Problems with Clavularia and probably nudibrach

[cricas]

Hello Eric,

First of all. Read your book, and its awesome!!!. Really the kind of information you need in this hobby. Best book on corals for me.

Now the description of my tank/coral...

Please provide the following types of information as applicable:

- The type of coral - Clavularia sp.
- How long you have had the coral - 2 months.
- How long it has been having problems- 2 week
- The rate at which the problem is occurring/spreading - slow but steady.
- Any changes to the tank - equipment, additives, new livestock, etc. --it was the last coral added to the tank.
- How long the tank has been set up more than a year.
- size of the tank ( gallons or liters) 50 gal.
- nearby corals two zoanthus colonies, 1 plexaura gorgonia, not so close a GSP colony.

Water quality:
- pH, 8,1
- temperature, 27°C
- salinity 1.026
- nitrate O
- phosphate N/D
- alkalinity 2,5 meq/L.

Tank information I care about :
Lighting - 2 x 40W PC ultra-actinic and 150W MH 10.000 K
Water flow - 1.055 gal per hour.
What you add to your tank on a regular basis and how much
Reef buffer twice a week
reef builder twice a week
reef advantage calcium once a week
iodide once a week
strontium once a week

PROBLEM.

A cuple of months ago I bought a small but beautiful colony of Clavularia. It was doing great until a couple of weeks that I foung a small nudibrach wondering around the colony. I was not able to take him out until a week ago. I have him a separate container now.

Here's a picture of the slug and a cluster of eggs:

http://www.revela2.com/media/fotos2/17744/257996-5739_max.jpg

I believe its a soft coral eater, form the genus Dermatobranchus.

But even though I've taken him out, since a week ago my clavularia is getting thinner by the day, but what is really wierd is that it is spreading from the mother colonyto every rock near it.

The base of the polyps is getting darker and looks swollen.

Here´s the best picture I have of the clavularia when it was doing OK.

http://www.revela2.com/media/fotos2/17744/258193-9871_max.jpg

Thanks for your help.....

[EricHugo]

That's it. I bought two beautiful colonies of the what looks to be the same large polyped Clavularia for two of our RC members and both were consumed by this nudibranch prior to me shipping it to them.

[cricas]

thanks for the quick answer!

Any advise on how to get rid of them nice and quickly?

fresh water dips?

this is how the colony looks now.

http://www.revela2.com/media/fotos2/17744/258402-952_max.jpg

cheers!

[EricHugo]

Dunno - didn't have a chance to try anything, though freshwater might be shocking enough to make them fall off....wouldn't hurt if done for a short enough period of time. Alsounsure of their development and the effect, if any, on eggs if present. Mitch Carl at the Omaha Zoo had a drug treatment he was using for nudibranchs that seemed pretty effective. Not sure if they all react the same, but you might want to drop him a line.

[cricas]

thank you