Very Popular deadly coral!!!!!!!

[wamp]

Through years of observation and study I belive I have found the most deadly coral known to man. I belive the name is: Reef Keepers Arm. It was once in a book I have read and now that I have done my own research, I have concluded one thing. This coral is very deadly to a tank. They will come and tear a tank apart trying to "rearange" the tank. The thing is, in nature there is no such coral. Only in the aquarium trade is this coral present. This coral has been known to pull out healthy corals that are thought to be dying when in fact they are only going through a rough day. They have also been known to do drastic things to water to try to "simulate" nature when in fact nature cannot be simmulated. They have been known to go overboard on chemaicals and adding things to tanks already overstocked and then asking "why is my ammonia highh?" or "where does this hair algea coming from?" My point is this. Nature has a way of correcting itself and the less we do to cause our own tanks demise the better. Please people, let your tank grow over time. I too have been impatient and wanted a tank to be awsome in 3 days but, I have learned it takes time and of course patients to get a tank to maturity.
Just had to get that off my chest. Not critising anyone at all so dont take it that way. Just been reading alot of posts and seeing people rush things. Save a coral, let yours grow.

 

[mlm]

Very true.

 

[trigahappynigerog]

can you post a picture????

 

[wamp]

I could but they come in all shapes and sizes. Very hard to catch it in the act. Usually appears daily but only when no one else is watching. Very sneaky coral.

 

[lionpicasso]

thats good wamp

 

[wamp]

I take it you got it Tang...

 

[chevron tang]

lol
Took me a second but that is so true.

 

[wamp]

Took me a while to figure out what this deadly coral was but once i did I kept it under control..

 

[miner]

I know it is the hardest for me to control. This Coral is in both my tanks. I won't propagate him !!

 

[fishfreek]

I have one in my tank too, but i am seeing it less and less. <img src="graemlins//uhuh.gif" border="0" alt="[U-Huh]" />

 

[starfishjackedme]

Our reefs are a closed ecosystem that will never come close to the actual environment from which our animals came.
That is why there is a need for supplements in moderation. There will always be maintenance and other chores to perform in and out of the aquarium. It is impossible to expect to not get your hands wet.

 

[broomer5]

Very clever wamp !
I too have seen this coral appear in my own tanks. The five finger species is the most common around here I believe .... but have seen it appear as a stick shape as well.
Great reminder !!
I give ya 2 high fives !

 

[wamp]

Starfishjack,
I am well aware of the need to maintain tanks. I am mearly saing that the need for us as men (and women) to try and change things and overdo beauty is stronger than nature. By overdoing chemicals and sticking your hand in daily to prune or clean glass is detrimental to your tank. In my experience there are problems in a tank and there are solutions... Algea- snails and crabs.. the list goes on. The fact is if you have an imbalance of nutrients you will have problems. Our goal is to balance the aquarium amd get our systems more self dependent and not depend on us to supply everything. Most people with a new tank get a little hair algea and the first thing they do is dive in and start pulling. There is a better way. If you have hair algea you have an abundance of nutrients in your water such as nitrates or phophates etc.. Where do they come from??? Supplements and overstocking. Now I know you will need to add some supplements but I promise you this. If you leave your tank alone and let it grow and provide it only the things it needs it will be a much healthier and more natural tank. This is my opinion. And I am sticking to it.. Agian my point.. Let your tank mature with time not attention..

 

[-shawn-]

I totally agree. When I leave me tank alone and just add chemicals and food occasionally my tank does the best. Sometimes I feel like I'm not taking proper care of my tank, but with in a week or so everyrthing takes off. The best results I have gotten in my tank, are when I care for it the least. Looks ugly with algae, but I eventually clean it off, and everything huge. Ironic, isn't it.

 

[wamp]

Same thing here.. Once I learned to keep my habds off it did much better.. I think once I added the calcium reactor that changed the most though..

 

[cyn]

I agree!! Very well put and point taken! Thanks for the reminder!
cyn

 

[daluminum]

WOW.. I found an arm coral at my LFS for only $35 I bought 2 of them to put into my 20gal shark tank.. so if anyone wants a clipping I will send it attached to a 20lb bag of southdown sand for only $3.99 a minute..

 

[swtanks]

The reefkeeper is the worst pest in the hobby. They can do more damage to a tank in a much shorter time than a foot long mantis shrimp.

 

[wamp]

Very true. I even cracked the glass on my 180 one time... That was STUPID...

 

[ratbattey]

Never one to take advice, I added 2 of those nasty Reef Keeper Arm corals a few years back. Oh, what a mess.
Luckily, I found a solution before I had a total disaster. My best friend owns the LFS, and he came over to see what was wrong with my reef. He thought that the RKA coral was ok, as long as it didn't get into the rock and move it around, but suggested that I remove them at once. He also found a colony of Forearm eels in the tank (Impatientia novicicus).
He suggested dosing the reefkeeper with a few beers and reccomended long hours, even months, of simple observation and diligent daily additions of patience.
WOW, it worked wonders! The eels went away, the RKA died off and the system thrived. <img src="graemlins//confused2.gif" border="0" alt="[confused2]" /> <img src="graemlins//yeahright.gif" border="0" alt="[yeahright]" />