Goni Problems

[Formulator]

I’ve had this goni for a few months. It has been doing great. No other corals seem bothered. I just added a molly miller blenny and peppermint shrimp in an attempt to keep aiptasia at bay.

In the bottom right you can see what appears to be polyp damage and in general the whole colony looks deflated and polyps darkened in the middle.

Am I right to suspect the blenny or shrimp? Which is the most likely culprit?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would place my bet on the molly miller, IME that fish is a real jerk. This seems like just the sort of thing it would do.

 

[VintageReefer]

Tbh it could be either one

 

[Formulator]

Ugh. I was half hoping someone would say neither and it would be some kind of treatable disease… Neither of these potential culprits are going to be easy to remove from the tank!

This is my second attempt at an aipasia predator that has backfired. Last time it was an aiptasia eating file fish that decimated my zoa population and killed a RBTA.

 

[chip shop]

Go for the 1 thing that’s only diet is aptasia everything else is hit or miss and normally causes more problems down line

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I would be watching both. I had a peppermint kill a clam and several coral...

 

[Formulator]

Go for the 1 thing that’s only diet is aptasia everything else is hit or miss and normally causes more problems down line

I’ve tried those twice. Extremely expensive wrasse food is all I got.

 

[chip shop]

I would be watching both. I had a peppermint kill a clam and several coral...

Problem is you will have to stay up as peppermints are pretty much nocturnal

 

[VintageReefer]

The file fish is going to eat lps and zoa

Berghia nudibranches are excellent. I am using them now and have used them twice in the past. @TKCorals is a reputable seller for them

The berghia will not harm a single thing in the tank besides aiptasia. It take a while to get results…1-2 months. But as time goes on they multiply and the results get faster and faster. You probably need at least 6 to get a good colony started. They are pack hunters and work together on single aiptasia until they are large enough to hunt on their own. By then you have eggs for new ones to grow and work together

Highly recommend berghia and the seller I mentioned

 

[VintageReefer]

Did you put them in at night? Wrasse generally sleep at night when the berghia come out. If you introduce berghia at night the wrasse wouldn’t notice and they disappear in the morning

 

[chip shop]

I’ve tried those twice. Extremely expensive wrasse food is all I got.

Yep no good with wrasse’s but I would prefer to sump the wrasse and get rid of the aptasia only other I’ve found decent was copper and but have had them go rogue

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Problem is you will have to stay up as peppermints are pretty much nocturnal

Agreed. The best time to look at the tank is once the lights are out. You get all the creepy crawlies coming out to play

 

[Reeferbadness]

I just added an Australian Stripey - having gone down the path of Berghia (which worked, until aiptasia came back) and spot treating aiptasia for the last 3 years with F Aiptasia. Wish me luck. Have heard lots of good things about these fish - reef safe, love eating aiptasia, good citizens.

 

[Formulator]

The file fish is going to eat lps and zoa

Berghia nudibranches are excellent. I am using them now and have used them twice in the past. @TKCorals is a reputable seller for them

The berghia will not harm a single thing in the tank besides aiptasia. It take a while to get results…1-2 months. But as time goes on they multiply and the results get faster and faster. You probably need at least 6 to get a good colony started. They are pack hunters and work together on single aiptasia until they are large enough to hunt on their own. By then you have eggs for new ones to grow and work together

Highly recommend berghia and the seller I mentioned

How do I prevent my pair of leopard wrasse from eating them? I’ve tried them twice… Salty Underground is a local source for me. Last time I added 8 and never saw them again after adding. Pretty expensive way to feed my fish!

 

[chip shop]

How do I prevent my pair of leopard wrasse from eating them? I’ve tried them twice… Salty Underground is a local source for me. Last time I added 8 and never saw them again after adding. Pretty expensive way to feed my fish!

Don’t really think you can without removing them

 

[VintageReefer]

Can you sump or put the wrasse in a qt tank while you deal with the aiptasia ?

 

[mitten_reef]

and no one suspects that huge piece of raja rampage? chalice can do some amazing things with coral warfare at night

 

[VintageReefer]

and no one suspects that huge piece of raja rampage? chalice can do some amazing things with coral warfare at night

I got sidetracked from the original post by this aiptasia talk

You are correct. The raja chalice has night sweepers that can be very long. I completely forgot I had a raja colony and was shocked the sweepers were 6+ at night. And daytime it’s a flat peaceful looking coral

I would definitely move one of them…those sweepers will get long and if it’s not a problem now, it will be soon. The raja already is a size where sweepers could be 4+ inches and hitting the Goni base

 

[Formulator]

and no one suspects that huge piece of raja rampage? chalice can do some amazing things with coral warfare at night

I was waiting for someone to notice that. I need to move the goni. It has been stung on one corner by the chalice already, but the latest damage to the goni looked more like physical trauma to the polyps rather than a sting. Those chalice sweepers are pretty impressive after lights out.

 

[Formulator]

I got sidetracked from the original post by this aiptasia talk

You are correct. The raja chalice has night sweepers that can be very long. I completely forgot I had a raja colony and was shocked the sweepers were 6+ at night. And daytime it’s a flat peaceful looking coral

I would definitely move one of them…those sweepers will get long and if it’s not a problem now, it will be soon. The raja already is a size where sweepers could be 4+ inches and hitting the Goni base

Struggling to find a suitable spot for the chalice… open to suggestions looking at a recent FTS below… The sand bed to the left of the favia is off limits as my diamond goby will bury it there.