Help please!!! Is this a bacterial infection?

[Reefer U.K.]

Hello, could anyone tell me if this is a bacterial infection.
This colony is in my Quarantine tank along with two other colonies.
I fresh water dipped the colony on the 24th of December (no lugols solution added as i ordered it during the christmas post and it hasn't arrived as yet) and then placed it in the QT tank.
The colony opened up not long after and everything was fine.
By Thursday the 28th, this nice blue/orange colony was closed and on the 29th i noticed the polyps spitting out brown mucus.
The following picture was taken today, 1st of Jan, this is when i noticed this white outline, the gap you can see is where two polyps once sat.
Can anyone confirm whether or not this is a bacterial infection or not and also what would be the best plan of action, i really don't want to frag them unless i really have to.
Any help or advice would be appreciated,

regards,

Pete

 

[Reefer U.K.]

This was the Zoas a while after the FW dip, open and with no problems.
I am unsure of an ID for them, the closest i could get was possibly Baby Back Blues.

 

[Stanton]

I'm mot saying this is what happened but I had a small frag that a hitchiker crab pulled into his hole and ate part of the colony. The spot where the polyps were looked just like that. About five right in the center....They recovered fine.

It it was me I would cut away all the sick, then two rows deep just to be safe. I think it would be better to loose 10 or 15 polyps than let the whole colony waste away.

 

[cgarsmokr]

Those are nice zoo's. I hope they make it.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Regardless if it is a B.I or a Fungus, action must be taken on the first day or two. I have seen this in stores and when it goes unchecked, it will migrate to other colonies nearby or touching the infected colony. The only times I have had this is when new arrivals came by mail. Thus I asumed it was stress related as the shippers all expressed no visable signs of anything prior to shipment. Whenever this occurs, as with any zoa related issues, action muct be taken on the first or second to salvage the colony. As you can see in the picture, it has already begun to migrate to other polyps.

I would remove the colony from your tank, prepare a dip with Lugols. Some have even had great succes with a Hydrogen Peroxide dip. I have never used it so I would check the INFO threads above for more information. Before dipping, an using a clean new scapel or razor blade, remove every polyp that's affected right down to the rock. Then remove one or two more rows around that just to be sure you have removed all possible traces of residual fungus/BI. Then you want to scrap the rock with a very stiff toothbrush or wire brush. You don't want to leave any remnants on the rock to possibly flourish again. Then dip the rock for a few minutes. Lugols has medicinal healing properties which will aid in the slow to rapid recovery of the rock. Then dip in a bowl of tank water then place it back in your tank on the substrate, in current and away from everything else for a week or so. Just leave it there and allow it to recover.

I hope this helps, it has for me many many times. The key is to react on the first or second day and you will be fine.

Mucho Reef

PS, be sure to wear protective gloves

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8871343#post8871343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stanton
I'm mot saying this is what happened but I had a small frag that a hitchiker crab pulled into his hole and ate part of the colony. The spot where the polyps were looked just like that. About five right in the center....They recovered fine.

It it was me I would cut away all the sick, then two rows deep just to be safe. I think it would be better to loose 10 or 15 polyps than let the whole colony waste away.

Thanks for the advice Stanton.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8873717#post8873717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cgarsmokr
Those are nice zoo's. I hope they make it.

So do i mate.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

Mucho, thanks for the advice it is really appreciated, i will carry this out as soon as possible, and i will let you know what happens,

cheers,

Pete.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

BTW, in your case, I believe the surgery and not so much the dip alone will save this colony. Sure you could have dipped and cleaned off the polyps which only one polyp seems to have degraded. But why take the chance with such a beautiful specimen. It's so much safer just to cut it away, plus a row or two, dip, and save the entire rock. Just keep and eye on it. Current is a must. Good luck

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8882248#post8882248 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MUCHO REEF
BTW, in your case, I believe the surgery and not so much the dip alone will save this colony. Sure you could have dipped and cleaned off the polyps which only one polyp seems to have degraded. But why take the chance with such a beautiful specimen. It's so much safer just to cut it away, plus a row or two, dip, and save the entire rock. Just keep and eye on it. Current is a must. Good luck

Thanks Mucho, i really appreciate your advice, just one problem, the Lugols solution still has not arrived, i guess i should cut away that area regardless???

 

[cgarsmokr]

Mucho's a good guy. I just met him last week and he's dedicated to helping anyone keep a healthy reef tank.
Good luck U.K. I'm pulling for those zoos.

 

[impur]

Good luck, i've run into the same type of infection i think. Only difference is that my infected zoos are over 3 years old in my tank. The infection sprung up out of nowhere. I've had to throw 4 colonies away so far.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8897190#post8897190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cgarsmokr
Mucho's a good guy. I just met him last week and he's dedicated to helping anyone keep a healthy reef tank.
Good luck U.K. I'm pulling for those zoos.

Cheers mate, thankfully the Lugols arrived this morning.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8897364#post8897364 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by impur
Good luck, i've run into the same type of infection i think. Only difference is that my infected zoos are over 3 years old in my tank. The infection sprung up out of nowhere. I've had to throw 4 colonies away so far.

Thanks impur, hopefully they will pull round.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

Just to let you know how things went.
In the end the colony had two areas of infection, so i cut them both away as per Mucho's recommendation, dipped them in fresh RO (no lugols solution, as didn't turn up in the end) and placed them on the bottom of the main tank under some good but indirect flow.
After twenty-four hours about 25% of the colony was open again for the first time in days, and after five days the whole colony is now open again.
To be honest, it had been closed for that long i did'nt think that it was going to recover, but touch wood, so far so good, cheers Mucho i owe you one mate,

Pete.

 

[cgarsmokr]

I'm glad everything worked out for you. I've been tracking this thread hoping for an update. Those zoos were just too nice to lose.

 

[Reefer U.K.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8960683#post8960683 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cgarsmokr
I'm glad everything worked out for you. I've been tracking this thread hoping for an update. Those zoos were just too nice to lose.

Cheers mate, hopefully they will be o.k. now.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Glad you saved them Pete.

Too-hay, LOL

MR