Birdsnest -Have you seen this before?

[jc-reef]

I had the same (or similar) issue as you seem to be having. I saw random what looked like open sores with tissue that was peeling away in spots. It started really slow and eventually progressed to the point it was a RTN. The polyps all along this progress would stay fully out and look 'happy' in all places that were not effected by tissue loss.

It started on my Green Birdsnest (stylophora) and then it spread to my Pink Birdsnest and started the same thing...random spots with tissue flaking off that was very slow to start and eventually spread all over and led to RTN. It took almost a month to kill each of the corals.

I believe that it was caused by 1 of 3 things or even possibly a combo:

1. Possible Alk swings (unlikely as I always tested this and drip Kalk 24/7)
OR
2. Pathogen related (suspect)
OR
3. deficency of minor element(s)....i.e. potassium, iodine, maganese, etc. (suspect)

In your case...if you can test to see if your minor elements are in check (or even do a small dose) and can ultimately rule out.....which would point to a possible pathogen, IMO.

good luck!

 

[Mr.Exotic]

means that the tenticle are growing there. Dont touch.

 

[pascal32]

I had the same (or similar) issue as you seem to be having. I saw random what looked like open sores with tissue that was peeling away in spots. It started really slow and eventually progressed to the point it was a RTN. The polyps all along this progress would stay fully out and look 'happy' in all places that were not effected by tissue loss.

It started on my Green Birdsnest (stylophora) and then it spread to my Pink Birdsnest and started the same thing...random spots with tissue flaking off that was very slow to start and eventually spread all over and led to RTN. It took almost a month to kill each of the corals.

I believe that it was caused by 1 of 3 things or even possibly a combo:

1. Possible Alk swings (unlikely as I always tested this and drip Kalk 24/7)
OR
2. Pathogen related (suspect)
OR
3. deficency of minor element(s)....i.e. potassium, iodine, maganese, etc. (suspect)

In your case...if you can test to see if your minor elements are in check (or even do a small dose) and can ultimately rule out.....which would point to a possible pathogen, IMO.

good luck!

Were you able to introduce birdnests after you lost your colonies - I'm wondering if something is feeding on them which dies off without it's food source.

 

[jc-reef]

Were you able to introduce birdnests after you lost your colonies - I'm wondering if something is feeding on them which dies off without it's food source.

Interestingly....as a last ditch effort I tried to frag a few tiny pieces of new growth when the end was certain....all the pieces died off except for a tiny, itty bitty section about a 1/3" long some how ended up surviving. It stayed limbo for a couple months until I started to dose potassium iodide and low and behold it started to color up a bit and in the last few week I see brand new growth tips. I will cross my fingers and see if it continues to sprout.

To answer your question, no I haven't tried introducing any new birdsnests since the RTN issue...if this tiny piece continues to grow, I may do so in the near future.

Just thought of it too...I have a orange digitata that also started to peel its skin away little by little in random spots and I noticed too, when I started to dose the iodide (potassium iodide) the STN stopped and has now started to grow. Mind you near the same time, I started to feed various 'plankton' (oyster, phyto, roti) 2times a week at night which seems to be benefiting the tank as a whole.

I really believe my tank was depleated of some important minor-elements causing the coral skin to split and blister (like the OP) AND/OR the corals suffered from some kind of viral/bacterial pathogen that spread from 1 to the next.

 

[Gravesj1s]

That is interesting.

Well Blurry (poster above) came over with 2 frags of birdsnest,donating to my cause-thanks pal.

If it is an elemental issue ,say with Iodide the new birdnest should also so the same sign.If its a pathogen ,whitch Im leaning towards it should also start to infect the new birdsnest frags.

Some other thoughts about Iodide,I'm not sure if a Iodide deficiency is likely the cause but wont rule it out.Theres some mechanisms involved with detoxifying 02/03 ,hydrogen peroxide buildup in tissues that Ive read about but it seams unclear how or weather this is likely or weather it does have to do with a depleation in Iodide.I dont know ,but its an interesting thought.
I dont test Iodide or dose but rely on frequent water changes and haven't seen anything that would indicate a depleation.(growing alages, shrimp in my tank that molts
regularly,no other corals have shown this sign.)

