Dissolving Duncans

[sen5241b]

Had a healthy 30 head duncan growing in size fairly fast for the last 6 months or so. One day, I notice a couple dead heads then I notice more. I saw a hermit picking at a duncan head. I used a magnifying glass to look closer and the hermit was definitely picking at the duncan itself and not some algae next to it. After that it died pretty fast. A clear round jelly like substance would form over a healthy duncan head and it would dissolve overnight. The next day there was not one bit of duncan flesh left -like something out of an alien-monster movie. I tried gently washing the sticky jelly substance off and dipping in iodine solution but it did not help. I've seen pics of brown-jelly but this was clear in color. The whole cluster took a week or so and it was gone. Just trying to do a post-mortem here. What the #$%!  was that stuff? 

[ReefdUp]

This is going on with me too right now. I have a duncan that I've had for 11 years that has lost most of its polyps.

I did a triple-dip and put it in a different tank. It has stopped dissolving and is starting to maybe look better?

10:1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide dip for 20 seconds

0.5ml Bayer to 1 cup tank water for 5-10 min

1.25ml CoralRx in 1 cup tank water for 5 min

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[sen5241b]

1 hour ago, ReefdUp said:

This is going on with me too right now. I have a duncan that I've had for 11 years that has lost most of its polyps.

I did a triple-dip and put it in a different tank. It has stopped dissolving and is starting to maybe look better?

10:1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide dip for 20 seconds

0.5ml Bayer to 1 cup tank water for 5-10 min

1.25ml CoralRx in 1 cup tank water for 5 min

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 

 

Were any of your other corals  affected?

[ReefdUp]

No, that's it. My parameters are all rock solid (can list if you're curious).

I've seen other LPS do this, particularly this time of year. I don't know if it's something about the weather/ventilation.

What are your parameters? Need to know the obvious stuff before we start down some weird path. Just wanted you to know you aren't alone.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[sen5241b]

SG 1.025
Dkh 7
Cal 360
pH 8.3
Phosphate Nitrate > 5.0
Mag 1120

Yeah I know Cal and mag are low but I never saw that cause an alien blob to devour my corals overnight

Let me emphasize the clear blob was well-rounded had a bit of a cone and it was slightly larger than the coral head itself.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[ReefdUp]

Unstable parameters can definitely set a coral up for stress, which makes bacterial/viral/pest infestations more likely and more destructive.

What's your quarantine/dipping procedure?



Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[sen5241b]

Bayer for new corals. I have searched the internet for pictures of what I had and I can't find any.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[sen5241b]

On 11/24/2018 at 8:00 PM, ReefdUp said:

Unstable parameters can definitely set a coral up for stress, which makes bacterial/viral/pest infestations more likely and more destructive.

What's your quarantine/dipping procedure?



Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 

 

 

Did you have similar parameters?

[madweazl]

A ciliate similar to brown jelly disease? 

[ReefdUp]

 
 
Did you have similar parameters?

No. These are maintained with doser pumps and monitored/controlled with an Apex.

Alk: 10
Ca: 430
Mag: 1350
pH: 8.1-8.2
Temp: 76
Salinity: 35
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0.3

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[sen5241b]

A ciliate similar to brown jelly disease? 

I'd guess 'yes' even though the shape was quite different.

I'd like to get my hands on a single Duncan, put it in my tank and this time get photos of 'alien blob' disease

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk