fire coral

[twolf316]

I have a piece of fire coral that is starting to get run over by algae. I was wondering if a fresh water dip would be possible, or if it would even help it out.

Thanks,

Tony

[Alice]

Yes, you can try a FW dip. You might want to think aboout an iodine dip as well if the coral is showing any signs of tissue abrasion from the algae. A soft tooth brush and very gentle scrubbing may be in order as well.

I don't know how sensitive your skin is but they don't call it fire coral for nothing and it can really bother some people. You might want to think about gloves!

~Alice

[twolf316]

Thanks Alice,
Would I use the iodine mixed with water? if so what type of ratio. I currently am using Kent's Concentraded Iodine if this helps.

[horge]

Hi Tony,

If it's Kent's standard Lugol's Solution, you'd be using 40 drops to the gallon to make the dip, and dip for no more than 15 minutes at any time. This addresses a lot of pathogenic microorganisms that likely complicate the coral's ill health, but also whacks good bacteria the coral actively 'farms' for food in its mucus.

As far as the algae is concerned: the iodine may have limited effect. Is this really a case of algal encroachment, or of coral tissue recession --with algae merely taking over the vacant real estate?

If it is tissue recession, the issues are almost certainly nutrition and disease.

Getting your coral more nutrition is a given. Coral can and do trap microorganisms in their mucus or with tentacles ('gastrozooids' for Millepora 'fire corals') for ingestion, over and above the nutrition provided by zooxanthellae from lighting.

The iodine interrupts this foodfest, as it decimates any good bacteria being 'farmed' by the coral in the mucus.(Admittedly,'fire' corals are less known for this, and are more focused on grabbing snacks straight from the water).

But if a suspected infection is severe enough to cause severe tissue recession, then you bite the bullet and dip.

So, if you resort to iodine, make sure you also ensure sufficient lighting, and avoid excessive disturbance to the coral as it rebuilds itself and its mucus farm

Good luck,

horge

A description of your lighting, and general setup might or mght not help. Moreso, a detailed description of the symptoms and how they progressed.

[ 03-28-2001: Message edited by: horge ]

[Doug1]

if you do treat the Millepora with an Iodine dip do it outside the tank, often times Io additions can trigger further algae blooms

[tdwyatt]

If you have algae growing on the millepora, do NOT use the iodine unless there is direct evidence of either infection or abrasion. The iodine is like the volume knob on a radio where algal growth is the "sound" that the radio makes. You need nitrates, phosphates. CO2 and light to turn the radio on, but to get the volume knob turned way up, you need iodine (many other trace elements do the same). Many algae store iodine in their cells (certain macroalgae are the major commercial cource of iodine in the Orient, derived by burning the dried algae and isolating the Iodide/iodate from the ash) It would be better to find the reason that the algae is overgrowing your millepora and eliminate the problem rather than use a "shot in the dark" treatment. I have seen both FW dips and Iodine dips recommended for algal overgrowth, but all they do is treat BACTERIAL infections (or prevent them to some degree). Treatment of bacterial infections and prophylactic treatment of cuttings for propagation would be 2 of the few uses of iodine I would recommend in marine husbandry. There are many problems with using iodine, especially if there are not enough consumers of the iodine that ends up in the tank, so be cautious with iodine, best to treat outside the display tank.

I hope your Millepora survives, might be best to move it out of the light for a day or two to an area where the light isn't so intense, check the age of your bulbs also. Red shift often first shows up as algal blooms and overgrowths.