Help!!!!!! bugs eating my sarcophyton.

[skimmer1]

They look like tiny worms with long legs , and they are eating my sarcophyton. I don't know what to do...I've tried to blow them off with a baster, but they return. They look as if they are burrowing into the coral and ripping it apart. Please help me..........What are they, and what do I do?

 

[Green Mariner]

Skimmer, any chance of you getting a pic? In the meantime I would suggest you try a freshwater dip for the coral to remove any that are on the coral now, and then manually remove the rest by hand as you see them. A good pic of the creature in question will help with a positive ID and a more permenent solution!

HTH

PS. just make sure that the freshwater dip is the same temp and Ph as your tank before you do the dip!

 

[Anonymous]

Are you sure they have legs?

Are you sure they are not cerata(tenticles)?

There are nudibranchs that devour Sarcophyton. The nudibranchs Dendronotus and Tritoniopsis are notorious predators of sarcophyton. Their cerata can resemble legs IMO. Some have been noticed to devour half a sarcophyton overnight.

A freshwater dip or a dip in lugol's solution may do the trick. It is best to do it at night when they are most active.