Help me save this Acan!

[Tuna Melt]

Hi there - I purchased an Acan about a month and a half ago and it was doing great until three weeks ago. That's when I notice the left side of it was deflating more frequently than the right side and generally looked less happy than the right. Fast forward a few weeks and the left side is deflated more often than not and the whole colony (if you can call it that) looks more unhappy than my other Acans (and when I got it). My alk is ~9, Calcium ~450 Mag ~1400, Phos 0.05, nitrate 5. Its in about 50 par but the left half gets considerably less light. That being said the green Acan right below it gets even less and is puff as a pastry... I try to feed it twice a week and it used to eat aggressively, now only the right side really eats.

What it used to look like (Feat "Yolk" the yellow clown goby):

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What it typically looks like these days:

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What it looks like today:

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There are these white, stringy, spiderweb like things growing around its base and they are also growing around another Acan that is coincidentally(?) also doing poorly. Perhaps that has something to do with it. My other four Acans are doing well. Here is a better shot of the stringy substance around the other Acan (which has never done well).

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For the avoidance of doubt these are all Micromussa Lordhowensis but, ya know, jargon .
Any and all advise is more than welcome!

Thanks,
Taylor

 

[tbrown]

Looks like a case of Vermetid snails annoying your Micros. They can keep some LPS from opening.

 

[Tuna Melt]

Looks like a case of Vermetid snails annoying your Micros. They can keep some LPS from opening.

Thanks for the advice! So this morning I was looking at it again and I noticed what looked liked two parasites burrowing in the flesh. They look like lesions in the photo but I’m leaning toward some type of parasite, maybe a gall crab? Any ideas? Here’s the best pic I could get

 

[tbrown]

I'm not great on parasites, sorry.

 

[tbrown]

@ISpeakForTheSeas @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal @vetteguy53081

Any ideas?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi there - I purchased an Acan about a month and a half ago and it was doing great until three weeks ago. That's when I notice the left side of it was deflating more frequently than the right side and generally looked less happy than the right. Fast forward a few weeks and the left side is deflated more often than not and the whole colony (if you can call it that) looks more unhappy than my other Acans (and when I got it). My alk is ~9, Calcium ~450 Mag ~1400, Phos 0.05, nitrate 5. Its in about 50 par but the left half gets considerably less light. That being said the green Acan right below it gets even less and is puff as a pastry... I try to feed it twice a week and it used to eat aggressively, now only the right side really eats.

What it used to look like (Feat "Yolk" the yellow clown goby):

---

What it typically looks like these days:

---

What it looks like today:

---

There are these white, stringy, spiderweb like things growing around its base and they are also growing around another Acan that is coincidentally(?) also doing poorly. Perhaps that has something to do with it. My other four Acans are doing well. Here is a better shot of the stringy substance around the other Acan (which has never done well).

---

For the avoidance of doubt these are all Micromussa Lordhowensis but, ya know, jargon .
Any and all advise is more than welcome!

Thanks,
Taylor

Hard to see on phone but appears to be colonial hydroids which will easily irritate this coral. Best removal is to snip each one at base with nail clippers and discard OR direct water flow towards them and not at them so they cant eat and will starve. They Cherish brine shrimp and reef roids

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Honestly, I'm struggling to see even on my computer. I agree that the white stuff around it does look like it may be something to be concerned about, but I can't tell what it is from the pics. With the lesions, I can tell there's something wrong with them, but I can't tell what's causing it. OP, if you can get a few clearer, closer pics, that may help with an ID - sometimes you can get these pics by pulling the thing out of the tank and into a small container with tank water to take the pics, but I don't know if you can do that here.

That said, hydroids and gall crabs aren't bad guesses, but hopefully someone will be able to confirm what's going on here for sure.

 

[Johnnyrainbowreefer]

Thanks for the advice! So this morning I was looking at it again and I noticed what looked liked two parasites burrowing in the flesh. They look like lesions in the photo but I’m leaning toward some type of parasite, maybe a gall crab? Any ideas? Here’s the best pic I could get

THOSE ARE FLATWORMS, GENERALLY HARMLESS BUT THEY DO IRRITATE CORALS. I WOULD TAKE THE CORAL OUT, SNIP IT OFF THAT PLUG GLUE TO A NEW ONE AND DIP IT IN ANY CORAL DIP. I WOULD THEN RINSE IT OFF IN SALTWATER THEN RETURN IT TO THE TANK. TACKLE THE FLATWORKS AFTER IN THE TANK WITH A SIXLINE OR FLATWORM EXIT. GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Tuna Melt]

THOSE ARE FLATWORMS, GENERALLY HARMLESS BUT THEY DO IRRITATE CORALS. I WOULD TAKE THE CORAL OUT, SNIP IT OFF THAT PLUG GLUE TO A NEW ONE AND DIP IT IN ANY CORAL DIP. I WOULD THEN RINSE IT OFF IN SALTWATER THEN RETURN IT TO THE TANK. TACKLE THE FLATWORKS AFTER IN THE TANK WITH A SIXLINE OR FLATWORM EXIT. GOOD LUCK!!!

