SPS stung - now rtn

[Reedc200177]

Hi all,

I have a large sps colony that got stung by a Florida ricordea about a week ago because I stupidly didn't notice that the mushroom was growing too big.

What started as a maybe dime sized area being affected has spread to about the size of a quarter over the past week, and is still growing.

I don't know what to do - I don't want to lose this colony but I can't frag due to the structure of the base and where the damage is short of taking a drimmel and just coring out the affected area. I can pull this rock the colony is on and super glue, but I don't know if this is right either.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[sculpin01]

I view this as a mixed bacterial and ciliated protozoan infection. As such and assuming you can remove the coral, I would treat with an antibiotic (amoxicillin is easy to come by but ciprofloxacin may also work) and an antiprotozoal (metronidazole). In my practice, I also add doxycycline to the mix to treat potential Rickettsial infection. I usually dose the meds to apparent saturation (e.g. no more goes into solution).

These infections are presumed topical/localized to the wound, so I typically immerse the coral in an isothermal antibiotic bath for 30-90 minutes (but you could go longer with active aeration to prevent hypoxia). I typically see ~80% recovery/stabilization following treatment. If this fails, last ditch might be to try a clove oil dip. I have tried it and it has worked for me in at least one occasion.

Clove Oil Procedure to combat cilliate protozoan infections in reef tanks

Hypothesis: Metroplex-resistant cilliate protozoan can be managed by using a 1500ppm clove oil solution bath dip (e.g. 100% clove oil extract, w/o ethanol) for no longer than 10mins. Background Information: Due to the sensitive nature of dosing medications in a reef-seahorse display tanks/reef...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reedc200177]

I have access to all those medications, but question, I can only remove the rock this coral is on, not the coral itself. Will this treatment have an effect on zoanthids or rock flower nems? Or coralline algae for that matter? Also odds of disrupting tank bacterial flora and causing a crash? Is there a method to just treat the affected area?

 

[sculpin01]

It won't affect the other corals and will not affect the tank fauna. For an extra level of safety, rinse the rock/coral in fresh saltwater after dipping and prior to returning to the tank.

 

[strawberryfish]

You may be able to safely chisel off a chunk with the colony attached outside the tank. Also you could saw/snip the part above the recession and glue it back down somewhere else. But those are the nuclear options. BTW Is that Oculina Robusta? If so, was it a hitchhiker or did you buy it somewhere, I want some badly.

 

[Dburr1014]

It may have stung a larger area than you think. If your worried about it, snap a piece off incase the whole colony goes south.
It may stop there depending how big an area.

 

[Reedc200177]

You may be able to safely chisel off a chunk with the colony attached outside the tank. Also you could saw/snip the part above the recession and glue it back down somewhere else. But those are the nuclear options. BTW Is that Oculina Robusta? If so, was it a hitchhiker or did you buy it somewhere, I want some badly.

Yeah it is, it was a hitchhiker on rock from gulf live rock