Clear mucus (?) bubble around frogspawn head

Mike.P · Jul 12, 2019

I have a coral QT tank that I've gotten a few pieces for, to get ready, and I'm struggling with frogspawn and Euphyllia in general... This is now the second frag to do this. Starts out great, then recedes, then develops this mucus (I think) bubble around the head. I'll attach some pics. A torch I have is starting to do the same thing.

Is it dead, at this point, should I toss it? Is this some sort of disease? All the other coral in the tank is doing fine. A plate, a bunch of zoas, couple of mushrooms, two different GSP frags are all nice and happy. I would appreciate any thoughts!

ScottR · Jul 13, 2019

It looks to me like it’s dying. I’ve had this happen to me with frogspawn, torch and hammers. They’ll do great and then contract and barely open up. Then the tentacles start falling off. Only happens to my euphyllia for some reason. I also noticed that at that point, they develop a strange smell. Does yours smell?

Jake_the_reefer · Jul 13, 2019

Mine got to the point like your first picture, it ended up a damsel was bothering it, it was hanging on by a thread, is anything attacking and killing it?

ScottR · Jul 13, 2019

Jake_the_reefer said:
Mine got to the point like your first picture, it ended up a damsel was bothering it, it was hanging on by a thread, is anything attacking and killing it?

I agree something could be bothering it. I always checked at night to see if I could see something like a shrimp doing something. Or corals stinging. But couldn’t. Some of my euphyllia have turned around and are doing well now.

Mike.P · Jul 13, 2019

ScottR said:
It looks to me like it’s dying. I’ve had this happen to me with frogspawn, torch and hammers. They’ll do great and then contract and barely open up. Then the tentacles start falling off. Only happens to my euphyllia for some reason. I also noticed that at that point, they develop a strange smell. Does yours smell?

I haven't pulled this one out of the water yet, but the first one did when I went to toss it... It had a pretty distinct "low tide" odor to it.

Jake_the_reefer said:
Mine got to the point like your first picture, it ended up a damsel was bothering it, it was hanging on by a thread, is anything attacking and killing it?

I don't think so... I don't have too much stuff in there right now, so everything is pretty spread out; so it's not other coral stinging it. The fish are in a separate tank, because I'm dosing them with copper. The only thing I have in with the coral are a couple of Astrea snails.

So do you guys think this is just the individual coral dying... Not anything fungal, bacterial, etc.? I want to pick up another cluster tomorrow, this local guy has really good looking frogspawn. I don't want to keep throwing money away though, if it's some sort of disease in my water. lol

And thank you! ;Woot