Brown Slime Disease Killed Cup Coral

[clayphx]

Everything I've read says it moves fast. YES IT DOES. Was out of town for a few days (had a friend looking in). Noticed a closed head on the Duncan. That night...middle of the night....I see brown slime.

 

Treated it in the morning (light than is) with Lugol's but one head was gone. Did a second treatment on Duncan as I could see it spreading. I did not cut off the dead skeleton tube. Should I?

 

Then I just found some in the cup of my Cup Coral. It's flesh is being eaten/separating. Treated it for 15-20 with Lugol's. Used a soft brush to remove brown spots. Was not sure what to do with separating flesh.

 

UGH! Help!

[brandon429]

diluted peroxide dip per that thread

[clayphx]

diluted peroxide dip per that thread

Peroxide? I've only read about Iodine treatment

[brandon429]

The reason I think its a good venture is because when diluted its not directly harmful to those kinds of coral as a dip, we know from algae use. whether or not the target organism is susceptible would be shown, since you have nothing to lose Id really like to see a 50% peroxide 50%saltwater dip for 4 mins, even 40/60 if you want to be safer

[clayphx]

The reason I think its a good venture is because when diluted its not directly harmful to those kinds of coral as a dip, we know from algae use. whether or not the target organism is susceptible would be shown, since you have nothing to lose Id really like to see a 50% peroxide 50%saltwater dip for 4 mins, even 40/60 if you want to be safer

Unfortunately this stuff really moves fast! Two treatments with Lugol's seems to have taken care of the Duncan. I lost one head.

 

The cup coral is not going to make it. The flesh peels away and the heads are disconnecting. It is 90% bleached. Only one or two of the 20 discs are still attached. The rest have peeled away. I've dipped it 3-4 times in 18-20 hours. The slime just kept coming back. Very sad. I can see that the slime got into the mouth and then it simply eats it away. Ugh.

 

At least I saved one. If I do more treatments, I will use this recipe.

[Dani3d]

Lugol does absolutely nothing against brown jelly.

 

I managed to save a purple pocillopora sps coral by dipping it in 1/4 3% peroxyde and 3/4 tank water for a few minutes. That stopped the brown jelly right away and I did not need another treatment.

 

That's the only thing that I ever tried that stopped that disease...I even tried Furan-2 and it did not work.

 

Lugot does nothing at all for brown jelly, try peroxyde dip instead.

 

Here is what my SPS looked after the dip...:

 

 

And here after a few days:

 

 

 

Of course what is dead is dead, but that really stopped completely the progression of the jelly, which is awesome... I fragged the surviving pieces and they are doing great.

 

If I had done this earlier I could have saved most of it...I waited too long to do the treatment. Next time, at the first sign of brown jelly it's going in peroxyde.

 

Don't give up on the duncan yet..they are very tough coral. I once broke a head and scraped most of it off the skeleton only to see it grow back totalle and it grew a few babies as well. Dip it and see what happen.

 

Everything I've read says it moves fast. YES IT DOES. Was out of town for a few days (had a friend looking in). Noticed a closed head on the Duncan. That night...middle of the night....I see brown slime.

 

Treated it in the morning (light than is) with Lugol's but one head was gone. Did a second treatment on Duncan as I could see it spreading. I did not cut off the dead skeleton tube. Should I?

 

Then I just found some in the cup of my Cup Coral. It's flesh is being eaten/separating. Treated it for 15-20 with Lugol's. Used a soft brush to remove brown spots. Was not sure what to do with separating flesh.

 

UGH! Help!

[clayphx]

OK Dani3d, so dipped! It's the cup coral that's in such bad shape. Hopefully your recipe will save a few heads. Not sure what happens then. Does it regrow over the skeleton? Can I frag a cup coral?

 

The Duncan is fine. Fat and happy and I can see some flesh regrowth.

[clayphx]

OK brandon429 and Dani3d...

 

This morning the poor cup looks shredded but there are two heads that are still hanging on. I think that's a sweeper to the left. It's coming from the mouth of one that looks pretty beat up.

 

 

 

And this is how gorgeous is was before.

 

 

The Duncan has recovered!

 

 

Thanks for the support and input!

[pisces3kitty]

Hi im just curious why does the brown slime happen. What causes it? I have a duncan and os there something i should look for?

[clayphx]

Hi im just curious why does the brown slime happen. What causes it? I have a duncan and os there something i should look for?

To my knowledge, it just happens sometimes. Certain water/tank conditions can contribute to an "good" environment such as phosphates and silicates. Also something needs to damage the tissue to allow the bacteria in.

 

Anyone else? Correct me if I'm off please.

[clayphx]

At this point, there is one head that I think may actually make it!

 

 

 

There's one on the other side that appears to be extending a sweeper (extending to the left corner of the photo) but there is so much tissue damage it is difficult to tell.

 

Once the tendrils/polyps peel away, that's pretty much it. The one that's left did not get the bacteria in it's mouth. Whenever I saw that it spread there, the head was a goner.

 

Anyway the peroxide dip may have saved one! Not sure how it "grows back" or is it better to frag somehow?

 

I turned off the pumps and did a spot feed with some Oyster Feast and some coral food. It seemed to color up a little. It IS responding to the flow and "holding". Fingers crossed!

[Builder Anthony]

I know if a purple sea fan touches a mushroom it will make brown slime.

[Dani3d]

Glad to see your duncan is recovering! They are very tough coral and it will grow tons of new head. Wait until it has fully recover and feed it some mysis on regular basis after that. I would say wait a few days to make sure, like 4 or 5 days, then feed it.

 

The cup coral might still recover, at lest what's left and regrow but it will be slower growing than the duncan, wich grow very fast new heads.

 

Has to what cause it? it is probably a bacterial attack, by vibria bacterias or something similar, and then legions of always present protozoares takes over and digest the zooxanthellae in the coral.

 

This is why it is so hard to kill because antibiotics do nothing against protozoares and they are very tough to kill. Peroxyde does the job well and we are lucky that it does not kill most coral from my experience and it's easy to find and cheap!

 

Next time you see any trace of brown jelly, dip the coral right away, at least dip the affected area if you do not wish to dip the whole coral, and this might save it all. The sooner this is cought and the sooner one act, the better it is. I cannot garantee you that peroxyde will not kill a coral, but so far I have try it on a delicate pocillopora SPS and a duncan and they both survived and are doing great.

 

When I had brown jelly on my duncan, it was on the shaft and attacking the flesh. I then poured pure 3% peroxyde directly on the shaft and all brown jelly detached with the fizzing peroxyde and it fully recovered. With pocillopora I will always dip the whole thing in diluted concentration because it's very hard to see where the brown jelly might be creeping.

 

 

Hi im just curious why does the brown slime happen. What causes it? I have a duncan and os there something i should look for?

[clayphx]

I think it's safe to say the cup is dead.