STN Pathogen destroying my coral

[DeeBee]

Unfortunately my tank is suffering from a STN event to a red montipora cap that is slowing spreading to the Digitata that it touches. It potentially started as brown jelly to one of my gold hammers but can't be sure. I was hoping this would be limited to only the cap and took measures yesterday to break off the healthy chunks of the cap. Hopefully someone has some options to give me hope but it's looking like this may be teardown to get healthy coral out and dipped.

Tank Parameters:

Cal: 450
Alk: 8.3
Mg: 1320
Nitrate: 4ppm
Phoshate: .01
PH: 7.88 - 8.21

Backstory: I dosed Fluconazole around three weeks ago which triggered a stress event. First a blue stag frag mysteriously passed away almost immediately, then a gold hammer appeared to have brown jelly. I performed a water change and ran Rox carbon to pull the Fluco out, hoping that would stop whatever was stressing. A week later I noticed my red Monitpora cap losing about half an inch of flesh per day.

Yesterday it had progressed to the point that I felt my best option was to break off chunks the the healthy coral before and save what I could.

Today the orange Digitata that was growing into the cap is being affected. Large area of brown goo swaying from where the pathogen is eating it. Note: All the white behind it is dead monti cap. Now I am panicked.

 

[DeeBee]

I have Metroplex on hand if that is an option to dose the tank with. Suggestions?

 

[DeeBee]

Another picture of what is going on. The brown good and skeleton are the Digitata, the white is the dead Monti cap

 

[DeeBee]

Hi @AquaBiomics Do you have any suggestions around what I am currently experiencing?

Would you suggest that I dose Cipro at the levels you mention in your thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/e...ic-treatments-for-brown-jelly-disease.782438/

 

[DeeBee]

Earlier today, in desperation I decided to hit the actively dying areas with hydrogen peroxide. I turned off all pumps and gently sprayed the areas with 10ml - of course this was under water as I can't remove the colonies. The dying flesh immediately reacted and I assume started oxidizing.

I know this didn't fix my problem but I can say that it definitely slowed the progression on the Orange digitata.

In this pic you can see the brown goo pulled back after I hit it with H2o2, which I then siphoned away. There beneath it is the freshly killed Digitata skeleton.

 

[Perry]

I would put my money on fluc, and chalk it up to a learned experience. @Huskymaniac has a thread discussion regarding fluc.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I feel your pain. Unfortunately it never got better for me. Whatever is infected you should just throw out or move to a new tank for a while.

 

[BranchingHammer]

I would put my money on fluc, and chalk it up to a learned experience. @Huskymaniac has a thread discussion regarding fluc.

I would agree with Perry, it was probably a result of the fluc.

 

[DeeBee]

I would agree with Perry, it was probably a result of the fluc.

Yep, I fully agree the Fluc triggered a stress event. I have used Reef Flux three times before - once in this tank and twice in other tanks, without issue. This time I bought the Blue Life version. I'm not going to blame it on their brand as I'm sure it was just my bad luck this go around.

 

[DeeBee]

Progression has slowed considerably since I hit it with H2o2. I administered a second targeted dose today.

Setting up a holding tank in case ripping coral out and moving is the option I need to go. Also going to try and purchase some Cipro today.

Another angle, where you can see more of the dead Digi and Cap skeleton.

 

[mdb_talon]

Also going to try and purchase some Cipro today.

I think thats a good plan. In my experience Cipro works great in situations like this.

 

[PghReef]

I've been dealing with stn for almost a year now. Cant keep a Monti, pocci, or birdnest alive for more then a month. They always lose their skin 1st, then the polyps dissappear later. Plating montis bleach and die in the center and works out towards the rims. I'd say 90% of my acros and lps are unaffected but I've lose a few pieces. It originally affected my stylo as well butni was able to reverse the damage and start the colony over.

