Help! Eating base of torch, candycane, and frogspawn!

[Technicorals]

Hello Everyone! For months the bases of my torch, candycane, and frogspawn have been slowly disintegrating, and polyp extention has slowly decreased. I finally caught one of the little jerks to post here in hopes that someone can help me identify. Ive tried dipping with coral rx several times, but these guys are resistant. Thanks for your help!

 

[F i s h y]

No idea what that thing is.

 

[ReefBridge]

Can you include an in magnified image to see scale with something else or is it too small for that?

 

[Technicorals]

This is 80x magnification. If u look closely, u can see a bit of large cell amphidinium dinoflagellates.

 

[MrKlumZ]

Do you have a photo of your euphyllia that is disintegrating? Following. I think I’m having the same issue.

Ive been dipping in Hydrogen Peroxide first. Then 2nd dip in Chemiclean, Iodine, and Amino Acid. Seems to help.

 

[Technicorals]

Bump

 

[F i s h y]

Bump, any additional help on an ID here?

 

[Technicorals]

Bump, any additional help on an ID here?

Hey thanks,

i was still waiting on an answer and surprised that no one knows on these forums. I know there are a lot of professionals on here.

 

[Auto-pilot]

I would say that maybe they are in the sand and if you clean them; any pests left find their way back to the coral reinfecting it. I have a microscope and haven't seen anything like that but have seen similar creatures on coral that is dying. Sometimes I wonder if some of these pests are more opportunistic feeders than the cause of the STN (and they probably don't help). I was having bad coral recession on my large frogspawn coral and found pests on my coral as well as other things when I looked hard enough. Ultimately my problem was solved when I dipped my corals in antibiotics and stopped carbon dosing. Maybe what I'm sharing is irrelevant but I thought I would share it anyways.

 

[F i s h y]

I would say that maybe they are in the sand and if you clean them; any pests left find their way back to the coral reinfecting it. I have a microscope and haven't seen anything like that but have seen similar creatures on coral that is dying. Sometimes I wonder if some of these pests are more opportunistic feeders than the cause of the STN (and they probably don't help). I was having bad coral recession on my large frogspawn coral and found pests on my coral as well as other things when I looked hard enough. Ultimately my problem was solved when I dipped my corals in antibiotics and stopped carbon dosing. Maybe what I'm sharing is irrelevant but I thought I would share it anyways.

I tend to agree about the opportunistic idea... natures clean up crew.

Whats the old saying
correlation doesn't always equal causation

 

[Technicorals]

I would say that maybe they are in the sand and if you clean them; any pests left find their way back to the coral reinfecting it. I have a microscope and haven't seen anything like that but have seen similar creatures on coral that is dying. Sometimes I wonder if some of these pests are more opportunistic feeders than the cause of the STN (and they probably don't help). I was having bad coral recession on my large frogspawn coral and found pests on my coral as well as other things when I looked hard enough. Ultimately my problem was solved when I dipped my corals in antibiotics and stopped carbon dosing. Maybe what I'm sharing is irrelevant but I thought I would share it anyways.

Well seeing as these guys are crawling out of holes in the base of the euphillia, im guessing this isnt the case. I dont think STN presents itself with holes that look like ant caves in the base of corals does it? I thought that was more of a degeneration of the soft tissue. Over the course of months, these holes in the base of the lps get more and more prevalent with these guys crawling in and out of them.

 

[F i s h y]

Can you get pics of the damage to the coral and any additional pics of any creatures climbing out of them?

 

[Technicorals]

Can you get pics of the damage to the coral and any additional pics of any creatures climbing out of them?

Ill see what i can get tomorrow. Im sure ill be able to get a photo of the damaged base, but the creatures are so small i doubt you’ll be able to see even with my macro on the SLR

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Pretty that’s what’s messing with my hammers. I got exact problem you’re having. How did you catch it?

 

[samnaz]

I’m also interested in seeing the damage to the corals that these guys are apparently causing. Hopefully the damage will get us closer to an id!

 

[borillion]

Maybe get it exposed to more eyes? Reddit or even other reefing communities?

 

[Technicorals]

Pretty that’s what’s messing with my hammers. I got exact problem you’re having. How did you catch it?

I sucked it up with one of those coral feeding tubes and put it in a dish. Then sucked it up with a syringe and put it on a microscope slide. By this time it caused lots of damage to the specimen u can see some legs missing.. i found them floating around elsewhere on the slide.

 

[JSully_94]

Maybe try a freshwater dip of your corals impacted?

 

[Technicorals]

Maybe try a freshwater dip of your corals impacted?

Interesting, can you give me more tips? Ill use fresh RODI but for how long? Safe for euphillia?

 

[JSully_94]

Interesting, can you give me more tips? Ill use fresh RODI but for how long? Safe for euphillia?

I’m honestly no expert whatsoever, but it’s the first thing I thought of.
I don’t think you should freshwater dip SPS but I’m unsure about LPS. Maybe someone else will have better insight.
I would probably do something like this as a very last resort...