Neptune Aquatics

Acro tissue loss

Flightdeck

Flightdeck

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This is the second time I have had this problem when purchasing aquacultered corals. It seems they do just fine for about 4-6 weeks then from the base up slowly start bleaching or losing tissue. They seem to have good polyp extension until eventually the tissue falls off. I always start them out on the bottom of the tank and about the 3rd week move them up about 8-12 inches higher. It is only happening with aquacultured, I believe from Bali. The rest of my tank was started as frags from LFS and fellow reefers that have been growing well with great color and good polyp extension. My tanks is about 24 inches deep (55gallon Hex) with 250watt 14K HQI pendent, light is about 10 inches from the water surface. and a 24 watt pc for blue suppl. The corals dont lose color at all until bleaching appears. It takes a small colony about another to weeks to become fully bleached ounce I notice it starting to bleach from the bottom up. I am stumped is my lighting not intence enough, should I not take so long to move them up higher, am I not meeting their food requirments, it just seems funny I have so far had no problems with any other coral's but these. Any advise, or help. >:(
Water quality seems to be fine.
Phos=0
Nitrate=0 maybe a hint of nitrate
alk7.5
calcium 440
4X maxi 1200's on wave maker + 1 sieo 820 on 24/7
Mostly SPS frags about 10 total
1 marroon clown and 6 inch BTA
1 yellow tang (small)
1 strawberry (small)
1 black goby with yellow tail (small)
1 small salmon colored damsel
 
I'm super sorry as it sounds like you have the dreaded acro eating flatworms. These have been particularly prevalent on maricultured pieces lately, as you pointed out. Try dipping the suspect pieces in a 2X lugols for about 20 minutes and use a turkey baster to dislodge the flatworms. HTH.-Jim
 
hmm.. how is this symptoms different than a standard stn/rtn? is it because it affects a single frag versus a whole system? or relative time that the frag was in the tank?

i remember something from the BAR talk on diseases in sept/oct about both AEFW and STN/RTN generally starting at the base of a colony, then moving up.. and one way to notice the difference was to look to see if you could see the tissue that was lost still somewhat attached to the live tissue and floating (STN/RTN0 or whether it was entirely dissappeared and not as uniform (AEFW).. though i could be wrong as it was a few months back and i didn't take notes..

either way, strong lugols dip or another iodine-based dip (seachem reef dip or TMCC were recommended at the talk, though both seem mainly iodine based) would be the standard procedure to begin with i believe..
 
this seems to be different than RTN, I have had that happen to a frag that I put to high right from the get go. I noticed the flesh still haging on but not attached to the skelaton. This seems to be a little different. the coral is dipping right now I post the result and pictures as soon as I figure out how. Thanks
 
after dip I did notice two flatworm looking bug at the bottom of the cntainer. could not figure out how to post the picture in my reply so they are in my gallery. any feedback helps thanks.
20 minute dip 2x lugols solution then washed coral off with tank water before placing back into tank
 
Ouch :( .... Jim is right. You have AEFW :-[ .
Here is one of the best shot of AEFW. Photo is taken by Gresham.
IMG_4101.jpg
 
I concur - if this keeps repeatedly keeps happening that is not rtn/stn. I strongly suspect AEFW, and if you can find two then there are more.

My suggestion is to quarantine the affected corals in a separate tank - definitely dip and quarantine before you place anything new into your tank.

I dip all my incoming corals in a two ml of betadine in approximately eight ounces of water. I use a turkey baster to blast off any pests. I allow the coral to sit in the solution for a hour or so depending on how stressed the coral is already.

I would do repeated dips every week or so for at least a month and then begin to taper off with a lesser concentration of betadine.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
The loss of color will be expected and it will turn that fugly brown - all of my remaining ones did. The acros will usually bounce back a bit as far as polyp extension, but sit tight the polyp extension will come back.

Look at it this way if at the end you are rid of the flatworms you will know what the colors will be in the long run, but it will take awhile before it comes back.
 
sorry to hear you have AEFW flightdeck.

raddogz, wasn't sure if i could use betadine, as i didn't know if it had other chemicals that would cause problems. i still have quite a bit left from a cut i was tending a while back.. great info..
 
My general dip is 2ml for about 8 ounces of water.

If I suspect and/or was treating them before you can double the strength in the same amount of water for a dip of perhaps 15-20 minutes.

Ultimately you have to be the judge on time and solution strength as you know your affected corals best.
 
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