Zoa issue I can not find referenced anywhere

[Cityofglass88]

As the title suggests, I have a zoa infection that I am unable to find referenced anywhere on the internet after hours of searching.

I was away on vacation, had a friend take care of my tank, and came on to a quarter of my larger zoa colony dead and rotting.

To frame the issue up, it does look like I have zoa pox. I have meds on order to address this issue. But, I have an unusual brown growth on many of the heads. It is a very soft and fleshy growth that if scraped off, feels like slime. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[Cityofglass88]

For some reference on the tank itself, it has been running for about a year and a half now, no new additions in about 4 months.

The tank usually runs around 78 degrees. All parameters are are good and stable. Nitrates are usually a little high, but that has been the case for the last year or so. usually around 10-15 ppm. Calc is a little high at the moment at around 700ppm, but assume that is from lack of regular water changes in the last month as I was away.

It is a 55 gallon lightly stocked tank with a emperor 500 filter and a cpr aero skimmer. I do dose a few chemicals from Seachem including reef advantage calcium and reef builder added to make up water and three meds added bi-weekly (reef calcium, reef builder, and reef complete) as per Garf's regimen.

 

[A. Grandis]

Hummm...
Only with a microscopic examination you could tell what that really is.
Well, if there is zoa pox, then there is a chance for that to be a secondary bacterial infection, I guess. Be careful when handling the infected colony!!! Gloves!
I would treat first with a single Lugol's dip trying to focus in the bacterial infection, to see..
Did you get the medication and treated for zoa pox already?
What medication did you order? Furan 2?
Good luck,
Grandis.

 

[Cityofglass88]

Yeah Furan 2 inbound.

 

[KafudaFish]

Yes it looks like a general bacterial infection.

I don't understand why your Ca is so high? I do but why are you running it at that level?

If you haven't been adding anything to the tank it would have been even higher not lower.

 

[A. Grandis]

Any updates on this, please?

Did you try the Lugol's?
Another medicine you could try is Nitrofurazone.
Maracyn two - saltwater is also an alternative for external gram negative bacterial infections.
Be careful with erythromycin. Some have reported coral loss with it.

I guess all the medication needs special attention to its dosages, read the directions...

Hope someone that really understands about the medicines and it's dosages could help you.

Grandis.