Hey everyone! I recently stumbled across this channel on youtube (Prime Coral). On this channel the guy appears adamant that he has found one of the root causes of RTN in corals (sps and lps alike). He claims that it is Philaster, a marine protozoa that enters the corals via their mouth and consumes them from the inside out. The channel has gone MIA recently and I would love to see some concrete results and conclusions regarding the origins of RTN. I seen few people in the reefing community bring this up as a topic of discussion so I thought I would reboot the conversation surrounding this.
They do have a website where they advertise a dip that kills these protozoans along with a myriad of other common coral pests as well, such as black bugs, aefw, etc.
*Disclaimer*
I am not affiliated with this channel, nor person. This is not an advertisement for their product in any manner. I'm just a curious reefer that wants to learn and study more about the complex ecosystems in our reeftanks.
Here is his website, here you explore his methodology, products, and his insights on the cause of RTN/STN
https://coralrtn.com/
Here is his quick introductory video on the parasite.
Here is another video documenting a heavy infection of Philaster
I have been wondering about the causes of RTN and STN in corals ever since I've began the hobby. Even when components such as water chemistry, lighting, and flow appear to be perfect there's still that small off chance that you lose a coral randomly. In some cases I think it could be related to bacterial imbalances in the aquarium microbiome, or pure ignorance/ poor husbandry, but these videos appear to show a link between RTN and these Philaster protozoan.
I feel that it would be easily to detect if one has these protozoans in their system as they seem to proliferate extremely fast and systematically find new host corals to infect. This leads me to think that if introduced to an extremely dense tank these protozoans could wreak havoc incredibly fast as they infect everything in the system. So it might be cause of all random RTN/STN but it could be a large proponent related to the issue.
Has anyone had any experience with these pests before? I'd love to hear from others regarding this, as this could be the next barrier we cross in reefkeeping where we can now properly identify the pests that cause RTN.
I'm still open to the plausibility of certain strains of bacteria causing RTN/STN but there has not been anything concrete regarding what type mainly affects acropora and how to treat the issue. According to my research, a certain strain of vibrio and arcobacter seem to be cause in the wild and in captivity.
Amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin have had some success in treating RTN in ailing corals, but I am worried about the improper use of antibiotics and the possibility of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could possibly cause horrible repercussions in the future.
I'd would still love to hear more about people's experience with antibiotic use in their tanks or as a possible dip for ailing corals and if it successfully treats RTN in corals. If so, it may still prove a valuable tool in our toolbox.
These philaster protozoans might not be the root cause of RTN, but their presence, along with pathogenic bacteria, and other coral stressors might be a crucial catalyst when it comes to RTN/STN and the sudden and random loss of coral.
I'd love if the reefing community could come together and discuss this topic in a civilized manner to progress our hobby. All thoughts and experiences should be met with proper respect and critiques, flat out denial and inflammatory accusations get us nowhere.
Here are some previous thread on various forums discussing this topic for those who are curious.
https://marsh-reef.org/index.php?threads/cure-for-stn-rtn-finally.59155/page-1
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/possible-solution-to-end-rtn-forever.563527/
As always, Happy Reefing!
They do have a website where they advertise a dip that kills these protozoans along with a myriad of other common coral pests as well, such as black bugs, aefw, etc.
*Disclaimer*
I am not affiliated with this channel, nor person. This is not an advertisement for their product in any manner. I'm just a curious reefer that wants to learn and study more about the complex ecosystems in our reeftanks.
Here is his website, here you explore his methodology, products, and his insights on the cause of RTN/STN
https://coralrtn.com/
Here is his quick introductory video on the parasite.
Here is another video documenting a heavy infection of Philaster
I have been wondering about the causes of RTN and STN in corals ever since I've began the hobby. Even when components such as water chemistry, lighting, and flow appear to be perfect there's still that small off chance that you lose a coral randomly. In some cases I think it could be related to bacterial imbalances in the aquarium microbiome, or pure ignorance/ poor husbandry, but these videos appear to show a link between RTN and these Philaster protozoan.
I feel that it would be easily to detect if one has these protozoans in their system as they seem to proliferate extremely fast and systematically find new host corals to infect. This leads me to think that if introduced to an extremely dense tank these protozoans could wreak havoc incredibly fast as they infect everything in the system. So it might be cause of all random RTN/STN but it could be a large proponent related to the issue.
Has anyone had any experience with these pests before? I'd love to hear from others regarding this, as this could be the next barrier we cross in reefkeeping where we can now properly identify the pests that cause RTN.
I'm still open to the plausibility of certain strains of bacteria causing RTN/STN but there has not been anything concrete regarding what type mainly affects acropora and how to treat the issue. According to my research, a certain strain of vibrio and arcobacter seem to be cause in the wild and in captivity.
Amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin have had some success in treating RTN in ailing corals, but I am worried about the improper use of antibiotics and the possibility of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could possibly cause horrible repercussions in the future.
I'd would still love to hear more about people's experience with antibiotic use in their tanks or as a possible dip for ailing corals and if it successfully treats RTN in corals. If so, it may still prove a valuable tool in our toolbox.
These philaster protozoans might not be the root cause of RTN, but their presence, along with pathogenic bacteria, and other coral stressors might be a crucial catalyst when it comes to RTN/STN and the sudden and random loss of coral.
I'd love if the reefing community could come together and discuss this topic in a civilized manner to progress our hobby. All thoughts and experiences should be met with proper respect and critiques, flat out denial and inflammatory accusations get us nowhere.
Here are some previous thread on various forums discussing this topic for those who are curious.
https://marsh-reef.org/index.php?threads/cure-for-stn-rtn-finally.59155/page-1
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/possible-solution-to-end-rtn-forever.563527/
As always, Happy Reefing!