Pods eating Kenya Tree?

[nynikki]

As some may remember, I had a tiny Kenya Tree hitchhiker. We now all the 'bushy" part appears to have been eaten. I swear when ever I looked at it, little pods (or what I think are amphipods) were crawling all over it. Could this be right?

 

[Amphiprion]

They shouldn't eat healthy tissue. But then again, your coral didn't really look unhealthy to me, either. Can you give a breakdown of water parameters, lighting, and the water motion the coral is in?

 

[nynikki]

The only out of range reading is with phosphate, still at about .25 and still working on that. Nitrates have been steadily at about 15, before and after water changes. I assume this is due to the quantity of LR in the tank. PH is a little low but steady at 7.8. CA and Alkalinity are in ideal ranges. Lighting is a 20" Current Orbit: http://www.current-usa.com/orbit.html - bulbs replaced earlier this week. I'm using a Fluval canister at the moment for filtration, so that provides some motion. I also have an aquaclear 50 power head and a Korila 1 in the tank. Though neither is blowing right on the tree, I would say there is motion there, but no direct current. The rock that this hitchhiker came on has only been in my tank for a week. Sadly, I don't think it's going to survive unless it's capable of regrowing its heads.

 

[Amphiprion]

If healthy, they can regrow from a shred of tissue, so that isn't a problem. However, making sure any of it will make it is another altogether. It may already be dying, hence the spots that are gone. I am assuming the necrotic areas are likely being consumed by the amphipods. Can you get a new pic? The problem with beneficial hitchhikers is that they likely endured a lot before they made it to more preferable conditions.

 

[mak3mydae]

+1 pods dont typically eat live corals. The kenya probably was already going downhill when you got it... you could try qting it

 

[nynikki]

Thanks for the input. While I was doing my weekly water change and clean up, we went to take a picture of it, and there is so little left that there isn't much to see. Just a shard sticking up from the rock. Sad, but it wasn't intended, planned, or prepared for. But now that I know about it, perhaps I can try again some other time with one once the tank has become more established. I can also plan better for its location. I wonder if that is part of the reason they like the high current areas, it'll keep the little bugs off of them.

 

[Amphiprion]

No, again the amphipods won't eat healthy tissue. They actually like higher current areas because it helps them with a large variety of things, including the fact that it allows them to expand. Being an entirely sessile organism (anchored and non-motile), they must rely on currents to do everything for them, including bring food, oxygen and wash away waste. Some require more than others and have structures adapted to it and/or thicker/more copious mucus, as well.

 

[jayghmi]

My Kenya's are a pain when put in high current areas. As they grow the the high current breaks off limbs and plants the buggers everywhere! In high current they won't grow that tall, but very bushy. High current may make them healthy bushes, but almost worse than Xenia as the broken limbs spread like weeds.