Fan Worm

[tomaquar]

Yesterday my fan worm shed its crown. Today it crawled/fell out of its tube. Its still moving. Should I:

1. Leave it alone in the hopes it crawls into the sand and makes a new tube or

2. Stick it back in its tube.

I hate to loose it.

PS water conditions are fine and everything else in the tank is fine

 

[hackman72]

Usually when they dump the feathers, that's a sign that things aren't good. I wouldn't try and stick it back in the tube, it climbed out for a reason. Might try and sprinkle a little bit of sand over it to give it that "hidden" feeling but don't cover it up. Hate to say this but, that doesn't sound all too good.

 

[skriz]

It's dead, there's nothing you can do. How's the temp in the tank?

 

[jennm]

I've seen them re-grow a shed crown, and I've seen them fabricate a new tube after vacating an old one. However I've not seen them do both at the same time.

If it's still moving around, I would try to put a bit of sand on it - and hopefully hermits etc., haven't tried munching on it. If it's going to survive, it will create a new tube from mucus it secretes and the crown can grow back. I'm of the notion that where there's life, there's hope... so keep an eye on it and see what happens.

Jenn

 

[tomaquar]

thanks all. Weird things in the tank all of a sudden. One fan worm melts down but the other is fine. Montipora and zoos growing beatiful but mushrooms look a little elongated. Xenia seems healthy but never pulses. Red algae is growing but Ive never seen nitrate hit 10. Usually it stays a pale pink below the 5 indication. No trace of nitrate. Ph stays around 8.4, temp pretty constant at 75 and the the hydrometer stay centered on the indicator green line. One black molie in the tank and feed her no more than once a week (grazes algae all the time)

Its a deep sand bed about 4 months old. Do they do strange things when still young?

 

[hackman72]

Elongated mushrooms usually means they're needing more light. They'll start releasing off the rock if you don't move them to better light. By red algae, I'm assuming you mean red slime algae or cyanobacteria. What's the phosphate level in your tank?

 

[tomaquar]

I have 80 50/50 watts on a 20 gal nano. The guy who gave them to me got them from a shady spot. He thought my light should be fine. Im curious. I thought zoos and plate montipora had higher light requirements but they are fine. Should I move then higher. Phosphates reaction turns a shade between 0 and 0.25.

This all started when if made a water change with some off brand salt I had left over from when I had a fish only tank. Ive made four water changes sincethe with "instant ocean" which was always my preference when I had bare botton fish only. Coincidence or cause???

Any idea wht the xenia are elongating and not pulsing. He got them from the same dark corner and they were pulsing like mad.

 

[tomaquar]

first sentence referingto mushroom

 

[tomaquar]

also there are Hundreds of the small curly fan worms on the glass and a bit of hair algae. I thought these grew withnitrates. I have an air driven berlin and it pulls well. I also have some macroalgae in the tank to try to pull any nitrates.

Would bat an eye at this stuff in a fish only but still getting a feel for coral. If anyone has a suggestion Im open.

 

[hackman72]

I am zero help on xenia. I've killed every colony I've ever tried to keep while others complain about them being like a weed.

I'm assuming "80 50/50 watts" translates into something along the lines of dual actinic/10kk compact flourescent bulbs but not sure where the 80 fits in. Either way, these bulbs will work but need to be replaced every 6-9 months. Old bulbs will also stat to cause cyano blooms as well. Once I ditched my CF's and went MH and T5 I haven't had near the problems.

The salt could also have been a factor. Could be coincidence or cause. Either way, stick with a good salt in the future.

I'd try new bulbs (if they are aged CF's) and a series of small water changes and note how things look as you progress.

 

[tomaquar]

does any of this sound typical with a new deep sand bed?

 

[tomaquar]

lights are 6 weeks old

 

[hackman72]

tomaquar;432125 wrote: does any of this sound typical with a new deep sand bed?

Not that I'm aware but someone else may have a different experience. Usually, any problems from a DSB come from a mature one that has been disturbed.

 

[hackman72]

tomaquar;432126 wrote: lights are 6 weeks old

bulbs are fine then

 

[tomaquar]

someone sugested that the off brand salt had some chemical behid all this. Ill keep changing water and watching