Strange STN

[ReefHunter006]

This particular coral has been STN’ing about 65 days now. It’s over 2 years old and was one of the tester SPS I put into the reefer 250 along with a stylo back in 2019.

The STN doesn’t look like anything I’m familiar with. You can see in the second picture where it appears the outer layer of the skin has peeled away exposing a lower layer. I’m not saying there are multiple layers, just explaining what it looks like to me.

I took the frag and shaken it up in water to see if any flatworms fall off, but no avail.

I’ve also never seen STN take this long with only a golf ball size frag.

There are two other frags that are almost completely dead. They are at about 30 days now and they are 1/4 the size of this one.

The 50ish other frags are not showing any signs of irritant. I can’t find any pests like flatworms or red bugs and the STN is progressing so slowly.

If anyone has any ideas or sees anything in particular worth looking at I’d love to hear it as I doubt once these three frags are done that they will be the last.

 

[Rando]

looks like acro flatworms to me. I once had a larger milleopora that only served as a clutch. No worms, only the eggs were on it. And to me it looks like a clutch of your coral in the picture.

 

[ReefHunter006]

looks like acro flatworms to me. I once had a larger milleopora that only served as a clutch. No worms, only the eggs were on it. And to me it looks like a clutch of your coral in the picture.

Appreciate the reply. Any chance you could help me locate where you see it in the picture?

 

[Rando]

here .. looks like Eggs. You can see the gold-colored eggs with a magnifying glass. If there are any, the whole coral must be freed from it by scraping it off with a scalpel.

 

[ReefHunter006]

This is the dip after a couple frags. Maybe someone else can tell me if they can ID flatworms as well cause I’m at a lost.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Unless all those specs are flatworms, but they just looked like detritus to me.

 

[sculpin01]

Could be black bugs.

In addition, your pic makes I t almost look like something is growing over and smothering the underlying tissue.

 

[ReefHunter006]

That layering effect has me really puzzled. I’ve never seen anything like it. I can say that in person that the acro skin is raised compared to whatever is on the skeleton.

Could be black bugs.

In addition, your pic makes I t almost look like something is growing over and smothering the underlying tissue.

 

[sculpin01]

Yeah, you might want to scrape off some tissue at that location and look at it under a microscope. It may give you additional information as to what’s going on.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Can’t find much from dips in the microscope.

 

[guylaga]

Any chance the coral exhibited tulip polyps or Hyperplasia?

And this could lead you down a rabbit hole, but look up Brown Band disease.

 

[Chrisv.]

I really thought acro flatworms too, but I see no eggs and I would expect eggs with this advanced predation. Eggs would be yellowish.

In the photo where you had it in a deli cup, was it dipped? If aefw, they should writhe around like demons spawned from h ell when you put them in a good strong dip.

 

[Huskymaniac]

If I had to guess the acro is infected with a bacteria.

 

[Chrisv.]

If I had to guess the acro is infected with a bacteria.

What makes you make that guess?

 

[damsels are not mean]

Where are these dying frags placed? Par? Lots of flow?

 

[Huskymaniac]

What makes you make that guess?

The necrotic tissue and the white band around the healthy tissue. Google white band disease.

 

[Chrisv.]

The necrotic tissue and the white band around the healthy tissue. Google white band disease.

This thread is a useful read: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a...disease-and-impaired-growth-in-corals.660413/

 

[ReefHunter006]

Thanks I’ll check out band disease. These frags are all in my frag tank. Park is 280-300. T5 led mix.

 

[ReefHunter006]

I really thought acro flatworms too, but I see no eggs and I would expect eggs with this advanced predation. Eggs would be yellowish.

In the photo where you had it in a deli cup, was it dipped? If aefw, they should writhe around like demons spawned from h ell when you put them in a good strong dip.

Correct, that was the dip cup using coral RX.

Ive done multiple frags the last two days searching for signs of AEFW but if they are falling off then they are to small to be seen. I am not finding anything under the microscope either.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Where are these dying frags placed? Par? Lots of flow?

Frag tank with lots of flow and par 280-300. There has only been one new frag in months which was a zoa from a friend. The homewrecker in particular was growing great.

july 2021

Sept 2021

Jan 2022

Meanwhile the Walt Disney (slightly blurry) infront shows great polyp extension along with all the other tenuis in the frag tank.

The frag in the OP has been slowly dying for 65+ days now. The homewrecker, much smaller has been like this for almost a month and slowly deteriorating.

There is one other sps frag that has been declining for 43days.

All in there are about 50 sps frags in the system. I expect this will continue and wipe them all out if I can find the culprit, but I’m hitting dead ends.