This morning, disaster struck - my Frogspawn had a nasty Brown Jelly Infection on the front quarter, about half in. Luckily, my guy caught it before I got home from work, so we jumped into crisis mode. First stop, our amazing LFS - they're always super helpful, and one of the staff is a marine biologist, so I trust her opinion completely. We got pointed towards dosing with Reef Solution to boost the coral's immune system. They also looked for Lugol's, but unfortunately, they were out of stock, so we had to settle for reef dip instead.
I know some people are against removing infected corals, but I decided to take my Frogspawn to a temporary "Pico Reef Coral Hospital" - a 2.5-gallon tank with a deep blue solar flare mini LED, a TopFin Multi-stage Internal filter, and an Aqueon mini heater. I set it up today, and the parameters are looking good - SG 1.025, pH 8.7, KH 10.6, Calcium 440, and all the other readings are spot on.
Before I moved the Frogspawn, the DT parameters were SG 1.025, pH 8.7, KH 6.7, and the rest were fine except for a slight phosphate reading. I did a 40% water change in the Pico, and the parameters are still looking good.
This evening, I did a 1/2 hour dip with 1.5 doses of reef dip, and I also did a syphon "treatment" to get rid of as much bad tissue as possible. It looks worse, but at the same time, it looks cleaner and better. I rinsed it and put it back in the Pico, and I'm planning to dose with Reef Solution every day for the next two weeks.
My questions are - is there anything else I can do to help my Frogspawn? Should I consider fragging it if all else fails? I've never done it before, but I've heard it's possible to revive a coral even if it looks dead. How do I frag a single-head coral like this? Also, how often can I dip it without stressing it out too much? I've read stories of corals making a comeback after months, so I'm hoping for the best.
I'll post some pics soon, and any advice or info would be super appreciated. I really love this coral, and I don't want to lose it.
Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
My Pico Reef Coral Hospital is a 2.5-gallon setup, specifically designed to nurse my ailing Frogspawn back to health. The lighting is provided by a deep blue Solar Flare Mini 3w 6700k LED for mid-day, paired with a 0.25w 460nm moonlight for a more natural day-night cycle. For filtration, I've installed a TopFin Multi-stage Internal filter, rated for a 10-gallon tank, which should be more than sufficient for this temporary setup. A 10w Aqueon mini heater, rated for up to 5 gallons, keeps the water at a stable temperature. The tank itself is bare-bottom with an egg crate rack to provide a safe and stable environment for my coral to recover.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
I'm updating on my Frogspawn's situation and still hoping for any advice or guidance you all can offer. I woke up this afternoon to find a bit more jelly on my coral, but I think it's pretty limited - just thin strips on the already empty side of the skeleton.
I decided to do another dip, making a new solution and using a separate container to avoid any cross-contamination. I only dipped it for about 10 minutes, just long enough to syphon off the jelly. I'm relieved to see minimal new loss of tissue, which makes me a bit hopeful that things might not be getting worse. I've included some pictures of the coral after the dip.
I'm about to test the new parameters, since each dip essentially gives me a 40% water change. I'm wondering if these daily water changes might actually be helping the Frogspawn - maybe it's replenishing any trace elements that might be dropping? I'm still daily dosing with Reef Solution, following the suggested 14-day plan.
If you see anything I'm doing wrong or have any suggestions for what I could be doing differently, please let me know. I'm willing to try anything to save this coral - I just can't sit back and watch it die. Any help or input you can offer is so appreciated.
I decided to do another dip, making a new solution and using a separate container to avoid any cross-contamination. I only dipped it for about 10 minutes, just long enough to syphon off the jelly. I'm relieved to see minimal new loss of tissue, which makes me a bit hopeful that things might not be getting worse. I've included some pictures of the coral after the dip.
I'm about to test the new parameters, since each dip essentially gives me a 40% water change. I'm wondering if these daily water changes might actually be helping the Frogspawn - maybe it's replenishing any trace elements that might be dropping? I'm still daily dosing with Reef Solution, following the suggested 14-day plan.
If you see anything I'm doing wrong or have any suggestions for what I could be doing differently, please let me know. I'm willing to try anything to save this coral - I just can't sit back and watch it die. Any help or input you can offer is so appreciated.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
Tested parameters earlier today - all still stable and the same as before. However, I'm a bit concerned about the specific gravity reading. When I did the water change, I tested the tank SG at 1.025 and the new mix at 1.025, but then I got a reading of 1.031 later on. I'm not sure what happened there.
I immediately removed some water and added fresh, but I didn't think to check the temperature of the new water, and it brought my tank temp down to 65 degrees F. Now I'm worried that my mistake might have caused more stress to the coral.
Despite that, the frogspawn still looks like it's improving - no new jelly and no further deterioration. I'd even say it seems to be slowly bringing its tentacles back out. It's still sunken into its skeleton, but it appears to be reaching back to the edges again.
Does anyone have any ideas about the SG reading, and what effect the temperature drop might have had? I'm really hoping I didn't just make things worse for my coral. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
I immediately removed some water and added fresh, but I didn't think to check the temperature of the new water, and it brought my tank temp down to 65 degrees F. Now I'm worried that my mistake might have caused more stress to the coral.
Despite that, the frogspawn still looks like it's improving - no new jelly and no further deterioration. I'd even say it seems to be slowly bringing its tentacles back out. It's still sunken into its skeleton, but it appears to be reaching back to the edges again.
Does anyone have any ideas about the SG reading, and what effect the temperature drop might have had? I'm really hoping I didn't just make things worse for my coral. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
Update... I came home from work this morning and my heart sank - my coral's got more jelly, and this time it's taken all the remaining tentacle tissue with it. I'm still trying to stay positive, but it's getting tough.
I'm planning to keep up with the daily water changes and dosing the tank with Reef Solution, just in case it makes a difference. I'll be doing another dip later this afternoon - fingers crossed it helps. I've also decided to cut the excess rock and the blackened, destroyed part of the skeleton off, just leaving the still healthy-looking part intact. I know it's a long shot, but I'm giving it a few months to see if it'll come back. I've lost most hope, but I just can't bring myself to give up on it yet. I want to give it every chance it can get. If anyone's got any advice or help to offer, I'm still all ears.
I'm planning to keep up with the daily water changes and dosing the tank with Reef Solution, just in case it makes a difference. I'll be doing another dip later this afternoon - fingers crossed it helps. I've also decided to cut the excess rock and the blackened, destroyed part of the skeleton off, just leaving the still healthy-looking part intact. I know it's a long shot, but I'm giving it a few months to see if it'll come back. I've lost most hope, but I just can't bring myself to give up on it yet. I want to give it every chance it can get. If anyone's got any advice or help to offer, I'm still all ears.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
I think the issue here is that your DT water parameters were a bit off, specifically the kH being at 6.7 with a pH of 8.7 - that's a pretty big discrepancy and I'm guessing that's what caused the problem. What this coral really needs is stable and suitable water chemistry, that's the key to getting it back on track.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
I had read that blunt force trauma is usually what triggers the infection, not necessarily the water chemistry. I'm not saying that's not important, because I know it is, but I'm just trying to understand the cause here. We did have some kh level issues in our dt, but we've been working on bringing it up. Since moving the coral to the pico tank, we've been able to maintain a kh of 7.8 and a ph of 8.5, which I think is a good start. I'm still learning and trying to do everything I can to save this coral, so I appreciate your input. I'll definitely keep working on our kh levels in the dt, thanks for pointing that out.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
It doesn't have to be some complex issue, poor water chemistry, even temperature fluctuations, can cause problems like what you're seeing. I'd look at keeping your parameters stable and within the right ranges, rather than overcomplicating things. I've seen these corals recover from worse situations - they can even pop out of skeletons that appear to be completely dead.
Your pH of 8.5 is a bit high, especially with a relatively low kH. What are you using to dose with? As for your exact kH level, it's not crucial as long as it stays within the 7-12 range. I personally think 8+ is better, as long as it's in the right ratio with your calcium and magnesium levels. Do you dose magnesium and calcium separately, or is there a reason to think the ca/mg ratio might be off?
I'm not trying to pry, I just need more info to give you a better answer. By the way, I have to say, I really admire your dedication to saving this coral.
Your pH of 8.5 is a bit high, especially with a relatively low kH. What are you using to dose with? As for your exact kH level, it's not crucial as long as it stays within the 7-12 range. I personally think 8+ is better, as long as it's in the right ratio with your calcium and magnesium levels. Do you dose magnesium and calcium separately, or is there a reason to think the ca/mg ratio might be off?
I'm not trying to pry, I just need more info to give you a better answer. By the way, I have to say, I really admire your dedication to saving this coral.
