What’s wrong with my blasto?

[JayFish4004]

#reefsquad unite! I am seeing a peculiar thing on the back-facing head of my 2-headed blastomussa welsi. I’ve had him for about a year now with no issues - blasto right next to him doing fine.

I tried target feeding a few times with Rod’s Original and one theory is maybe I accidentally shot him too large of a piece?

Otherwise parameters are all matching sea level and 12 other corals doing fine.

Any ideas?

 

[CoralB]

Not sure I’m really seeing what your concerned about . If you fed him they will close up . Wait a day or two and see how he looks . My blastos love reagular feedings and 15-20 ppm nitrate . Send a follow up in a couple days .

 

[JayFish4004]

Not sure I’m really seeing what your concerned about . If you fed him they will close up . Wait a day or two and see how he looks . My blastos love reagular feedings and 15-20 ppm nitrate . Send a follow up in a couple days .

My nitrates are right at 30 - sorry the photo is a little tough to see plus the healthy head is kind of over him, but if you look close you can see what almost looks like tissue recession in the middle there where its typically green on this one head it’s now purple. Not sure whats going on there.

 

[JayFish4004]

Not sure I’m really seeing what your concerned about . If you fed him they will close up . Wait a day or two and see how he looks . My blastos love reagular feedings and 15-20 ppm nitrate . Send a follow up in a couple days .

Here’s a better shot now that the lights have died down a bit - is this exposed skeleton? Seems super weird.

 

[CoralB]

Bring your nitrates Down below 20 ppm and give your other parameters please! . Phosphates, temp, salinity. Cal mag alk etc .lighting schedule if you have it

 

[JayFish4004]

Bring your nitrates Down below 20 ppm and give your other parameters please! . Phosphates, temp, salinity. Cal mag alk etc .lighting schedule if you have it

Here’s my param’s (temp stays at 78) https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/269601000b7055aa924b

And lighting sched

 

[JayFish4004]

Here’s my param’s (temp stays at 78) https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/269601000b7055aa924b

And lighting sched

Part of me wonders if maybe a fish ate a large chunk of food he was holding in his mouth and thats what did this? Im not sure what else would have

 

[CoralB]

Couldn’t pull up your parameters

 

[JayFish4004]

Couldn’t pull up your parameters

Symbol	Value	Calculated reference value	Difference	Result	Actions
Base elements
Salinity	34.79 PSU	35.00 PSU	-0.21 PSU		View
Carbonate hardness	8.11 °dKH	7.50 °dKH	+0.61 °dKH		View
Major elements
Chloride	19253 mg/l	19447 mg/l	-194.5 mg/l		View
Sodium	10912 mg/l	10804 mg/l	+108.1 mg/l		View
Magnesium	1357 mg/l	1292 mg/l	+65.28 mg/l		View
Sulfur	1054 mg/l	903.6 mg/l	+150.0 mg/l		View
Calcium	440.9 mg/l	413.5 mg/l	+27.37 mg/l		View
Potassium	424.8 mg/l	400.7 mg/l	+24.03 mg/l		View
Bromine	49.48 mg/l	65.81 mg/l	-16.33 mg/l		View
Strontium	8.93 mg/l	7.86 mg/l	+1.08 mg/l		View
Boron	4.75 mg/l	4.32 mg/l	+0.43 mg/l		View
Fluorine	1.56 mg/l	1.28 mg/l	+0.29 mg/l		View
Minor elements
Lithium	102.6 µg/l	167.0 µg/l	-64.41 µg/l		View
Silicon	109.0 µg/l	98.22 µg/l	+10.82 µg/l		View
Iodine	24.70 µg/l	63.84 µg/l	-39.14 µg/l		View
Barium	69.41 µg/l	9.82 µg/l	+59.59 µg/l		View
Molybdenum	16.80 µg/l	11.79 µg/l	+5.01 µg/l		View
Nickel	u.	0.49 µg/l	-0.49 µg/l		View
Manganese	u.	0.98 µg/l	-0.98 µg/l		View
Arsenic	u.	1.47 µg/l	-1.47 µg/l		View
Beryllium	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Chrome	u.	0.49 µg/l	-0.49 µg/l		View
Cobalt	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Iron	u.	0.49 µg/l	-0.49 µg/l		View
Copper	1.16 µg/l	0.49 µg/l	+0.67 µg/l		View
Selenium	u.	0.49 µg/l	-0.49 µg/l		View
Silver	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Vanadium	0.65 µg/l	1.47 µg/l	-0.82 µg/l		View
Zinc	u.	1.96 µg/l	-1.96 µg/l		View
Tin	u.	0.49 µg/l	-0.49 µg/l		View
Nutrients
Nitrate	31.70 mg/l	2.00 mg/l	+29.70 mg/l		View
Phosphorus	31.98 µg/l	14.73 µg/l	+17.25 µg/l		View
Phosphate	0.10 mg/l	0.04 mg/l	+0.05 mg/l		View
Pollutants
Aluminium	9.27 µg/l	0.10 µg/l	+9.17 µg/l		View
Antimony	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Bismuth	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Lead	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Cadmium	u.	0.20 µg/l	-0.20 µg/l		View
Lanthanum	u.	0 µg/l	+0 µg/l		View
Thallium	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Titanium	u.	0.10 µg/l	-0.10 µg/l		View
Tungsten	u.	0 µg/l	+0 µg/l		View
Mercury	u.	0 µg/l	+0 µg/l

