Witch hazel dosing regimen for RTN/STN

[Beefyreefy]

I’ve done a search and can not find to much information on this. Can anyone give me dosing instructions for witch hazel? As a dip and more importantly as an in tank treatment? I have large colonies that would be challenging to remove at best. I’ve heard many people mention witch hazel as a treatment for STN/RTN, including Michael Paletta but I can’t find a regimen. My tank has been experiencing random rtn and stn and although I’m not one to take aggressive action, this thing has got me baffled and I will try anything to stop the process at this point. Several months ago my alkalinity got too high, like 15 dkh and I believe this is when the process started. I slowly started losing coral after this despite a gradual correction of alk. To make it weirder it mostly seemed to effect and start With several large Hollywood stunner colonies which I’ve traditionally found to be almost impossible to kill, I’ve lost about 50% of them. I’ve also lost a large euphyllia colony(several others survived) and acans. Soft corals, Zoas, montiporas and sps are uneffected. The process of death seems to come in waves as it works it’s way back and forth in the tank. Just when I think it’s run it’s course I start seeing new tissue loss I’ve also have been performing small to moderate water changes a few times a week with no apparent benefit. I really think my accidental increase in alk led to a bacterial infection taking hold, but it’s just a hunch. Any insight with the witch hazel or any other ideas I’m more than willing to listen.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I've never heard of this, so I'm following along.

 

[ca1ore]

I have never heard of this either. My default position on all these kinds of things is snakeoil and to be VERY careful about what one adds to the tank.

 

[brandon429]

amazing. but it was the direct bleach dosing into reefs to fight dinos last decade, and several dinos were fixed, that turned me.

if someone says dumping motor oil into a reef helps something I refuse to be surprised after it turns out bleach can be dosed to reefs lol

what amazes me is who tried the first go, just randomly adding things from medicine cabinet to see if something reverses

talk about uproar, when peroxide hit in about 2010 it was literal anger. I got banned at thereeftank for promoting it as legit gha removal not long after reading Justin’s posts on it, it was promoting something that will absolutely wipe out reef tanks they thought, too controversial to recommend.

now we have half a million reefs using it. peroxide rogues must welcome the dawn of witch hazel but if I had rtn or stn that would never be my fix, whoever tried it first deserves a back pat though. there is no time my reef will need whazel to avoid rtn or stn.

 

[brandon429]

-

 

[ca1ore]

Had ich a few years ago .... floated a potato and the ich went away ..... eureka. Now I float one anytime those dreaded spots appear. Better to peel it first though. Of course, if WH does prove t be useful, i have a hat and some ketchup at the ready.

 

[Beefyreefy]

I am unsure of witch hazel benefits also, but I’ve seen it referenced by enough people who know what they are doing, that I can’t completely discount it. Normally I wouldn’t seek out drastic measures but I’ve stabilized everything and the problem keeps happening in waves. Willing to try something to stop the process.

 

[brandon429]

that is precisely why the world is not driven solely by peer reviewed articles.


pico reefing started as word of mouth, Im 100% sure it didnt come from a scientist. if there are usage patterns in posts for witch hazel then I would not discount them at all, patterns start somewhere for sure. would have never thought to try that, wonder what the next new non reef additive will be / these systems react in neat ways.

 

[Saltyreef]

Sounds like my tank issues but im certain it was caused by a nitrate overdose that killed off a lot of microfauna and bacteria.
Took about 3-4 months for death to spread (stn from bases up) and now another 3-4 months later some of my really hardy stuff is coloring back up finally.
Mushrooms didnt skip a beat though

Alk i feel would have been a little faster process if not immediately showing signs of regression in the coral, mainly sps.

 

[Beefyreefy]

Sounds like my tank issues but im certain it was caused by a nitrate overdose that killed off a lot of microfauna and bacteria.
Took about 3-4 months for death to spread (stn from bases up) and now another 3-4 months later some of my really hardy stuff is coloring back up finally.
Mushrooms didnt skip a beat though

Alk i feel would have been a little faster process if not immediately showing signs of regression in the coral, mainly sps.

The process in your tank does sound extremely similar to mine. The alk problem I had could be totally unrelated but it’s when I first noticed the problems. The alk error happened because during COVID I couldn’t find any commercial 2 part available so I made my own from eBay sources chemicals/ingredients. I believe I made a math error and that coupled with my carelessness, led to the spike. That being said, other factors I still consider is impurity of the chemicals I used, or something all together different like chemical warfare from large softy colonies, paly’s, etc. An alk spike was the only thing that testing could tell me that was out of line. In hindsight I should have sent off a sample for diagnostic testing but I didn’t realize what a path my error would send me down at that moment.
I’m still hoping that someone who has experience with witch hazel can chime in. Or there is a commercial product, it’s name escapes me, created by a doctor that claims to stop Rtn/stn. The claims for the commercial product are somewhat bizarre, like that stn/rtn is caused by ONLY bacterial infection, but id be willing to try that to if someone can give me some insight there too.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Had ich a few years ago .... floated a potato and the ich went away ..... eureka. Now I float one anytime those dreaded spots appear. Better to peel it first though. Of course, if WH does prove t be useful, i have a hat and some ketchup at the ready.

Seriously? I've always read your posts and consider you to be a quality reefer. But I've never heard of this treatment either. I've never had ich in 20 years in the hobby, so I have no experience with treatments. Just tell me you are serious or are you teasing us all?

 

[brandon429]

Are you teasing us

potato post flows with cause effect witch hazel doubts


I thought witch hazel was made like vinegar but in reading it’s a plant extract, didn’t know that. I don’t believe it stops rtn but given time will be neat to see if it expands to more use or fades out

 

[ca1ore]

I would have thought the part about peeling the potato would have revealed the satire .... if not the broader absurdity of floating a potato in ones tank. Truth be told I am a bit disappointed nobody asked me if russet works better than idaho gold.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Following. I am fighting STN