SPS and mesenterial filaments

[iwishtofish]

I've heard they can emerge as a result of stress, aggression, or a feeding response.

I have a new coral that resembles a purple bonsai:

I've had it for less than a week. The past couple of days, I have noticed it putting out a few mesenterial filaments (very short) on the bottom portion of the coral. I'm a bit concerned, as an acro that I had die a while back put out scores of these filaments before expiring. Is it typically a concern?

 

[iwishtofish]

A few more out today...move to higher flow?

 

[Acronic]

Id leave it, moving it might make it worse.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Light and water parameter stress most likely. What was the conditions like in the tank it came from?

 

[ChicagoReefOne]

Looks good but mine always did that when there was something off with water quality--high nutrients or alk swings. In my case I had some old alk that wasn't mixing properly and I think that is what was causing them, so may be check your additives, how much you are dosing and how well they are mixed.

 

[iwishtofish]

Id leave it, moving it might make it worse.

It gets a fair amount of flow, so you're probably right.

Light and water parameter stress most likely. What was the conditions like in the tank it came from?

It was under 400w metal halides in a 220g, but the owner advised the bulbs were old, and I could see the glass was covered with salt spray. Maybe it is actually getting too much light in my 75g, 3/4 of the way down, under a 6-bulb Tex T5 fixture? I wanted to put it at the very bottom, but I couldn't find a way to secure the plug on the barebottom. Maybe a tiny dab of superglue.

You can see the placement in this picture. The coral is the tiny pointy thing halfway across the tank on top of the rock.

Looks good but mine always did that when there was something off with water quality--high nutrients or alk swings. In my case I had some old alk that wasn't mixing properly and I think that is what was causing them, so may be check your additives, how much you are dosing and how well they are mixed.

I'm keeping the alk between 8 and 9, by dosing baking soda. I doubt I dose even enough to cause a pH swing. I dose 1 tablespoon over a 3-day period: that 1 tablespoon is divided up into 6 small cups of water,and I dose a cup in the morning, and a cup in the evening. Basically, 1/3 tablespoon per day.

I stir up the tablespoon of baking soda very well in a bigger cup of water prior to dividing it among the smaller "dosing cups."

Calcium is between 400-420, and Mag was between 1260 and 1290 (Salifert) when I tested on November 4.

 

[iwishtofish]

This picture may show more signs of a problem. I wasn't really able to get one clear enough to show the filaments, but I've noticed, on the lower-right side, what may be tissue loss starting around one of the polyps.

I'm beginning to think maybe I ought to move this coral lower, or raise the lights. Off to do an alk test.

 

[iwishtofish]

Alk 8 (where it's been for a while), pH 8.4. I don't think it's alk burn, but then again, I don't know much.

Can too much light really cause all this so fast? Mesenterials are out even more now. To make it even better, my new pocillopora (same source, same day) seems to have a patch of tissue loss a little ways up from the base...

 

[iwishtofish]

R E D B U G S ! :headwalls:

 

[meshwheel]

Oh man!!!! So Sorry to hear that! Bust out the interceptor and get treating the whole tank!!!! Did you dip the coral first???? Have you WATCHED THIS VIDEO???????
http://youtu.be/FoX1-dFppYQ Cut and paste and watch this video..................LOL

 

[iwishtofish]

Oh man!!!! So Sorry to hear that! Bust out the interceptor and get treating the whole tank!!!! Did you dip the coral first???? Have you WATCHED THIS VIDEO???????
http://youtu.be/FoX1-dFppYQ Cut and paste and watch this video..................LOL

Haha, that video was pretty funny. I didn't dip in CoralRx - I dipped in ReVive. I guess that was not enough. I have to find a vet that will give me an Interceptor Rx. And, of course, I have to read up on its use.

I wonder how much time I have before the coral starts to really go downhill...

 

[meshwheel]

Do it ASAP! I had to treat my tank one time. I did 3 seperate treatments each 1 weel apart. No big deal. I think I lost a few hermit crabs. That was it.
Treat the whole tank though. I would not even touch the coral as it is weakend already. Moving it will weaken it further. Thats a nice piece by the way. You will see it color right back up with full polyp extension if it's happy there once the red bug is gone!
Good luck and keep me posted as to how it goes!

 

[iwishtofish]

Do it ASAP! I had to treat my tank one time. I did 3 seperate treatments each 1 weel apart. No big deal. I think I lost a few hermit crabs. That was it.
Treat the whole tank though. I would not even touch the coral as it is weakend already. Moving it will weaken it further. Thats a nice piece by the way. You will see it color right back up with full polyp extension if it's happy there once the red bug is gone!
Good luck and keep me posted as to how it goes!

I'm a little worried that I won't be able to catch my big coral banded shrimp. I really don't want to lose him, as he now has a lot of personality (really, lol). I also would like to avoid killing my serpent stars, etc...

So I am thinking I might set up a "mini SPS tank" and treat the corals there. Either that, or just find someone to take these two corals (with warning). I'd also leave my DT fallow (of acropora) long enough to kill any remaining bugs and eggs. I only have two smooth-skinned SPS corals, after all. Does anyone know how long a tank has to be free of the host corals in order for redbugs to die off?

 

[mr. pluto]

if you only have one small frag, just dip it with bayer once a week for 3 weeks

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965880&highlight=red+bugs

 

[iwishtofish]

if you only have one small frag, just dip it with bayer once a week for 3 weeks

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965880&highlight=red+bugs

Interesting thread! Thank you for the link.

 

[tankaddict]

Red bugs do not lay eggs, they only give live birth so you are lucky. They don't live long without acros. 2 to 2 1/2 weeks should kill them off if you remove your acros from the DT. I dip all of my sps in Bayer, its very effective on Red bugs and flatworms.

 

[Dog boy Dave]

You can see the red bugs on the coral in the photo.

 

[iwishtofish]

You can see the red bugs on the coral in the photo.

OMG, you are right! I never noticed that.

 

[iwishtofish]

I think it looked better when I first got it! Now (sigh)...

And what it used to look like:

I probably never should have put it in my sump to try to prevent the spread of the bugs to my other acro. There was pretty good light and flow in there, but I didn't expect a deterioration of this order this quickly.

The coral was treated for redbugs with Interceptor this afternoon. I think I got them. All I can see is one still attached, whipping around in the flow like it is dead. Maybe it will come around, although acros that go bad tend to keep going bad - don't they?

 

[iwishtofish]

The saga of one poor coral continues...


Further die-off after treatment:

A little while later:

And today:

So I'm really hoping the coral survives. I think I've had a spike in phosphates while trying to fatten up my tang. I'm going to reduce feeding and change out the GFO. I thought it was a goner at one point, so things could be worse!