Bacterial Infection on SPS?

rynosreef · Aug 5, 2020

I’ve been experiencing some STN on several acros. And it’s definitely been sloooooow tissue necrosis, lasting weeks. I haven’t lost anything, and not everything is effected, so I think there’s hope to turn it around.

I haven’t pinned down what exactly started it, but I’ve noticed some of the corals effected appear to have an orange-ish brown “something” growing on the areas of exposed skeleton. I’m wondering if this could be a bacterial infection that is keeping the coral from healing?

Here’s a pic I took of one. Main lights are out and I have a flashlight illuminating the area of concern. There’s the orange color in the center and some darker something along the edge where the tissue meets the skeleton.

Any thoughts? Does this look like a bacterial infection? What would you guys recommend doing to help? Perhaps Lugol’s solution or a dip in Revive?

725196 · Aug 5, 2020

I am sure there are some experts on R2R that will jump in and help. My non expert advice is to pull the corals, frag off and discard the bad piece and dip the good parts. Of course keep an eye on it. You may have to dip it multiple times over the next few weeks.

LOVEROCK · Aug 5, 2020

does cipro work on sps ? , i have been using it for jaw breakers mushroom and they seem to be improving from deflated shiveled

725196 · Aug 5, 2020

LOVEROCK said:
does cipro work on sps ? , i have been using it for jaw breakers mushroom and they seem to be improving from deflated shiveled

To be honest I don’t know. I have never used that brand. I use coral Rx and revive.

sdreef · Aug 19, 2020

Any update?

Came across a couple of articles related to tissue recession in acropora where they were able to narrow down some of the supsected bacterial pathogens. They used 100 mg / liter of ampicillin ( if my math is right) in a controlled setting. Everything I have read recommends against use of ampicillin/ amoxicillin in a DT and I think the concern would be it's hard to know about the impact on beneficial bacterial fauna in the tank. Still it was interesting to see that ampicillin was effective in stopping tissue recession in a couple different acropora species in theses experiments.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4964940/pdf/MEC-24-1150.pdf

Experimental antibiotic treatment identifies potential pathogens of white band disease in the endangered Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis

This thread was also interesting using antibiotics for a dip with a beneficial effect:

My experiences treating rapid tissue necrosis in multiple SPS species with doxycycline and amoxicillin

Hello all, I'm sure a lot of you who keep SPS have heard about the study and claims that rapid/sudden tissue necrosis (RTN/STN) is being caused (or at least assisted by) vibrio harveyi. If you haven't I suggest giving it a look as it has some pretty interesting information and could potentially...

www.reef2reef.com

stephj03 · Aug 20, 2020

Honestly, I would bite the bullet and just super over the affected area and on to the skin a bit if it is advancing.

You can try antibiotics, but without knowing which bacteria you're fighting it's hard to pick the right one.

C. Eymann · Aug 20, 2020

stephj03 said:
Honestly, I would bite the bullet and just super over the affected area and on to the skin a bit if it is advancing.

You can try antibiotics, but without knowing which bacteria you're fighting it's hard to pick the right one.

+1

Id do a lugols bath then super glue over it. or break the main coral off the base making the cut 1/2-1cm above the recession, then do lugols bath, remount, superglue over any exposed skeleton.