SPS Bleaching

[reeferaddict]

I've had a beautiful blue Acro colony for about a month now... a few days ago I was rearranging a few things in the tank and now it's bleaching from the base up... I had this happen once before and I lost the piece altogether... anyone with experience know what my next move should be?

[Aquattro]

check for acro flatwroms

[Invigor]

commonly referred to as flatworms

[reeferaddict]

Funny you should say that Brad... I just two weeks ago did a Flatworm Exit treatment after Christy came over and promptly informed my I had a major infestation... God did I do my due diligence... I prepared, siphoned, treated, monitored and everything actually responded positively... then after a coral I bought in Vancouver easily survived a 6 hour ride home, moving it two feet underwater stresses it to do this...

but I think the frustrating part is this... I actually spotted more %%$#@&!! FLATWORMS tonight!!! Eeeergh! Right now an axe is looking like good cure for flatworms!

So anyways... this thing is losing more tissue... should I frag it or what? Dip? I just really don't want to lose this whole thing...

[Chin_Lee]

re: flatworm exit
i've done two separate treatments and I still have some. the first treatment i did with 1 drop/gallon as per instructions. Lots left after treatement :frown: . I did second treatment at 2 drops/gal which killed most of the left over...... but alas, there are still some left :evil: . My next option is at 3 drops per gallon but unfortunately i have ~300 gallons of water which means that it will cost me ~$90 for the treatment (each bottle has about 300 drops) . Plus my first two treatments which has been a total of three bottles so i'm looking to spend $180 in flatworm exit this year :microwav:

re: acro

if its bleaching from base and spreading quickly, cut your loss .... literally. Frag and save the rest is my advice to you. I have had numerous pieces start dying and it spreads quickly and eventually the whole piece dies.... partly due to laziness but mostly due to being hopelessly hopeful that it will stop. if its spreading quickly, minimize your loss asap cuz by the time you regret not doing it, its gone.

good luck
cwlee

[muck]

RTN..?? :eek:

[Chin_Lee]

RTN..?? :eek:

RTN is quicker than a few days.... usually within a day. the acronym R is for Rapid

[dirtyreefer]

Sounds like STN. I would frag what you can as well.

There was an article of RC where there is a possibility of algae "growing into" the coral causing TN. If you do decide to frag, break the coral off it's base afterwards to see whether there's green inside the coral.

I've had a couple frags TN this way and both times there was green growing inside the coral. This can even happen with low PO4 rates.

I always make sure now when I attach frags that it is completely sealed in between the coral and the rubble. That way there is less chance where the algae can spread to inside the coral.

[muck]

RTN..?? :eek:

RTN is quicker than a few days.... usually within a day. the acronym R is for Rapid
Ok that is true but when did the tissue loss start?
Did it start a few days ago or did it start today but you think it is from rearranging the tank a few days ago..??

[reeferaddict]

If I raise the temp ... you know... just until it starts bubbling... think that will get rid of the flatworms? :rolleyes:

I'm going to frag it in the morning... there seem to only be 2 or 3 sticks out of 8 or 10 that seem to be doing this... although they're right in the centre of the colony... any advice on handling/cutting/mounting? Use a dip solution? My luck at fragging any stony corals has been abysmal... my softy frags all seem to do fine... but I just don't want to decimate what was a beautiful bright powder blue colony...

Aaaargh! I'm still thinking about the axe!

~ONE PO'd REEFER~

[Aquattro]

Keep in mind that acro flatworms are not the same as the ones you're trying to kill with flatworm exit. That treatment won't get rid of them.

[Aquattro]

commonly referred to as flatworms

ya, them too!!! :razz:

[rickjames]

If I raise the temp ... you know... just until it starts bubbling... think that will get rid of the flatworms? :rolleyes:

I'm going to frag it in the morning... there seem to only be 2 or 3 sticks out of 8 or 10 that seem to be doing this... although they're right in the centre of the colony... any advice on handling/cutting/mounting? Use a dip solution? My luck at fragging any stony corals has been abysmal... my softy frags all seem to do fine... but I just don't want to decimate what was a beautiful bright powder blue colony...

Aaaargh! I'm still thinking about the axe!

~ONE PO'd REEFER~

Don't let it get to you. I have had the acro flatworms and the red bugs, still waiting for those monti nudibranchs :lol:

The best luck I have had fragging is just trying to handle the pieces as little as possible. Also, I you are going to glue the frag to a rock, I have heard it is beneficial to glue the healthy end, as the cut end will heal fast and there is less risk of recesion. I don't always follow this though....

Good luck!

[Willow]

chin maybe you should look for a flatworm eating nudibranch.

[Chin_Lee]

chin maybe you should look for a flatworm eating nudibranch.
didn't really think about that....... thanks for the idea. will look into it

[reeferaddict]

So I hacked it into nine pieces today.... we'll see how they do... You know I had planned all along when I bought it to frag it... but I wanted to let some growth happen, and let everything stabilize before fragging.. :eek:

So a couple of things...

Brad - I don't really know what I'm looking for other than what I have read about and seen online... and nothing jumped out at me.. but do tell if you can explain... and even then.... what do you do to get rid of THOSE?

As far as flatworms go... I am really divided on this... there are so many schools of thought... whether they are harmful at all... whether or not they should be treated or let run their course... finding predators... then feeding the predators afterwards...

(IME - 6 line wrasses aren't the answer! While an interesting colourful fish with a great personality, mine does NOTHING to eliminate flatworms - though again I have read of quite a few instances where the opposite has been the fact.)

The amount I had last night compared to what I had 2 weeks ago was a minute fraction - hopefully what I had left did the trick... I have yet to see any alive today... *crossing my fingers*

Chin - The tissue expulsion started Thursday morning... I first noticed it as a white band that was only visible when the actinics were on.... then the next day bigger and very obvious... the one I had do this before receeded from the tips and was much more rapid than this one, but the end result is basically the same I guess... next time I see something like that I'm thinking I'll just frag right away... but we'll see how these ones do....

RJ - How DO you frag without handling it much? - I used an Iodine dip while I was working on it, and clasped the piece of rock as much as I could while snipping the dead parts off... but then mounting the pieces... I don't know how you would be able to without handling ...

I'm better today - but still haven't put the axe away... :razz:

[Aquattro]

To find the acro flatworms, take a coral out and place it in a white bowl. Use a turkey baster to blast around the base and see if anything comes off. The flatworms are about 5mm long and have a speckled brown coloration!
Freshwater dips kill them, but once they're in the tank, you may need to use a sixline wrasse and train it to eat them. You can do that by dislodging them from the corals with a baster again so that the wrasse sees them. Then it should go looking for them on it's own.

[reeferaddict]

Thanks Brad... I already have the 6 line... but don't think I have that type of flatworm - I'll be watching though!

FW dips... what's the school on that? I've done it to fish to try and rid them of parasites with poor results - (after matching temp & pH)... so how long should a coral be dipped for? Should you add anything like Iodine or anything?

Thanks again.

OK! I put the axe in the shed! :mrgreen: