SPS spot help please

[BBB]

I bought this frag (cheap) but it has a bare spot on it that now has algea growing in it. My purple tang does not seem interested in it. Any ideas on how to remove the algea without damaging the coral more?

Thanks,
Jeff

http://home.woh.rr.com/sliceofreef/i...t 11-16-02.JPG

[Rick O]

You could try to pick it off with your fingers. Be careful not to damage the coral's tissue though.

[tdwyatt]

I notice that be4 base is neither encrusted and that tu putty/epoxy is not colored with any coralline, what are the nitrate levels in the tank and the lighting for this coral? There are no axial corallites showing either (white growing tips...) I would be concerned at this point if this has been fragged for a while (i.e., long enough for the algae to grow on a piece of bare skeleton...) Unless you have really good conditions for the frag, don't plan on this frag pulling through. Definitely try to tweeze off the algae at this point without touching the coenosarc. Might want to watch after the lights go out and see if there is any polyp extension (this may not occur even in healthy specimens when just transported to a new set of water parameters.

Hope this helps, if the conditions are not priom,. try farming the frag out until the conditions can be improved, then tray with the recovered specimen.

[BBB]

The frag has been in the tank for about 1 1/2 weeks. Nitrates are zero as of last week and lighting is 2 175 watt Ushio's and 4 24" URI VHO actinics. Other frags that have been in the tank longer are growing very well. The two other frags bought at the same time have very good polyp extension. This one has not yet so I was getting worried about it. I will try the tweezer option.

Thanks for the input,
Jeff

[Spanky]

Jeff, I'm a little more radical when it comes to algae growing on corals like that. I take something like a dental tool (pick) and scrape out the entire area, removing a certain amount of skeleton with it. What you want is to take it back past the alga to all clean skeleton and tissue. This works for me 100% of the time.
Another thing I might do to is to cut it right above and below any algae and make two pieces.
If it's growing of the tip of a acro, I just cut the tip off.

Spanks

PS that looks like it either got burned by another coral, laid on something for a while, or a left over finger print from mounting it.

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by Spanky
...What you want is to take it back past the alga to all clean skeleton and tissue. This works for me 100% of the time.
Another thing I might do to is to cut it right above and below any algae and make two pieces.
If it's growing of the tip of a acro, I just cut the tip off..

I concur, best thing to do if you can.

[Martyn]

Hi
I have had this happen many times from doing 1000s of frags.

What I do which sounds dramatic to what has been suggested I get a soft bristle tooth brush out and gently brush off any algae (even if that does not get all the algae off the super glue seals up the algae) then just seal it with super glue going into the healthy tissue by about a mm has always worked for me.

This frag may need more water movement around it.

Martyn

[Spanky]

Martyn

Here's one you'll like. We used to use marine epoxy.

Jerel

[BBB]

After I read Martyn's reply, I looked for my superglue to find it dryed out. That was my next thought, a thin layer of epoxy. You say it will work? maybe I will try that. Thanks guys, you have helped a great deal.



Jeff

[Martyn]

Hi Jerel
I also scrape out dead area's too but always seal afterwards with super glue.
I tried epoxy long ago to hold frags and tried sealing dead area's with it but I found I got some tissue die back not sure if all epoxy's do that.
I found that using Cyanoacrylate I got no tissue die back.

I only use epoxy nowadays for making disk plugs and attaching any disc to rocks if I am keeping in a perment position.
I use an epoxy called Milliput very cheap to buy in bulk.

Martyn

[BBB]

Martyn,

Where do you get the Cyanoacrylate?

Jeff

[Martyn]

Jeff
Cyanoacrylate Is superglue :-)

Martyn

[BBB]

Oh, well that should not be hard to find

Thanks Martyn

Jeff

[Martyn]

Jeff
I just buy it in bulk 2oz bottles cheap.
I live in the UK so can not recomend where to buy it but I would suggest you try a model shop (Model cars boats etc ).

Martyn

[BBB]

If it is just superglue, we have it at most hardware and grocery stores.

Thanks again, great help. I love this forum.

Jeff