Carbon and Brown Jelly disease...

Injoynit · Dec 24, 2019

I have a 2 year old tank and have had the same 3 LPS (hammer, Torch, and Octo) and all have been doing very well for the 1st year. After the first year I decided to stop using carbon as part of my filtration. A few months later I started losing my torch to brown jelly (I'm not able to treat my corals due to them being glued to the rocks, I can only trim). A few months later I started losing my octo and now my hammer is showing it (I trimmed the dead heads off). It then occurred to me that I have not been running carbon. I'm going to start running carbon again to see if it stops the continued spread of the brown jelly. All Parameters are within limits with only the calcium being a little high which I am adjusting.)

Wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this? Or if you have seen any correlation between using and not using carbon.

Thanks

Eagle_Steve · Dec 24, 2019

What else do you have in the tank? Any leathers or other corals that may use chemical warfare? If so, carbon aids in protecting the tank from those toxins. I had to run carbon in my office tank doe to the mix and could tell when the carbon was depleted with how the lps reacted. they would slime up bad and I ended up losing a hammer where I did not change it in time. To think, of it, it did look similar to brown jelly, but not quite the same consistency of bjd.

Flippers4pups · Dec 24, 2019

I've not seen any correlation between GAC and BJD. BJD is directly attributed to bacterial infection.

Dipping in lugol's solution seems to help stop it in some cases. Any tissue that dies should be removed from the tank. If glued down, break lose and treat. If treatment doesn't work, discarding infected tissue/coral may be needed to stop spreading.

Injoynit · Dec 26, 2019

Thanks for the reply's.
Yep, had to break it off the rock and discard the coral was way to fast spreading. Killed heads in only a day.

Do you think that running a UV sterilizer would help prevent BJD?

Vinman · Dec 26, 2019

Injoynit said:
I have a 2 year old tank and have had the same 3 LPS (hammer, Torch, and Octo) and all have been doing very well for the 1st year. After the first year I decided to stop using carbon as part of my filtration. A few months later I started losing my torch to brown jelly (I'm not able to treat my corals due to them being glued to the rocks, I can only trim). A few months later I started losing my octo and now my hammer is showing it (I trimmed the dead heads off). It then occurred to me that I have not been running carbon. I'm going to start running carbon again to see if it stops the continued spread of the brown jelly. All Parameters are within limits with only the calcium being a little high which I am adjusting.)

Wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this? Or if you have seen any correlation between using and not using carbon.

Thanks

Following

Flippers4pups · Dec 27, 2019

Injoynit said:
Thanks for the reply's.
Yep, had to break it off the rock and discard the coral was way to fast spreading. Killed heads in only a day.

Do you think that running a UV sterilizer would help prevent BJD?

No, it's a very localized infection.

Devaji · Dec 27, 2019

BJD sucks as much as ich or velvet... BOOO lost a cpl heads myself.
so if it's bacterial one would think there would be a med for it.
maybe we just have not tried to dip in antibiotics or something. IDK just 100% guessing.

my GF is a vet. (animal not war ) i'll ask and see if she has any ideas. who knows...

MixedFruitBasket · Dec 27, 2019

They're using antibiotic cream on hard corals in Florida to stop a bacterial disease outbreak that is killing them. Has anyone ever tried antibiotic cream in their tank?

Devaji · Dec 27, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
They're using antibiotic cream on hard corals in Florida to stop a bacterial disease outbreak that is killing them. Has anyone ever tried antibiotic cream in their tank?

I was thinkinging something along the same line.

Injoynit · Dec 28, 2019

I'm down to two 8 head hammers and one 2 head torch. I hope I got it all when trying to clean up. Can only wait an see.
Also, changed my carbon to see if it helps keep it at bay.
Anyone know if it stays in the water column even if there are no LPS corals left or if it eventually dies off?? Don't want to add anything else until after I think it is gone.

dburnsworth · Nov 2, 2020

Following. I’m wiped out and don’t want to build back until I know it’s gone

Injoynit · Nov 17, 2020

Follow up: I lost the torch but the hammer survived and has new heads. I started carbon right after I cleaned up the BJD. Have not had it since. But, really no correlation as I did not introduce BJD into the tank to see if the carbon really helped.

I only have the tank with no BJD since then. Who knows, but I'll let everyone know if it comes back again.