Goby or something eating Coco Worm?

seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
For the past month my coco worm has been in hiding quite often.

I thought it might be alkalinity, but that is constant and the same as before.
I thought it was flow, but that doesn't appear to be it either.

It will come out, especially at night, but it used to be out all the time.

Then I noticed it was looking a little ragged, but tonight it was blatantly obvious something has happened to the ends of its beautiful red and white plume.

It almost seems as though it has been nipped at, and it is worse in the more accessible areas, as the coco worm is placed up against a rock with a tiny overhang. So the areas sheltered by the overhang aren't as ragged.

I'm wondering if something could be eating at it? Specifically the Rainford/Court Jester Goby I put in a month ago... I've noticed it hanging around the coco worm a lot, especially recently.

Maybe just speculation, but can anyone help me identify the problem?

My alkalinity is usually 8.1-.3. Calcium 460. Magnesium 1400-1440. Ammonia and Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0-5 but usually around 2. Phosphates 0-.05.

That's all I have tests for.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

LOL...Everything I know about Coco worms:
They can't handle nitrate levels well at all, or that kick ich medicine. If you don't have enough food for it to feed on, they will lose their crown, and it will grow back smaller and smaller. Most critters that upset the worm, don't nip at the crown...they nip at the base and kill the worm. The crown looking haggard could be if it's under too strong of water flow, or if those worms that shoot out a web get on it, (Sorry, I can't remember the name, and I'm too lazy to look up the web shooting snails identity). They shed their crowns anytime it becomes damaged, and it will regrow.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Thanks. I don't use medication and do water changes religiously. It is still located in the same spot it always has been. I had to create a little cave for it to keep it from too much flow. It hides when it is unhappy with the flow. It hides when it is unhappy with the water. It hides pretty much anytime it is unhappy.

I feed the tank live phytoplankton on a regular basis. I also feed live and frozen zooplankton, but I know the coco only cares about the phyto and other microscopic organics.
 
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