Before that I had a green birdnest, forest fire digi, and a huge sunset monti all growing amazing fast, I could almost see changes every day. Kills me I havnt found the cause and ICP testing shows nothing.

Dosing cipro to the main tank reverses this? I've heard about it for treating sick anemones and some experimentation with brown jelly. Always afraid to dose my main tank with anything, last tank I tried to treat an antibiotic led down a long ugly road. I was not a success story with fluconazole like others but ended up tearing the tank down.

 

[DeeBee]

After the third day of spot dosing H2o2 the STN on the monti cap and the digitata ceased. I continued the dosing for several more days. There has been no further die off on the coral.

Could have been the hydrogen peroxide that helped, could have been coincidence - I don't know but I'm just glad it seems to be over.

I did purchase Cipro before the STN ceased. At least I have it on hand in case this ever happens again.

I am quite certain that the Fluco did this, possibly indirectly by stressing the corals. Like I said, I had dosed a different brand of it several times in various tanks without issue. Not sure if it was the new brand or just bad luck. None-the-less, I won't be going down that path again.

 

[Spare time]

Do you feed the corals daily?

 

[DeeBee]

Do you feed the corals daily?

Nope. Weekly at most

 

[Spare time]

Nope. Weekly at most

I would think it to be a lack of phosphate (and/or nitrate) rather than a pathogen. You can't run 0's and not feed them daily (unless you have an absolute ton of fish being heavily fed). Which test kits do you use?

I doubt it has anything top due with fluconazole, otherwise non one would be using it. That sounds more like a post hoc ergo propter hoc error that plagues the hobby.

I'd also avoid the h202. That will kill coral tissue if any of it comes in contact unless it is heavily diluted (even then I would be cautious for certain corals).

 

[shakacuz]

where did you get your cipro?

 

[mdb_talon]

where did you get your cipro?

I got this recently without prescription.

Fishbiotic Ciprofloxacin Tablets Fishbiotic - Pet Antibiotics | Pet

Free Shipping on most orders over $49. Great Low Price. Fishbiotic ciprofloxacin tablets contain ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic for fish that is effective against stopping the growth of bacteria in fish. For aquarium use. Tablets. Fishbiotic Ciprofloxacin Tablets Fishbiotic Pet...

www.valleyvet.com

 

[DeeBee]

I would think it to be a lack of phosphate (and/or nitrate) rather than a pathogen. You can't run 0's and not feed them daily (unless you have an absolute ton of fish being heavily fed). Which test kits do you use?

I doubt it has anything top due with fluconazole, otherwise non one would be using it. That sounds more like a post hoc ergo propter hoc error that plagues the hobby.

I'd also avoid the h202. That will kill coral tissue if any of it comes in contact unless it is heavily diluted (even then I would be cautious for certain corals).

I respectfully disagree. Corals will give tell tale signs when they are starving such as pale colors and lack of growth, well before you would incur any death. The tissue loss was linear, a progression, and spread between two corals that were touching each other.

I get the correlation and causation argument, but when you have a tank that is absolutely cranking and then dose something and within days have death, it is pretty compelling. I don’t blame Fluco as a direct killer but I think it is feasible that it can cause stress and thus make it susceptible to other factors. For me it just means I will rely on other means going forward such as a more robust clean up crew.

Luckily I had no issue from the H2o2 dosing, even to corals in close proximity. I have dosed in the past on other tanks at 1ml per 10 gallons and had no negative results.

 

[DeeBee]

I got this recently without prescription.

Fishbiotic Ciprofloxacin Tablets Fishbiotic - Pet Antibiotics | Pet

Free Shipping on most orders over $49. Great Low Price. Fishbiotic ciprofloxacin tablets contain ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic for fish that is effective against stopping the growth of bacteria in fish. For aquarium use. Tablets. Fishbiotic Ciprofloxacin Tablets Fishbiotic Pet...

www.valleyvet.com

Yep, that’s where I got mine