Euphylia ancora Green died for one night. Please help!!!

altunian · 04/18/2013, 04:27 AM

Hi dear co-aquarists. I have the following problem:
My Euphylia ancora Green died for one night - at the next morning there was only the sceleton - the hard part of the coral. I removed it from the tank and looking for a possible problem, I broke the coral and inside of it I found several small stars like Ophiuroidea with a size of less than 1/2". I am affraid about my other Euphylias, as my tank is over 260g and is full of different coral. Can the Ophiuroidea be the reason for the problem? Can it be another reason? Just for clarification: The tank parameters are nearby perfect, I have the tank for over 7 years and have some skills so it cannot be a problem with the water - I made all possible water test and they are OK.
I really hope that anyone can have some positive idea

tektite · 04/18/2013, 09:13 AM

I have a lot of little brittle stars in my tank along with a lot of LPS, they have never been a problem. I highly doubt that's the issue. Was there any changes in the coral in the days before it died? Did it close up or withdraw into its skeleton during the day?

altunian · 04/18/2013, 10:43 AM

On the one evening, I saw that something is wrong with it, half of the coral was already dead. I took it to a friend of mine, who has a reef tank too. On the next morning the euphylia was fully dead (no green parts, only white "stone" rest) and as a surprise - his euphylia was dead too!!!! So it has to be the stars, because they were in the "stone" part of the coral, as I already wrote. But I have never read about these stars being dangerous for euphylia corals...

tektite · 04/18/2013, 11:22 AM

There are transmittable diseases that kill euphyllias, contagious so if one has it others can get it too. There's no way a few micro brittle stars killed a euphyllia in one night. Especially with your friend's euphyllias dying too, there is something else killing them.

altunian · 04/18/2013, 11:28 AM

What can it be? I have had euptylias for years... and now I am affraid of loosing all of them

tektite · 04/18/2013, 11:34 AM

I know what its like, lost a bunch of euphyllias like that before

not much you can do. Best thing would be to just give them the best possible conditions, stable calcium and alkalinity, magnesium levels over 1300, maybe dose some iodine, feed them 1 or 2 times a week.

M007 · 04/20/2013, 05:52 AM

The stars did not kill your coral, they were simply scavenging the remains.

altunian · 05/14/2013, 09:56 AM

In the menawhile almost all of my euphyllia died. I still cannot explain the reason. The other corals are doing well. I thought, that my boxer shrimp made the problem - I removed it - no difference. I thought, that it could be planaria or another parasite - I took the corals through a dip of a medication for parasites and took the corals to a carantine tank - and they continued to die. Are there known parasites or other ways, that 2-3 heads per day would die?

altunian · 05/15/2013, 03:42 AM

here is a photo

altunian · 05/16/2013, 08:32 AM

no idea?

04/18/2013, 04:27 AM	#1
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	Euphylia ancora Green died for one night. Please help!!! Hi dear co-aquarists. I have the following problem: My Euphylia ancora Green died for one night - at the next morning there was only the sceleton - the hard part of the coral. I removed it from the tank and looking for a possible problem, I broke the coral and inside of it I found several small stars like Ophiuroidea with a size of less than 1/2". I am affraid about my other Euphylias, as my tank is over 260g and is full of different coral. Can the Ophiuroidea be the reason for the problem? Can it be another reason? Just for clarification: The tank parameters are nearby perfect, I have the tank for over 7 years and have some skills so it cannot be a problem with the water - I made all possible water test and they are OK. I really hope that anyone can have some positive idea Last edited by altunian; 04/18/2013 at 04:40 AM.

04/18/2013, 09:13 AM	#2
tektite I never finish anyth Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,120	I have a lot of little brittle stars in my tank along with a lot of LPS, they have never been a problem. I highly doubt that's the issue. Was there any changes in the coral in the days before it died? Did it close up or withdraw into its skeleton during the day? __________________ No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.

04/18/2013, 11:22 AM	#4
tektite I never finish anyth Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,120	There are transmittable diseases that kill euphyllias, contagious so if one has it others can get it too. There's no way a few micro brittle stars killed a euphyllia in one night. Especially with your friend's euphyllias dying too, there is something else killing them. __________________ No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.

04/18/2013, 11:34 AM	#6
tektite I never finish anyth Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,120	I know what its like, lost a bunch of euphyllias like that before not much you can do. Best thing would be to just give them the best possible conditions, stable calcium and alkalinity, magnesium levels over 1300, maybe dose some iodine, feed them 1 or 2 times a week. __________________ No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.

04/20/2013, 05:52 AM	#7
M007 Acro Whore Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,631	The stars did not kill your coral, they were simply scavenging the remains. __________________ Mixed reef emphasis on SPS. Tangs, Triggers, Bartlets, CBB, Goldflake Angel, and a Pigmy or two. Current Tank Info: 250G SPS Mixed Reef. ATLAS 84x28x24. SuperMarin 250. Cebu Sun 3 x 250WMH Radiums 4 x 80W T5. Profilux 3 w/GHL dosing CA-ALK-MG. Moved by Tunze and Vertex. Reef Octopus 5K return.

04/18/2013, 10:43 AM	#3
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	On the one evening, I saw that something is wrong with it, half of the coral was already dead. I took it to a friend of mine, who has a reef tank too. On the next morning the euphylia was fully dead (no green parts, only white "stone" rest) and as a surprise - his euphylia was dead too!!!! So it has to be the stars, because they were in the "stone" part of the coral, as I already wrote. But I have never read about these stars being dangerous for euphylia corals...

04/18/2013, 11:28 AM	#5
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	What can it be? I have had euptylias for years... and now I am affraid of loosing all of them

05/14/2013, 09:56 AM	#8
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	In the menawhile almost all of my euphyllia died. I still cannot explain the reason. The other corals are doing well. I thought, that my boxer shrimp made the problem - I removed it - no difference. I thought, that it could be planaria or another parasite - I took the corals through a dip of a medication for parasites and took the corals to a carantine tank - and they continued to die. Are there known parasites or other ways, that 2-3 heads per day would die?

05/15/2013, 03:42 AM	#9
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	here is a photo Last edited by altunian; 05/15/2013 at 04:13 AM.

05/16/2013, 08:32 AM	#10
altunian Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 38	no idea?