 

[JayFish4004]

Couldn’t pull up your parameters

The flesh is essentially falling off the bone while the other head is perfectly fine. If this head dies off is the healthy head doomed as well?

 

[CoralB]

Thanks !!! Not seeing anything that would be causing this by your parameters . Bring down your nitrates and even your phosphate could come down a little . At this point I would wonder if it was stung by another coral , or maybe check for bugs , worms etc . Maybe a bristle worm brushing by it at night . The last time I had a issue with a blasto that killed it was when a urchin bulldozed it of its mount and it fell into another coral that stung it . Maybe try dipping it . Hopefully someone else could chime in and give their thought as to what might be the issue .also maybe someone could tell you if you need to separate the two to keep the other alive . What kind of fish and critters do you have in the tank ?

 

[JayFish4004]

Thanks !!! Not seeing anything that would be causing this by your parameters . Bring down your nitrates and even your phosphate could come down a little . At this point I would wonder if it was stung by another coral , or maybe check for bugs , worms etc . Maybe a bristle worm brushing by it at night . The last time I had a issue with a blasto that killed it was when a urchin bulldozed it of its mount and it fell into another coral that stung it . Maybe try dipping it . Hopefully someone else could chime in and give their thought as to what might be the issue .also maybe someone could tell you if you need to separate the two to keep the other alive . What kind of fish and critters do you have in the tank ?

The only explanation I can think of is maybe my new citron goby got too aggressive getting the food away from that head. I might’ve been careless in giving it too large of a piece of food to consume - so either the too large of a piece did it on its own or the citron ate it out and maybe tore up the flesh in the process?

My urchin maybe a few weeks ago also kept knocking it over - I don’t think there was much impact from that though but maybe that couldve set it on a downward spiral? It maybe banged against the glass a bit but after gluing it down it never looked that bad - plus the other head is fine.

 

[CoralB]

Maybe the fish eating theory but I’m not convinced . I’ve had blastos for a long time and except for that one incident I’ve had really good luck . The reason I asked if you had a bristle worm is years ago I had one that would brush up against my mushrooms at night and would sting and burn the edges . It also kill killed a plate coral . Took a few days to figure out but I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water , I went by the tank with a blue light and caught him ravaging the coral wrapping around it . It was five to six inches long . I knew I had little ones but boy was I shocked . After I trapped and removed him no more issues

 

[JayFish4004]

Maybe the fish eating theory but I’m not convinced . I’ve had blastos for a long time and except for that one incident I’ve had really good luck . The reason I asked if you had a bristle worm is years ago I had one that would brush up against my mushrooms at night and would sting and burn the edges . It also kill killed a plate coral . Took a few days to figure out but I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water , I went by the tank with a blue light and caught him ravaging the coral wrapping around it . It was five to six inches long . I knew I had little ones but boy was I shocked . After I trapped and removed him no more issues

I have seen a single bristle worm very briefly, but I don’t think it was very big. I didn’t start with live rock to avoid bristleworms but still somehow one made it in, guessing from a coral frag. The blasto is also on a large rock so I don’t think a bristleworm is a likely scenario in my case.

