X'mas worm

[zorden]

Got a big piece of Rock that have around 12 pairs of X'mas worms and still coounting.. Maybe increasing as i see lots of worm holes on the big piece of rocks.

Grey -Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow and got also light green..need to know more abt this worms

1)How to frag it?

2)How big can they grow

3)Do they multiply like COCO worm

4)Target feed with Plantco?

[iantoh]

hi there zorden, the worms will need some sort of particulate feeding, in the size range of below 50microns, similar to other tube worms. so phyto is your best bet. is the rock that it came on a porites coral colony? or just live rock? if its a porites coral colony, it will need bright light, good water quality, and high flow.

hope that helps ya. you can try checking out these articles too. the first is really good.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/toonen.htm

too:http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm

cheers,

ian

[zorden]

thanks IAn

btw what can i buy this "phytoplankton"

I got a Plantco from Reborn .. Is it phytoplankton or zooplankters

[zorden]

pic

[zorden]

one more

[Ancelot]

Where you get this rock zorden pls advise?

[marble]

Got a big piece of Rock that have around 12 pairs of X'mas worms and still coounting.. Maybe increasing as i see lots of worm holes on the big piece of rocks.

Grey -Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow and got also light green..need to know more abt this worms

1)How to frag it?

2)How big can they grow

3)Do they multiply like COCO worm

4)Target feed with Plantco?

hey tats nice.....

where u got it fm n how much????

oso wan to get one leh.........

[FuEl]

Not advisable to frag it as they burrow deep into Porites. Fragging can easily damage their burrows and very likely the worm itself. Unless you use high end technology like xrays, ultrasound scans and laser cutting equipment..

As iantoh has mentioned phytoplankton should be fed regularly to these animals. If you do not want to risk water issues you can always immerse them in an external solution of phyto.

There's not much studies being done on the relation between the health of Porites and the subsequent survival of the worms. Nevertheless you can never go wrong by following mother nature and take steps to ensure the coral survives.

[zorden]

Where you get this rock zorden pls advise?

From reborn.....

well..i have to target feed it then

[kueytoc]

From reborn.....

well..i have to target feed it then

How much did you pay for it ?

[iantoh]

hi there zorden, i dont think target feeding will fulfill the christmas worms feeding requirements. perhaps youd be better off ensuring that strong flow is present where you place the porites coral, and that there is sufficient light for the coral as porites porites (the porites species you have) requires this strong flow and strong light. by strong light i mean in the order of metal halide or HO T5 lightings.

the strong and dynamic flow will ensure that any phytoplankton you feed the tank, will be circulated throughout the tank for an extended period of time, which will facilitate the worm's feeding. its also better to use live phyto that can be found in the fridges of most marine lfs. read the labels and choose nannochloropsis sp phyto if its available. DT's mix of phyto is also great. live phyto has less chance of polluting your tank. also, remember to turn off your skimmer for a few hours after adding the phyto to let your worms and corals have a chance to filter feed on it as skimming will just remove all this phyto.

lastly, from my experience, if the entire coral colony dies, so too will the christmas worms, because the worms dont actually burrow into the coral but actually grow along with the corals growth, so should the coral die, the worms are starved of any new tissue with which to grow with. basically, like bro fuel mentioned, follow nature's lead and take care of the coral too.

hope that helps,

cheers,

ian