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
We're dosing with Seachem Reef Builder in the DT, mainly just to bring up our alk since our calcium levels have always tested within range. I've got a magnesium test on order and should be picking it up from our LFS soon.
I've been keeping a close eye on the pico I set up for my frogspawn, and the parameters have been really stable, but I did notice the KH is a bit low at 7.8 compared to the pH of 8.5. My calcium levels have been holding steady between 400 and 440, so I'm not sure if I should be dosing the pico or not. I didn't think the KH was too low in relation to the pH, but I'm still learning.
I'm not sure if we should be trying to bring the pH down or not. I thought 8.5 was a good level, but I've only been involved with the nano reef for a couple of weeks now. I'm doing daily water changes on the pico to keep everything stable, and I'm dosing it with Reef Solution after each change.
I did have a weird SG spike the other day, and I made a mistake when trying to correct it - I brought the temp down way too low. I felt terrible for putting extra stress on my frogspawn.
My plan right now is to do a big water change on the pico, make a fresh batch of 2.5 gallons, and dip my frogspawn in a separate container to get rid of all the jelly. I'm hoping that by cleaning out the pico and giving my frogspawn a fresh start, it'll have a chance to recover. Any suggestions for going forward would be great - is there anything else I could be doing to help my frogspawn come back?
I've been keeping a close eye on the pico I set up for my frogspawn, and the parameters have been really stable, but I did notice the KH is a bit low at 7.8 compared to the pH of 8.5. My calcium levels have been holding steady between 400 and 440, so I'm not sure if I should be dosing the pico or not. I didn't think the KH was too low in relation to the pH, but I'm still learning.
I'm not sure if we should be trying to bring the pH down or not. I thought 8.5 was a good level, but I've only been involved with the nano reef for a couple of weeks now. I'm doing daily water changes on the pico to keep everything stable, and I'm dosing it with Reef Solution after each change.
I did have a weird SG spike the other day, and I made a mistake when trying to correct it - I brought the temp down way too low. I felt terrible for putting extra stress on my frogspawn.
My plan right now is to do a big water change on the pico, make a fresh batch of 2.5 gallons, and dip my frogspawn in a separate container to get rid of all the jelly. I'm hoping that by cleaning out the pico and giving my frogspawn a fresh start, it'll have a chance to recover. Any suggestions for going forward would be great - is there anything else I could be doing to help my frogspawn come back?
Re: Help with ailing frogspawn in my pico reef coral hospital
I'm glad you've ordered a magnesium test, that's a great step. Assuming your salt mix is balanced, your magnesium levels should be in good shape since you haven't been dosing it. I'm curious, what's the size of your other tank? Smaller systems can be tricky to manage, and I've found that they're always less stable.
I've got to say, I'm a bit surprised by your pH and kH levels in the pico. 8.5 isn't bad, but it is a bit high considering your kH is only 7.8. Usually, you'd expect to see a lower pH in a smaller tank.
I'm a big fan of Seachem Builder, but I'd be careful dosing it in a pico. There's a risk of overdose, and I'd rather play it safe. In smaller systems, I prefer to use a liquid buffer - it's just easier to manage and less likely to cause any issues.
You might want to consider adding a buffer to your top-off water, especially since you're using RO/DI. This will help keep your alkalinity levels stable. As for your pico, I'd be cautious about dosing anything too aggressively. You're already doing daily water changes and dosing with Reef Solution, so I think you're on the right track.
What made you decide to remove the coral from the DT? Were you worried about the infection spreading or something else? How are your other LPS corals doing in the system?
I've got to say, I'm a bit surprised by your pH and kH levels in the pico. 8.5 isn't bad, but it is a bit high considering your kH is only 7.8. Usually, you'd expect to see a lower pH in a smaller tank.
I'm a big fan of Seachem Builder, but I'd be careful dosing it in a pico. There's a risk of overdose, and I'd rather play it safe. In smaller systems, I prefer to use a liquid buffer - it's just easier to manage and less likely to cause any issues.
You might want to consider adding a buffer to your top-off water, especially since you're using RO/DI. This will help keep your alkalinity levels stable. As for your pico, I'd be cautious about dosing anything too aggressively. You're already doing daily water changes and dosing with Reef Solution, so I think you're on the right track.
What made you decide to remove the coral from the DT? Were you worried about the infection spreading or something else? How are your other LPS corals doing in the system?