What is this yellow stuff on my Duncans

[ardabaran]

I have noticed these yellow things on my Duncan corals. Water parameters are normal, I still did a water change.
They are very sticky and they don't come off, some of them are stringy but not all, as far as I can see.

Also my other corals not seem to be happy, zoas have been closed for couple days, maybe it’s a coincidence

Should I do Coral Rx dip?(never used, someone mentioned its too harsh for softies ?)

I would really appreciate any help!

 

[SHNICI]

HI @ardabaran and WELCOME TO THE HOBBY AND R2R
Can you let us know, since when is your setup and what do you mean under your water specs are fine, do you test, what type of test and what are the measurements come out of your tests please ?
The other thing is since when the corals are introduced in that system, do you acclimatized them and for how long?
Sorry about the many questions, but I see you are new to the Hobby, and some times like most of us when we're been new miss something That will able to give us better picture to can help you with your situation.
And another photo if can on the corals there, how they look, different angle, and do you have older photos of them (if they are been fine.

 

[ardabaran]

Hey, Thanks for the response. I will definitely provide more detailed information now.
Tank has been running around 2 months now.
SETUP
I have innovative marine 10 gallon AIO tank,
300 gph return pump, running around 40%, 50 watt
Current USA LED light running around 50-60 percent blue, 10% white.
660 gph Current-USA wave pump,running on wave mode, 30% power
200 micron sock and chemipure.

I use RO/DI water for LFS, instant ocean mix and

LIVESTOCK:
-2 clown fish
-2 nassarius snail
-2-astrea snail
-1 hermit crab
-2 verity snail

CORALS:
-2 small colonies of zoos.
-1 xenia
-1 Brain worm
-3 mushrooms
-1 Blasto

WATER TEST:
Ph: 8.0
ammonia : 0
nitrite:0
nitrate: <5 (before water change)
DKH: 9
CALCIUM: 500
Phosphate: 0
Temperature 79-80
Salinity: 2.016


Here is an older photo, where it was open and happy.(only a week ago from today)

 

[Coralsdaily]

how's the flow in tank? my personal experience with duncan is they need more flow than most people give them credit for. When I had too little flow their poplys were puffy but then followed by detritus build up in the skeleton, and then some polyps would die off until I change the flow again.

 

[SHNICI]

Ok, thanks for the spoecs that's good, most of the stuff are ok, but the Calc is at the highest end 440 - 460 usually, NSW is 420-430 (it's a bit high your one). Your magnesium should be near 1600-1700 to can keep the balance between the Ca and the KH.
The salinity is look fine.
The temperature is a bit high (again near the highest end) better to be a bit lower 76-78 (lowest better for the oxygen in the water).
I'm not completely sure, but I think your return and wave pumps are blasting too much. try to lower it a bit (bot for few days and observe how the corals are doing.
For me the 2 main things in your system are: the Calcium and the Temperature, tell us and the Mg Magnesium level please.

 

[SHNICI]

The other think the tan is really new, do you dose any strain of bacterias and if what product do you use, also after you run the setup, how long after you introduce all this animals in?
And what strain of starting bacteria you are been using,?
And please post and photo for the entire system, want to see how it look (and to show us the LR you have in and how much is it).
Also what filter media you use if you do any (instead of the filter sock and the chemipure (which type you have: Blue, Green or Elite), and how much of it for the 10G tank?

 

[ardabaran]

I don't have Mag test kit, should I get one?

Also at this point I can't lower the tank temperature since my apartment is around 79-80, unless I get a chiller.
Calcium has always been high, I wonder if it's a problem with test kit. I only use instant ocean salt, and even that shouldn't give that much calcium.
Wonder if it came from live sand I used.

My return is is working at 100gph, since it is running around 30%. It is 10x turnover for return.
Maybe even less when you consider the nozzle and pressure of lifting the water up,
Wavepump is running around 200 gph, which is around 20 times turnover.

Do you think it's too much?