Honestly, I'm struggling to see even on my computer. I agree that the white stuff around it does look like it may be something to be concerned about, but I can't tell what it is from the pics. With the lesions, I can tell there's something wrong with them, but I can't tell what's causing it. OP, if you can get a few clearer, closer pics, that may help with an ID - sometimes you can get these pics by pulling the thing out of the tank and into a small container with tank water to take the pics, but I don't know if you can do that here.

That said, hydroids and gall crabs aren't bad guesses, but hopefully someone will be able to confirm what's going on here for sure.

Hard to see on phone but appears to be colonial hydroids which will easily irritate this coral. Best removal is to snip each one at base with nail clippers and discard OR direct water flow towards them and not at them so they cant eat and will starve. They Cherish brine shrimp and reef roids

Thanks for all the help! I'll get some better photos when I get home, apologies for the poor quality, I was rushing out the door this AM. How time sensitive is this? Could I wait till the weekend to take the coral out of the tank, snip the parasites, change out the frag plug, and re-dip it? Just expecting a few late nights at the office so life would be easier if it could wait until Saturday.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for all the help! I'll get some better photos when I get home, apologies for the poor quality, I was rushing out the door this AM. How time sensitive is this? Could I wait till the weekend to take the coral out of the tank, snip the parasites, change out the frag plug, and re-dip it? Just expecting a few late nights at the office so life would be easier if it could wait until Saturday.

Yes, they colonize slowly

 

[Tuna Melt]

Apologies for the delay, here some better pics. The lesion has grown and it looks like a few smaller ones have cropped up. I’m going to hit it with some CoralRX. I’m also going to put the white stringy things under the microscope to try and get a better idea of what we are working with.

 

[Tuna Melt]

After the dip the "lesions" don't look different. I have no idea what they are, did not seem like gall crabs. Up close they do actually look like lesions lol... As for the white stringy stuff on the rim, I brushed it off with a toothbrush before the dip. I didn't notice any Vermetid snail tubes but, to be fair, I've only ever seen them on google ! I threw some of it under a microscope and It mostly looks like the typical organic matter I see in my tank but there are some long cords mixed in that are new. I suspect that's what the actually "stringy things" are lol.

After the dip the right side of the coral opened up a bit later in the day but the left side was withdrawn all day (which is the norm now).

Here is the white stringy substance around the base of the coral under a microscope.

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Vermetid Snail Perhaps?

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No idea what this is:

Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!

thanks, TM

 

[Tuna Melt]

Hard to see on phone but appears to be colonial hydroids which will easily irritate this coral. Best removal is to snip each one at base with nail clippers and discard OR direct water flow towards them and not at them so they cant eat and will starve. They Cherish brine shrimp and reef roids

Honestly, I'm struggling to see even on my computer. I agree that the white stuff around it does look like it may be something to be concerned about, but I can't tell what it is from the pics. With the lesions, I can tell there's something wrong with them, but I can't tell what's causing it. OP, if you can get a few clearer, closer pics, that may help with an ID - sometimes you can get these pics by pulling the thing out of the tank and into a small container with tank water to take the pics, but I don't know if you can do that here.

That said, hydroids and gall crabs aren't bad guesses, but hopefully someone will be able to confirm what's going on here for sure.

THOSE ARE FLATWORMS, GENERALLY HARMLESS BUT THEY DO IRRITATE CORALS. I WOULD TAKE THE CORAL OUT, SNIP IT OFF THAT PLUG GLUE TO A NEW ONE AND DIP IT IN ANY CORAL DIP. I WOULD THEN RINSE IT OFF IN SALTWATER THEN RETURN IT TO THE TANK. TACKLE THE FLATWORKS AFTER IN THE TANK WITH A SIXLINE OR FLATWORM EXIT. GOOD LUCK!!!

What do you guys think? I am more convinced it’s the “lesions” that is irritating the coral than the “white stringy things”. I’m not sure if it’s a bacterial infection or a fungus or whatever but I cannot tell if the dip killed it off and the tissue is just damaged, or if it’s still present. This is it this morning.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

What do you guys think? I am more convinced it’s the “lesions” that is irritating the coral than the “white stringy things”. I’m not sure if it’s a bacterial infection or a fungus or whatever but I cannot tell if the dip killed it off and the tissue is just damaged, or if it’s still present. This is it this morning.

Thanks in advance!!

Yes- not full as it should be.
Starting with basics- Moderate light and water flow.
Feed mysis shrimp opposed to powdery foods and assure phos and Temp Not elevated. Salinity 1.025 +/- 1
temp 77-79 and mag no higher than1400 range
If this is a newer tank, assure you are not getting swings with no2 and no3

 

[Tuna Melt]

Yes- not full as it should be.
Starting with basics- Moderate light and water flow.
Feed mysis shrimp opposed to powdery foods and assure phos and Temp Not elevated. Salinity 1.025 +/- 1
temp 77-79 and mag no higher than1400 range
If this is a newer tank, assure you are not getting swings with no2 and no3

Thanks! It’s in about 50 par and lowish flow, might move it into a little less flow. My temp is at 79 but I was running it at 80-81 for a while because I had an oversized UV on the tank (to combat an Ich outbreak) that was dragging the temp up. Salinity is pretty stable with the Redsea 3-in-1 ato. My mag is high, I’ll test again today, last week it was ~1400 though I don’t have a ton of confidence in the redsea test kit. There are so many steps I just feel like the risk of user error is too high.

