Seriously, I figured out how to beat Brown Jelly disease

[RussC]

I just experienced brown jelly taking out my torch. Didn't know what it was. By the time I figured it out, it was too late. So this morning I removed the entire coral. However, rookie mistake. The pumps were on and when I broke it lose particles went everywhere. I assume that's the jelly/bacteria. Really should have thought that through. Any suggestions on tank
"Prevention" at this point? Or am I in a wait and see mode? Preparing water change as we speak but don't see that making much impact on this particular scenario.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Who has looked at brown jelly under a microscope? I imagine several people have. Is it identifiable? I would think a person would be able to determine exactly what it is under a scope (protozoan/bacterial/something else?). Anyone have input on this?

I just recently encountered brown jelly in my tank, and took a look under my microscope. In this video you will see the ciliates called Helicostoma nonatum that burrow into the coral and eat the flesh from below. It is described in this article: http://aquariumcoraldiseases.weebly.com/brown-jelly-syndrome-bjs--brown-band-disease-brb.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlZUBcxYXs

 

[RussC]

I just recently encountered brown jelly in my tank, and took a look under my microscope. In this video you will see the ciliates called Helicostoma nonatum that burrow into the coral and eat the flesh from below. It is described in this article: http://aquariumcoraldiseases.weebly.com/brown-jelly-syndrome-bjs--brown-band-disease-brb.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlZUBcxYXs

Now that's pretty cool. What magnification did you have to use to get that image? Those little demon spawn critters can slap devour a torch coral in record time!

As a follow up to a lot of discussion on this thread...I have not seen any more symptoms of brown jelly in my tank since they destroyed my torch. I was worried because when I removed my torch after being consumed there were a lot of particles that drifted off and around the tank. I read where this was very contagious so I was worried others would catch it. Fortunately, looks like my inhabitants made it through the worst of it.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Now that's pretty cool. What magnification did you have to use to get that image? Those little demon spawn critters can slap devour a torch coral in record time!

As a follow up to a lot of discussion on this thread...I have not seen any more symptoms of brown jelly in my tank since they destroyed my torch. I was worried because when I removed my torch after being consumed there were a lot of particles that drifted off and around the tank. I read where this was very contagious so I was worried others would catch it. Fortunately, looks like my inhabitants made it through the worst of it.

In the video, I started at 200x, then moved to 800x and 2000x. But they can easily be seen even at 80x.

 

[Aquaticchaos]

I just recently encountered brown jelly in my tank, and took a look under my microscope. In this video you will see the ciliates called Helicostoma nonatum that burrow into the coral and eat the flesh from below. It is described in this article: http://aquariumcoraldiseases.weebly.com/brown-jelly-syndrome-bjs--brown-band-disease-brb.html



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlZUBcxYXs

This is really cool! Any idea what the small things that seem to be moving around them are?

 

[SuncrestReef]

This is really cool! Any idea what the small things that seem to be moving around them are?

If you're referring to the small brownish spheres inside the ciliates, they are the zooxanthellae from inside the corals. Without zooxanthellae providing their coral hosts with the organic carbon products of photosynthesis, the corals die.

 

[Aquaticchaos]

If you're referring to the small brownish spheres inside the ciliates, they are the zooxanthellae from inside the corals. Without zooxanthellae providing their coral hosts with the organic carbon products of photosynthesis, the corals die.

No, it looks like there's something else moving around that's significantly smaller than the ciliates.

 

[1claire]

I am not a fan of microscope video, that gives me goosebump.

 

[2000se]

No, it looks like there's something else moving around that's significantly smaller than the ciliates.

I see them as well. Very small worm-like structures. Possibly 1/100th the size of the larger brown creature

 

[bigfoot77]

I'm not sure but the smaller "worm-like" ones look like spirilla (spiral shaped motile bacteria). They can be found in a variety of environments including seawater.

 

[ThRoewer]

There has actually been scientific research done on this:
Assessment of the microbial communities associated with white syndrome and brown jelly syndrome in aquarium corals

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&q=coral+disease&oq=coral

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&q=Helicostoma+notatum

 

[Planetmacro]

A quick tap water rinse should not kill the remaining healthy tissue on the coral but I would adjust the tap to the aquarium temperature. Anyone try treating with an antiprotozoal such as metronidazole?