So you don't think these yellow stuff are parasite or some sort of organism?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Duncans have been known to acquire yellow worms which you may be seeing.
Poor water quality usually brings them out.
I would advise a dip and see if that will drive them out. Follow 5 min dip with a 10 second RO rinse

 

[ardabaran]

I cycled it with live sand and live rock for about 3-4 weeks.
Added clown fish and couple corals and they seemed to be happy, so I added 3 other corals maybe 3 weeks ago.

initially I didn't use any starters, once the cycle was complete, I added livestock. but later just to be safe, for a week I dosed Seachem Stability. Here and there I add some more.

I use Chemipure Blue and no other media.

The other think the tan is really new, do you dose any strain of bacterias and if what product do you use, also after you run the setup, how long after you introduce all this animals in?
And what strain of starting bacteria you are been using,?
And please post and photo for the entire system, want to see how it look (and to show us the LR you have in and how much is it).
Also what filter media you use if you do any (instead of the filter sock and the chemipure (which type you have: Blue, Green or Elite), and how much of it for the 10G tank?

 

[SHNICI]

Duncans have been known to acquire yellow worms which you may be seeing.
Poor water quality usually brings them out.
I would advise a dip and see if that will drive them out. Follow 5 min dip with a 10 second RO rinse

in what to dip them for example @vetteguy53081 ? I'm not sure which products do you use in US that much (which are that popular and easy to find).
Also what about the water specs?
@ardabaran it's good to have test for Magn. it should be in the range 1250 (like min) - 1400 (max), can be more like 1500 isn't a problem, but you need that one on check.

 

[SHNICI]

I cycled it with live sand and live rock for about 3-4 weeks.
Added clown fish and couple corals and they seemed to be happy, so I added 3 other corals maybe 3 weeks ago.

initially I didn't use any starters, once the cycle was complete, I added livestock. but later just to be safe, for a week I dosed Seachem Stability. Here and there I add some more.

I use Chemipure Blue and no other media.

the tank look good.
Have on mind the chemipure need to be replaced, follow the instructions, because it's only Activated carbon, which have to remove harmful substances from the water. I think follow what @vetteguy53081 say about the dipping, and low with water change the Ca and the Temp. only not sure about in what to dip, Revive or Coral RX ? I Also use and Iodine (Sachem)

 

[ardabaran]

Thanks! From what I have heard, Coral RX is bit harsh for softies/LPS. I am thinking of Iidone dip or Seachem Reef Dip.

 

[vetteguy53081]

in what to dip them for example @vetteguy53081 ? I'm not sure which products do you use in US that much (which are that popular and easy to find).
Also what about the water specs?
@ardabaran it's good to have test for Magn. it should be in the range 1250 (like min) - 1400 (max), can be more like 1500 isn't a problem, but you need that one on check.

CoralRX

 

[vetteguy53081]

the tank look good.
Have on mind the chemipure need to be replaced, follow the instructions, because it's only Activated carbon, which have to remove harmful substances from the water. I think follow what @vetteguy53081 say about the dipping, and low with water change the Ca and the Temp. only not sure about in what to dip, Revive or Coral RX ? I Also use and Iodine (Sachem)

Revive also good as well as seachem

 

[LeftyReefer]

I dip all my corals, softies included, in Revive and have not had a single issue yet.

 

[JohnnyK]

My first duncan did this when I first got it. May be similar to what you saw. I dipped it and scrubbed it gently with a toothbrush. I decided it was a normal reaction from the coral. Looks like oil squeezed out of a pore on your face. Notice in this photo that there is a barnacle.

 

[chris new reefer]

My first duncan did this when I first got it. May be similar to what you saw. I dipped it and scrubbed it gently with a toothbrush. I decided it was a normal reaction from the coral. Looks like oil squeezed out of a pore on your face. Notice in this photo that there is a barnacle.

It’s been a few months since your post but I decided to give it a try.

I bought a Duncan 2 weeks ago.
it had open heads, was even producing new ones and was looking really healthy.

