What is on those LPS?

[drukkosz]

Hello all,

I visited a friend yesterday, and he noticed that one of his tanks is “infested” with some kind of pests. It’s mostly an LPS-dominated tank with lots of high-end acans, bowerbankis, lobos, etc. He dipped a few corals using Coral RX and even hydrogen peroxide, but there was no effect.


He suspects flatworms—we noticed a few on the glass but not directly on the corals. We tried blowing them off with a turkey baster, but it was very difficult; they seem to be “stuck” in the coral flesh. He’s terrified of losing the entire tank, and honestly, I would be too.


Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

 

[Tahoe61]

Those are mesenterial filaments, internal structures of the coral. Often displayed during stressful acclimation or as a defensive mechanism to near by corals.

 

[JGT]

It actually looks like mesenterial threads.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Agree with above, the coral is very stressed. I would review the conditions of your friends tank.

 

[drukkosz]

Thank you for responding, this happened very quick, I was there week before and everything looked great. We even fragged few colonies. He thinks its flatworms, purchased Beyer insecticide yesterday and will dip everything when it arrives. Crazy how fast things can go wrong in this hobby :(

 

[DexterKarin]

Just for my (others) knowledge base, in this case, the 'treatment' is to double down on water quality and no dipping?

 

[BryanM]

Just for my (others) knowledge base, in this case, the 'treatment' is to double down on water quality and no dipping?

in this case, my answer would be yes.

That tank needs parameters tested, and then a course of action.