feel for you :( Please continue to let us know how things go.

Regards,
Ross

-- Ross Bagley http://rossbagley.com/rba
"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature...
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

[Mermaid]

Thanks all for your efforts in helping me. Friday night I came home to find
another polyp in a white waxy heap. I tested my water to find that my PH was
down and I had an increase in nitrates. 2 weeks ago I had none. Anyway, I
brought my PH up and did a 10% water change. I put carbon in for 24 hrs. I
guess I will just have to wait and see. One of my BTAs never showed up again
so I guess he ended up a meal. Strange 2 days before he disappeared, he was
huge! I am wondering if I might have a parasite. I do have a cuke in my tank
but seems happy. Just roaming around doing his thing. Will test again
tonight to see if anything has changed. I am thinking of changing out my PC.
They may be due.
Everything else seems to be fine. I have noticed that since my GHA is gone
there is less algae food in the tank. Could that make some of my clean up
crew more preditory? Or just more efficient since they have to work harder
to find food instead of being lazy.

I know I have a lot of questions. Just hope I have stopped the plague.
Thought of taking the rock out and cleaning the damaged areas to hopefully
keep it from spreading. Is that a good idea?

Thanks,
Paulette