Since 2 days it hase exactly!!! that yellow stuff on it, but more on the heads and tentacles.
It’s in a quarantine tank since I bought it, together with a frogspawn and some zoas.
the Frogspawn is trying to sting the Duncan every morning but I doubt it can reach it.
How did your situation end? And did you find out what that is and how to treat it?

thanks heaps

 

[ardabaran]

It’s been a few months since your post but I decided to give it a try.

I bought a Duncan 2 weeks ago.
it had open heads, was even producing new ones and was looking really healthy.

Since 2 days it hase exactly!!! that yellow stuff on it, but more on the heads and tentacles.
It’s in a quarantine tank since I bought it, together with a frogspawn and some zoas.
the Frogspawn is trying to sting the Duncan every morning but I doubt it can reach it.
How did your situation end? And did you find out what that is and how to treat it?

thanks heaps

I am not sure if it's the same issue, mine was on the polyps, not on the hard shell. However it looks like the same yellow stuff. Mine resolved on it's own. I did a water change(20%) and I am not exactly sure but I think I also dipped in revive. never found out why, not even 100% sure if I dipped it in Revive, I remember it got better without me doing much. Now couple new heads are coming, it's healthier than ever. You got new heads in less than 2 weeks? that really impressive for me. Mine has been in my tank for 4-5 months, just getting new heads. Maybe its because my system is only 10 gallons.

 

[chris new reefer]

I am not sure if it's the same issue, mine was on the polyps, not on the hard shell. However it looks like the same yellow stuff. Mine resolved on it's own. I did a water change(20%) and I am not exactly sure but I think I also dipped in revive. never found out why, not even 100% sure if I dipped it in Revive, I remember it got better without me doing much. Now couple new heads are coming, it's healthier than ever. You got new heads in less than 2 weeks? that really impressive for me. Mine has been in my tank for 4-5 months, just getting new heads. Maybe its because my system is only 10 gallons.

Thanks for your answer!

its mostly on the tentacles not on the structure at all. I dipped it once in polyplab’s coral dip, when I bought it.

my Duncan is in a 50l/ 13 gallon quarantine tank because I want to try my best to follow the 76 days quarantine procedures ( it’s a pain in the... to wait that long).
I have only a heater, a flow power head, and some rocks out of my main sump in the QT.

I bought the coral with 9 heads 2weeks ago from a LFS.
All of those heads had 2 or 3 little white dots under their polyps. Those dots are now all little heads with tentacles and little mouths and they are growing fast.
the coral is eating good as well.

So it behaves really, really healthy but with that yellow stuff and the tentacles not fully expended it doesn’t look very healthy.

I can’t find a lot of information on that but I think I will just keep doing WC and feeding and let it do his think. I just don’t see myself putting it in the main display with that stuff on it.

but yes, still 8 weeks to go in quarantine

 

[ardabaran]

Thanks for your answer!

its mostly on the tentacles not on the structure at all. I dipped it once in polyplab’s coral dip, when I bought it.

my Duncan is in a 50l/ 13 gallon quarantine tank because I want to try my best to follow the 76 days quarantine procedures ( it’s a pain in the... to wait that long).
I have only a heater, a flow power head, and some rocks out of my main sump in the QT.

I bought the coral with 9 heads 2weeks ago from a LFS.
All of those heads had 2 or 3 little white dots under their polyps. Those dots are now all little heads with tentacles and little mouths and they are growing fast.
the coral is eating good as well.

So it behaves really, really healthy but with that yellow stuff and the tentacles not fully expended it doesn’t look very healthy.

I can’t find a lot of information on that but I think I will just keep doing WC and feeding and let it do his think. I just don’t see myself putting it in the main display with that stuff on it.

but yes, still 8 weeks to go in quarantine

I would still research and don't take this as an advice but in my situation it really resolved on it's own, maybe something was irritating it. 13gal QT is larger than my DT so I think it should be fine. Let me know here if you find out what it is or if it gets better/worse. Goodluck!