Seams to point more towards something bacterial/viral infection or some other type of pathogen. -Steve

 

[Gravesj1s]

Well,I 've had alot of different possibilities that could or might actually be the cause.All the responses I got were most certainly worth looking at or trying to rule out.
The more I got thinking about it and the more I looked at this birdsnest something just did not fit.

To cut it short, I think I found something that does fit ,and thought it was worth throwing out here to you guys .See this----->http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/10/m010p057.pdf

 

[pimp2daizzo]

mine does that when it starts to grow a new branch

 

[Gravesj1s]

Theres no carbonate skeleton in the bloated polyps.I know I dont have the most detailed pics but to put it to words it looks like an airgun with a fine needle tip was inseted into a single polyp and blew it up like a balloon.
If you look back to the beginning of this thread notice the growth tips are white ,bloated polyps have no Cac03 in them.Very similar to describing a blister.

 

[MNSPS]

I have the exact same thing going on in my aquarium. It started with an ORA Green Seriatopora. Now it's happening to my ORA Purple Stylophora. I read that article and I believe it's polyp bail-out that is occurring due to environmental stress. Mine has been caused by not keeping track of my alkalinity. It has dropped to 2.6dKH. Thanks for the link to the article.

 

[allsps40]

I have seen this in the past with newly added birds nest. No idea what it is but it almost always spreads and kills the coral. It starts with swollen polyps here and there, spreads to larger patches then RTN. IMO it seems to be some kind of disease, but I am no marine veterinarian.

 

[Gravesj1s]

I agree thats its an eviromental stressor.Theres much written on this with documented studies done.Triggering mechanisms whitch put energy towards reproduction and less towards growth is well known phenomenon.

I placed 2 new seritopora hystix (birdsnest )frags into my tank over a month ago whitch have not shown any sign of the blistering polyps.The original birdnest is still showing the same symtoms ,though they dont appear to be coming off anymore exposing the bare skeleton.Still it hasn't stopped.I haven't seen any sign of rtn to date.Some stn but I attribute that to me moving the colony to get usable pics for the thread.

From the article it mentions a few ways inwhitch the author was able to trigger the response and at anytime of day.Author alos notes it occurs naturally on the GBR from low tide -high light,peak rain season was another ,perhaps from lowering salinity.(whitch I believe was what happened in my case.)
Makes some speculation on lack of 02.

The pics are terrible in that article but description wise its fits well,imo as a stress response.

Pic of one of the new frags not expericing any of the symtoms to date.Added to the tank over a month ago.Not the most upto date but all I have right now.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Update,Im back to square one.

As mentioned in the last post ,I received 2 birdsnest frags from Blurry.After settleling in I placed one frag next to the affected birdsnest colony the other towards the opposite side of the aquarium.The one frag placed next to the colony has of now started to show
the same swollen polyps.I dont quite understand this now as Im sure my tank has been kept on stable and with good water quality. The second frag has no change towards this polyp formation.

 

[pascal32]

That sucks, only the one right next to it... Could it be a stress in that location? Any thoughts on moving the affected main colony and I'll give you another frag to experiment with?

 

[Gravesj1s]

I dont know blurr.At this point Im beginning to wonder if its just a matter of time before the second frag begins to show the same sign.You may very well be right about stress in a particular location.
My only thought ,is somewhat what you may be alluding to ,is that the frag placed next to the infected colony triggered the frag in a similar way sexual responses trigger mass spawnings.I v'e never heard of any occurance in asexual reproduction though only sexual.

After reading through this whole thread again ,Ive taken a good hard look at some of the anecdotal accounts.With some of these stating it progressed to other corals ,ultimately leading to Rtn is becoming to much for me to ignore.
Im considering trashing all birdsnest infected and hoping for the best with the one remaining frag.
I appreaciate all your help Blurry but Im thinking to wait and see if the one residing uninfected frag develops the same fate.-Steve

 

[LifeAquatic]

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I have seen this in the past with newly added birds nest. No idea what it is but it almost always spreads and kills the coral. It starts with swollen polyps here and there, spreads to larger patches then RTN. IMO it seems to be some kind of disease, but I am no marine veterinarian.

Nor is he a marine biologist. :lolspin:

 

[Gravesj1s]

Very true.Though I may have missed it,I didn't see anywhere,someone claimed to be a marine biologist.

Any chance you know of one in this forum I maybe able to contact?