It’s the strangest deal - he’s been perfectly fine for a year and all of a sudden a head just disintegrates for no reason? Super puzzling

 

[JayFish4004]

I have seen a single bristle worm very briefly, but I don’t think it was very big. I didn’t start with live rock to avoid bristleworms but still somehow one made it in, guessing from a coral frag. The blasto is also on a large rock so I don’t think a bristleworm is a likely scenario in my case.

It’s the strangest deal - he’s been perfectly fine for a year and all of a sudden a head just disintegrates for no reason? Super puzzling

I almost feel like it has to be a fish - no other scenario would line up for it to happen this quickly - especially given the fact that the head he sits right next to is perfectly fine.. I think at the very least that rules out chemistry and lighting. The bristleworm I saw seems to be more of a sad dweller and I just don’t feel like that’s it.

 

[JayFish4004]

I almost feel like it has to be a fish - no other scenario would line up for it to happen this quickly - especially given the fact that the head he sits right next to is perfectly fine.. I think at the very least that rules out chemistry and lighting. The bristleworm I saw seems to be more of a sad dweller and I just don’t feel like that’s it.

@Randy Holmes-Farley @vetteguy53081 would love your opinion on this dilemma

 

[WyoMt.Chef]

Hello not sure if this could relate to your issue but I had a favia eat a large pellet and then within the hour that polyp burst and exposed skeleton, without any help from a fish. Started breaking up the pellets for it after that. I also noticed my blasto really liked being mounted vertically in the shade. Hope you can figure it out. Best wishes friend!

 

[JayFish4004]

Hello not sure if this could relate to your issue but I had a favia eat a large pellet and then within the hour that polyp burst and exposed skeleton, without any help from a fish. Started breaking up the pellets for it after that. I also noticed my blasto really liked being mounted vertically in the shade. Hope you can figure it out. Best wishes friend!

This sounds very possible - Im not certain but fairly sure on Sunday I fed all the coral some Rod’s and I remember he had a huge piece in his mouth - this has happened before though so I didn’t think much of it, figured he’d just let go once the pumps came back on.

So are you thinking it’s a thing with these guys that if they get a piece of food that’s too large they might eat it to their own demise? Did yours come back? Mine is not looking like it will come back unfortunately and worried what might happen to the healthy head.

Appreciate the well wishes - never fun to go through losing a pet

 

[WyoMt.Chef]

This sounds very possible - Im not certain but fairly sure on Sunday I fed all the coral some Rod’s and I remember he had a huge piece in his mouth - this has happened before though so I didn’t think much of it, figured he’d just let go once the pumps came back on.

So are you thinking it’s a thing with these guys that if they get a piece of food that’s too large they might eat it to their own demise? Did yours come back? Mine is not looking like it will come back unfortunately and worried what might happen to the healthy head.

Appreciate the well wishes - never fun to go through losing a pet

Yes there was a hole on the favia that was about half of the polyps total size and it took around 2 weeks to completely heal. I think that if it was a feeding/ gluttony? issue than it would be restricted to the one head.

 

[JayFish4004]

Yes there was a hole on the favia that was about half of the polyps total size and it took around 2 weeks to completely heal. I think that if it was a feeding/ gluttony? issue than it would be restricted to the one head.

Update on this - the first head is completely gone and I think I got lucky in there was no brown jelly disease.

The other head is now looking pretty rough and has his mouth open - any idea whats going on and what I could maybe do about it? Parameters all still the same as above. This thing has thrived in that same spot for over a year which is the most puzzling of all of this. There is a blasto right next to him doing fine.