Rust growth killing coral

[Riphter]

Hello,
I’ve been fighting a loosing battle verses a rust colored growth that can grow on rocks and sometimes coral. If it starts growing on the coral they die slowly. I can’t find any information online about it and the local reef show says that they have only ever seen it and nothing about what to do. It just looks like dark brown dust. It does not come off with agitation but can be removed with a soft brush. Removing with a soft brush does not change the outcome for coral unfortunately, they still die. I have tried anti fungal medication and furan 2. It slows it but it never goes away. I’m worried anything stronger will just kill the coral anyways. I’ve tested the water almost daily and have had the reef shop test it several times. It is always well within what it needs to be. I am doing twice weekly water changes for the last 3 weeks. I’ve recently started draining the water level low enough to apply some peroxide on the affected areas but it just pops up in another area. At this point I’m worried the coral will die and I will have to scrap the rock and sand and sterilize the tank to start over. Fish and inverts are so far unaffected. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Jaebster]

Pictures speak a thousand words. Please post pics.

...and Welcome!!!

Try to take pictures with white light... most of the times, the blue lights drown out colors for things like these.

 

[Riphter]

Pictures speak a thousand words. Please post pics.

...and Welcome!!!

Try to take pictures with white light... most of the times, the blue lights drown out colors for things like these.

Sorry, I didn’t have any. But I took some for ya. It’s hard to tell on the zoa but it’s growing up it’s stall and keeping it from opening all the way.

 

[Bethany Yates]

It looks like cyanobacteria. Are you using R/O water? Some of the solids in tap can cause a tank to be overrun as well as overfeeding and a skimmer that is not large enough or not running properly. It is toxic and can cause death if there is enough of it. I reccommend siphoning it out with a small siphon tube asap as scrubbing can spread it.

 

[Riphter]

It looks like cyanobacteria. Are you using R/O water? Some of the solids in tap can cause a tank to be overrun as well as overfeeding and a skimmer that is not large enough or not running properly. It is toxic and can cause death if there is enough of it. I reccommend siphoning it out with a small siphon tube asap as scrubbing can spread it.

I am using ro in buckets only ever used for this tank. It’s not cyano. The furan 2 would have wiped that out with ease. I’m not over feeding. There is only one fish, 5 crabs a pistol shrimp and a few snails. I feed one pellet at a time, he eats it then I throw another one in, replete until he stopes eating them. I feed the pistol a small shrimp usually frozen krill every 3 days. It’s a nano tank and i dont use a skimmer. I usually do a weekly 20% water change. The tanks water volume is about 30 gallons after rock and sand. The tank is almost 2 years old. This is my second reef and my smallest one. I’ve had cyano explosions befor and they usually just cover everything and not grow up the stalks of zoas. I use silica/phosphate media only with poly for filtration. 2 500gph power heads and the return pump. The tank has a nice gyre but not to strong. And as I’ve also mentioned it can not be removed with agitation including a siphon. It has to be scrubbed off but just grows back.

 

[Jaebster]

You had mentioned "dust"... does this dust move on it's own? I did notice cyano in your top 2 pictures where theres bubbles. Is that what your talking about?

 

[Hemmdog]

Looks like it’s in need of nutrients. Why do you feed so minimally?

 

[Riphter]

You had mentioned "dust"... does this dust move on it's own? I did notice cyano in your top 2 pictures where theres bubbles. Is that what your talking about?

i can assure you there is no cyano. the tank is coming off of a week cycle of antibiotics. Today was the first clean water change. What looks like bubbles is bubble algae that I tried to siphon off today. It’s there little empty husks clinging on everywhere.

 

[Jaebster]

i can assure you there is no cyano. the tank is coming off of a week cycle of antibiotics. Today was the first clean water change

Hopefully, someone with more experience in pests can help you out.

 

[Riphter]

Looks like it’s in need of nutrients. Why do you feed so minimally?

i didn’t show the fish. how can you say it’s missing nutes... the coral is dying. The brown stuff is killing it. There not open all the way because of this. I didn’t even mention feeding the corals.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Let's explore all avenues. I've had this same rust colored algae in my tank. What are your parameters.

Let's not rule out that it could be these corals are stressed by another factor giving this lagae a stead hold.

 

[Jaebster]

i didn’t show the fish. how can you say it’s missing nutes... the coral is dying. The brown stuff is killing it. There not open all the way because of this. I didn’t even mention feeding the corals.

How long have you had the Zoas? Looks like they still on a frag plug. Can you pry out the coral with frag plug and use a coral dip? I'm thinking the brown specks may be some sort of pest. You didnt answer my question on whether or not they move on their own. It would be great if you had a pipette and microscope to see what the specks are.

 

[Riphter]

Let's explore all avenues. I've had this same rust colored algae in my tank. What are your parameters.

Let's not rule out that it could be these corals are stressed by another factor giving this lagae a stead hold.

1.025 sg
420 cal
1200 mag
10 kh
Ph 8.0 to 8.2 depends on time of day usually
Phosphate is undetectable
Nitrates, nitrites are undetectable
0 amonia

everything else in the tank looks great. Even the other zoas. It’s not until this rust hits them. The first coral to die from it was gsp. I forgot to mention that I tried a 3 day blackout in the beginning.

 

[NS Mike D]

Let's explore all avenues. I've had this same rust colored algae in my tank. What are your parameters.

Let's not rule out that it could be these corals are stressed by another factor giving this lagae a stead hold.

+1

or even a cart before the horse. The stressed corals defense might be down allowing the algae/bacteria to move in.

I am stumped. I have had rust colored stuff in my tank but it was an easily removed dust (likely diatoms).

We can assume it's in the water column and It finds freshly scrubbed rock pretty quickly

How about spraying the rock with purple Rustoleum ? Just kidding.

 

[Riphter]

How long have you had the Zoas? Looks like they still on a frag plug. Can you pry out the coral with frag plug and use a coral dip? I'm thinking the brown specks may be some sort of pest. You didnt answer my question on whether or not they move on their own. It would be great if you had a pipette and microscope to see what the specks are.

they don’t move on there own. Just spread. That zoa is new but this killed an old one first. And then killed another old colony before it hit this one.

 

[NS Mike D]

1.025 sg
420 cal
1200 mag
10 kh
Ph 8.0 to 8.2 depends on time of day usually
Phosphate is undetectable
Nitrates, nitrites are undetectable
0 amonia

everything else in the tank looks great. Even the other zoas. It’s not until this rust hits them. The first coral to die from it was gsp. I forgot to mention that I tried a 3 day blackout in the beginning.

A strain of dinos? When I see 0 Nitrates, coral killers and comes back right away my dino paranoia kicks in


What test kits do you use for the NO3 and PO4.

 

[Riphter]

I have api but the reef store uses salfert. They told me last time that my parameters were excellent.

 

[Riphter]

Here is a colony of scrambled eggs about 4 inches away from the one I pictured before. It’s about 3 or 4 months old and has tripled or more I number of polyps.

 

[Hemmdog]

i didn’t show the fish. how can you say it’s missing nutes... the coral is dying. The brown stuff is killing it. There not open all the way because of this. I didn’t even mention feeding the corals.

I’m talking about the zoa, they look like that when you have undetectable nutrients. I’m trying to help you dude, you don’t need to get snappy.

 

[NS Mike D]

I have api but the reef store uses salfert. They told me last time that my parameters were excellent.

API will read 0's when both are low. Did the LFS give you actual numbers? If Salfert were zeros and they told you that was excellent, never trust their advice again.