Slugs? Any one have a pic?

[2008pollyanna]

Hi, got a pipe organ coral that closed up on me while on vacation. Come to really look it over..it has several slug like creatures on it. Not, sure, what a slug looks like. But, it is white with 2 tenticles above the face. One was about 1/4 in long and saw several babies. No shell. No lettucy look either like a nudibranch. Felt it it was soft. Tryed pulling it off, broke it in half...so I took the coral, took it to my sink and run as close to the same temp water over it really well. Rinsed off what I could see. I am sure there will be more. It sure looked infested. Nice big coral head. Sad thing is it has also a real pretty yellow sponge growing on the underside. Which is probably done for as sponge dont like air. The coral is in my quarantine tank. Any one have a pic of a slug? Or info? No nothing..........

 

[RAYRAY]

goto www.melevsreef.com/id/index.html
it most likely is not a slug.. I have a bunch of these that I thought were slugs also. It most likely a Stomatella. looks just like a slug. They should be reef-safe!! hope this helps!!

 

[reeffreak]

A nudibranch is a sea slug and vice versa.If what you have has no shell than its a sea slug/nudibranch.Stomatella snails have a half shell that kinda looks like a fingernail.

There are many kinds of nudibranches and practically all are specialize feeders,meaning they feed on one thing.Some only eat zoanthids,some only algae and some only eat aiptasia.There are quite a few coral predators.

Is/has your pipe organ looking sickly lately?If so,it could very well be those nudibranches you found on the pipe organ colony.I would check the colony again for white egg sacks.

 

[2008pollyanna]

No, no shell...and it is white...reminds me of snail with no shell or a maggot...ich...

 

[2008pollyanna]

Yes, it was looking alil weepy just before I left. Also came in after working in the garden and more lil babies on the darn thing. So, now its in a bowl with alil iodine. Have decided not to put back in my tank. If this is nudibranch/slug how can I get rid of them. Does anything find them good to eat?

 

[yote]

Some wrasses will eat them.But thats a 50/50 shot.Fresh water baths will usually take out some of the adult nudis.Iodine usually wont do any thing.I'd suggest to continue the fresh water dips.

 

[2008pollyanna]

Some pics..is this nudi, slug? Notice all the lil hatchlings on the sick pipe coral...or dead pipe coral?
What are they?

 

[yote]

Yep,I'd call that a nudi.

 

[2008pollyanna]

Did you see all the white lil ones babies in there? Since the coral looks dead, should I scrap it, rather than put all that in my main tank?

 

[yote]

If your sure the coral is dead,then yeah,scrap it.You dont want those nudis in your tank.

 

[reeffreak]

I'm not sure it was wise to freshwater rinse/dip pipe organs.Most corals can't handle freshwater dips,some corals like zoanthids,palythoas and some sps corals can handle it.

Looks like nudibranches to me too.I call it a loss or put it in QT,I wouldn't put it back in the display.

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree -- pretty convincing that it's a nudi. There are so many types of them, and a lot of them are coral predators.