Only euphyllia corals are dying

[MontyNowAReefer]

Hello, I have a mixed reef tank with various types of corals including SPS, Favias, mushrooms, Ricordea, Zoanthids, Goniporas, etc. However, over the past month, all of my Torch corals, Hammer corals, and Frogspawn corals have slowly been dying. I have observed closely and ruled out Brown Jelly disease, as I have not seen any brown, slimy substance. I've also conducted thorough inspections for Flatworms; I examined the substrate multiple times and found no Flatworms at all.

My parameters are quite stable:

• KH: 8
• Calcium: 430
• Magnesium: 1420
• Nitrate: 10-15
• Phosphate: 0.07 - 0.1
• pH: 7.9 - 8.1
• ORP: 160-260

All other corals are healthy and growing well, such as Montiporas, Milkas, Digitatas, Trumpets, Ricordea Yumas, and Zoas. However, a while ago, my Torch corals retracted into their skeletons, and gradually all their heads detached. The same thing happened to my Hammer and Frogspawn corals as well. Almost all of these corals were small one-head frags when I got them, and they have been with me for two years. They had grown to nearly 10-15 heads and had no issues until now.

Is there a specific disease that only affects Euphyllia corals?

 

[twentyleagues]

Do you have any pics? Any fish that have been recently added or that may have developed a taste for them? Does it appear the corals are still getting good flow? Clogged power heads, other corals blocking flow or lighting, the coral itself getting bigger and blocking flow or lighting to some of itself?

Years ago I had a 120g that was 90% euphyllia and I am talking about large colonies 50+ heads the size of basketballs the only issues I had was the need to frag and how difficult that was to do on really big colonies and not hurt something in the process including myself. When I got back in 2-2.5years ago I have struggled with euphyllia they grow into nice small colonies and then something happens, for me it has been bjd I see it, I smell it. This was not a thing in the early 2000s. I had that 120 from '02 until 2010, sure I would lose a head every once in a while to some unknown issue probably hurt it when fragging and didnt realize it, or it was getting blocked flow or lighting, or maybe a fish slammed into it during feeding. Never had bjd though. Did catch a pretty large flat worm at one point, if there were more they didnt do enough damage to notice it. In april I treated the whole tank with cipro and that seemed to have done the trick on the bjd. Until just 3 days ago right after saying how well it worked on my tank and how great everything looked had a 4 head torch get bjd again gone within a day. I am treating again as another torch lost a head the next day confirmed bjd again.

There are a few working theories on what is the cause of bjd. As far as I have seen no one has 100% identified a single culprit. A few bacterium have been named as possible causes as well as some paramecium and I have even see it said that a virus may be the cause. In any case it is very evident that it is bjd between actually seeing it and definitely smelling it on the coral, take it out and sniff it if you are unsure, it stinks so bad. I dont like using antibiotics really at all but it helped.... for a while. Its possible with the multiple things that are thought to cause bjd it will not help at all, but in my case it did, again for a while. So in my case it has to be bacteria, but it could be a combination of these things and thats why its back. If you dont see it or smell it its probably not bjd though. My thought process here is maybe if its not bacteria related, and it is a virus or paramecium only maybe they wont cause the typical bjd look and smell but still kill the corals. If its paramecium an antiparasitic may work, which one IDK. I am not that great with the meds I have no idea what would work and still be safe in a reef, maybe interceptor like for acro bugs?

In any case I feel your pain. It makes no sense that these corals would do well for so long and then just start dying especially if all parameters and good. Sorry for the long post hopefully you or someone can get something useful out of it.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hello, I have a mixed reef tank with various types of corals including SPS, Favias, mushrooms, Ricordea, Zoanthids, Goniporas, etc. However, over the past month, all of my Torch corals, Hammer corals, and Frogspawn corals have slowly been dying. I have observed closely and ruled out Brown Jelly disease, as I have not seen any brown, slimy substance. I've also conducted thorough inspections for Flatworms; I examined the substrate multiple times and found no Flatworms at all.

My parameters are quite stable:

• KH: 8
• Calcium: 430
• Magnesium: 1420
• Nitrate: 10-15
• Phosphate: 0.07 - 0.1
• pH: 7.9 - 8.1
• ORP: 160-260

All other corals are healthy and growing well, such as Montiporas, Milkas, Digitatas, Trumpets, Ricordea Yumas, and Zoas. However, a while ago, my Torch corals retracted into their skeletons, and gradually all their heads detached. The same thing happened to my Hammer and Frogspawn corals as well. Almost all of these corals were small one-head frags when I got them, and they have been with me for two years. They had grown to nearly 10-15 heads and had no issues until now.

Is there a specific disease that only affects Euphyllia corals?

What does your flow and lighting look like? I have seen a lot of people who struggle to keep euphyllia corals, but can keep any other coral just fine.

 

[MontyNowAReefer]

What does your flow and lighting look like? I have seen a lot of people who struggle to keep euphyllia corals, but can keep any other coral just fine.

My flow is quite good; it’s neither too harsh nor too inadequate, and I haven't changed that. Additionally, I have great lighting, such as Gen6 blues and some AI HDs.
It was almost like a plague. However, I know it wasn't brown jelly; it never resembled brown slime. Initially, the colors faded a bit and turned nearly white. Then, one of them lost its head. After that, the colonies started to retract, and before long, they all began to drop their heads simultaneously. I managed to take a few of them and turn them into dip and iodine treatments before moving them to a new tank, but the situation continued. As a result, around 80 to 100 heads of torch, hammer, and frogspawn corals vanished within a week. Right now, I’m feeling quite frustrated, and I've started to neglect the rest of the tank.

 

[Indiana Reefin]

I would take them out and do an antibiotic treatment. You have some kind of bacterial pathogen it sounds like. Everything looks spot on parameters and flow wise. Have you made any major lighting changes?

My theory is that BJD is a secondary infection. Something triggers it.

 

[carri10]

I can’t help, but had something similar, so can sympathise. I have happy and growing torches and hammers, but my three frogspawns grew a bit and then, one by one, died. No BJD, just wilted and flesh band detached and then dead. I put it down to a frogspawn specific virus. No evidence, except couldn’t see another reason.

 

[twentyleagues]

My flow is quite good; it’s neither too harsh nor too inadequate, and I haven't changed that. Additionally, I have great lighting, such as Gen6 blues and some AI HDs.
It was almost like a plague. However, I know it wasn't brown jelly; it never resembled brown slime. Initially, the colors faded a bit and turned nearly white. Then, one of them lost its head. After that, the colonies started to retract, and before long, they all began to drop their heads simultaneously. I managed to take a few of them and turn them into dip and iodine treatments before moving them to a new tank, but the situation continued. As a result, around 80 to 100 heads of torch, hammer, and frogspawn corals vanished within a week. Right now, I’m feeling quite frustrated, and I've started to neglect the rest of the tank.

Sometimes certain corals just dont work out. If the rest of the corals look good take comfort in that and stay diligent dont let them fade too. Plenty of tanks without euphyllia that look great, though obviously I like them so much I am willing to forgo other corals trying to get them to thrive.