Acropora Infection/Bubbles... Experts Needed

[Poseidon03]

Hey, so I've had this acro for over a year and have had significant success with it. Recently though, I've seen some weird growth patterns on it. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with something similar.

I've tried to do some research and it is definitely poorly documented. I've reached out to other hobbyists and the only thing we can come up with is maybe some sort of bacterial infection.

More background on this coral/tank:

This is a yellow tips acro under 400+ par, good flow, under 20 phosphates and ~.1-.15 phosphates. ICPs come back with no deficiency or significant elevated elements. I dose Acropower, np bactobalance, kalk and Red Sea ABCD (with isol8 corrections every 3 months).

Tank is a 3+ year sps dominate mixed reef 240 gal. I included images of the current growth tips/PE for reference.

 

[Poseidon03]

Also images are taken under modified AB+ spectrum (33% non-blues and 100% blues) right under a XR30 G4.

 

[Poseidon03]

Surprised nobody has seen this...

 

[bubbgee]

Check this out.

Tulip-polyp syndrome and neoplasia

So, I have a question for everyone keeping SPS, and Acros in particular... For around 2 years now I've been having issues with most acros in my 177L frag tank. This problem also occurred in a previous 10g system frag system, from which these corals were transferred, but NOT in my separate 200L...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Poseidon03]

Check this out.

Tulip-polyp syndrome and neoplasia

So, I have a question for everyone keeping SPS, and Acros in particular... For around 2 years now I've been having issues with most acros in my 177L frag tank. This problem also occurred in a previous 10g system frag system, from which these corals were transferred, but NOT in my separate 200L...

www.reef2reef.com

I've seen this tread and it is the reason why I'd consider it being bacterial. Tho, what I read, this is mostly about tulip polyps and not what I'm experiencing. It is an unexplained growth pattern tho.

I've thought that about fragging below the area and then fragging the piece right at the spot to see if it is some thing internal. I just want to see what others thought or experienced before any of this and if it would be worth it.

Does anyone have contacts to a coral pathologist I could reach out to? I don't have any contacts (could be in PM if wanted).

 

[fish_collector]

Interesting. I've read through the tulip polyped coral thread too and after it was pointed out, I see evidence of it everywhere especially the neoplasia thing, and that's not a word I'd use regularly in a sentence lol.

I have an unknown acro that I've had for perhaps a year, I got it at one of our really experienced coral shops. It started out as an encrusted base with a few 1" shoots and since then it has morphed into just a big mound of coral with no real growth pattern. I'd like to take a knife and damage it to see if it will trigger some new upward growth and revert back to normal. I'll document it.

Maybe I'm wrong, but my guess is that all of these coral deformities we see these days are environmental and not necessarily due to bacteria or a pathogen. I don't pretend to be a coral researcher, coral killer maybe but not researcher

 

[bubbgee]

Interesting. I've read through the tulip polyped coral thread too and after it was pointed out, I see evidence of it everywhere especially the neoplasia thing, and that's not a word I'd use regularly in a sentence lol.

I have an unknown acro that I've had for perhaps a year, I got it at one of our really experienced coral shops. It started out as an encrusted base with a few 1" shoots and since then it has morphed into just a big mound of coral with no real growth pattern. I'd like to take a knife and damage it to see if it will trigger some new upward growth and revert back to normal. I'll document it.

Maybe I'm wrong, but my guess is that all of these coral deformities we see these days are environmental and not necessarily due to bacteria or a pathogen. I don't pretend to be a coral researcher, coral killer maybe but not researcher

It seems to be environmental from what I've experienced. I bought some frags that have those symptoms of weird growth and some of those frags that have it the oddity disappeared in my system and some that have it remained as is and did not infect other corals.