Are you not concerned about the “lesions”? Or am I blowing those out of proportion lol?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks! It’s in about 50 par and lowish flow, might move it into a little less flow. My temp is at 79 but I was running it at 80-81 for a while because I had an oversized UV on the tank (to combat an Ich outbreak) that was dragging the temp up. Salinity is pretty stable with the Redsea 3-in-1 ato. My mag is high, I’ll test again today, last week it was ~1400 though I don’t have a ton of confidence in the redsea test kit. There are so many steps I just feel like the risk of user error is too high.

Are you not concerned about the “lesions”? Or am I blowing those out of proportion lol?

The lesions are of concern but corrected with proper parmeters. Adding iodine (lugols) and a Little iron also keeps their tissue healthy.
Is this a newer tank?
Mag is high when contimually added or when alk is high. Alk range 8-11

 

[Tuna Melt]

The lesions are of concern but corrected with proper parmeters. Adding iodine (lugols) and a Little iron also keeps their tissue healthy.
Is this a newer tank?
Mag is high when contimually added or when alk is high. Alk range 8-11

Yup this is a new tank! Filled it up in late Feb, cycled and added a few fish in the latter half of March. Lights were off until mid April when I introduced a few starter coral. This coral was one of the first, I added it on April 21st.

I ordered an ICP test and should get the results in 5-8 days. Would you recommend waiting until we see what the Iodine and Iron levels are before supplementing? Also would you suggest an Iodine dip? Or just dosing a bit?

I guess my biggest concern is, I don’t actually know what the “lesions” are, I call them that for lack of knowing what they actually are ! My fear is a bacterial infection that wipes everything out. My collection is modest to say the least, but they are my critters and I feel responsible for them.

As always, thanks for all the help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yup this is a new tank! Filled it up in late Feb, cycled and added a few fish in the latter half of March. Lights were off until mid April when I introduced a few starter coral. This coral was one of the first, I added it on April 21st.

I ordered an ICP test and should get the results in 5-8 days. Would you recommend waiting until we see what the Iodine and Iron levels are before supplementing? Also would you suggest an Iodine dip? Or just dosing a bit?

I guess my biggest concern is, I don’t actually know what the “lesions” are, I call them that for lack of knowing what they actually are ! My fear is a bacterial infection that wipes everything out. My collection is modest to say the least, but they are my critters and I feel responsible for them.

As always, thanks for all the help!

As for white lesios, I suspect they are poriferan type of sponge and can be safely pulled off if sponge with a dental pck. Harbor freight has a set very cheap (see below)

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I guess my biggest concern is, I don’t actually know what the “lesions” are, I call them that for lack of knowing what they actually are ! My fear is a bacterial infection that wipes everything out. My collection is modest to say the least, but they are my critters and I feel responsible for them.

Sorry for my slow response! I'm afraid I'm not sure what the organisms in the microscope pics are (the first three seem to be algae, the fourth I would guess is an ostracod of some variety, and the fifth is definitely some kind of little creature - it reminds me of some types of rotifers, so a rotifer would be my best guess at this point), or what's causing the lesions.

If the lesions are some kind of bacterial infection or similar, then I expect you'll see them continue to get worse (at which point, I'd try and take some action to save it); but if it's a side effect of the corals being unhappy, then I'd expect the lesions to heal with time if the corals are kept happy.

 

[Tuna Melt]

Sorry for my slow response! I'm afraid I'm not sure what the organisms in the microscope pics are (the first three seem to be algae, the fourth I would guess is an ostracod of some variety, and the fifth is definitely some kind of little creature - it reminds me of some types of rotifers, so a rotifer would be my best guess at this point), or what's causing the lesions.

If the lesions are some kind of bacterial infection or similar, then I expect you'll see them continue to get worse (at which point, I'd try and take some action to save it); but if it's a side effect of the corals being unhappy, then I'd expect the lesions to heal with time if the corals are kept happy.

As for white lesios, I suspect they are poriferan type of sponge and can be safely pulled off if sponge with a dental pck. Harbor freight has a set very cheap (see below)

So the “lesions” have certainly worsened. ICP test results have not come back but my other inhabitants are happy and healthy so I’m not convinced it’s a water quality issue. I’ve kept and eye out for Sponges in and around the infected area over the past few days but have not seen any. This is pushing me to suspect a bacterial infection as ISpeakForTheSeas mentioned. Do you guys agree? How would I go about treating a bacterial infection like this? Peroxide dip perhaps?

Thanks for the help!
TM