Hey guys,
I've been dealing with a nasty outbreak of brown jelly disease in some of my LPS corals. I tried a 30-minute Furan-2 dip but it didn't do the trick.
I had some Clout on hand and figured, why not? I mean, BJD's pretty much a death sentence anyway, so I've got nothing to lose. I know it's super toxic and the label says not to use it with inverts, but I'm desperate.
Yesterday, I dipped the infected coral for 30-40 minutes in a 1-gallon container with 1 tablet of Clout. I used a turkey baster to siphon out all the dead and infected tissue. After the dip, I moved them to separate quarantine tanks.
This morning, I checked on the corals and they're still alive - no sign of BJD. It's too early to tell if it's a complete success, but I'll keep you posted. I might even do a second 20-minute dip tonight to be safe.
Thoughts?
Treating brown jelly disease with clout
Re: Treating brown jelly disease with clout
What type of LPS corals are you treating? I'm curious about the compounds you're using - are they specifically marketed for aquariums or off-label? I've never heard of "clout" before, is it an antibacterial compound? Have you come across this procedure somewhere or is this a trial by fire?
It's great to see you're off to a good start, and I hope it continues that way. Brown jelly disease is often said to be bacterial in nature, but I've never read any concrete scientific papers on it. I did have a run-in with BJ early on in my saltwater journey - I had a favia colony on the sand bed that got infected. I cut off the affected area, dipped the healthy part in a commercial iodine solution, and moved it to an area with better flow and higher light. The remaining portion ended up surviving and growing. I'm not sure what exactly worked - was it the iodine, the improved flow, or just dumb luck?
From my observations, I think providing the maximum water flow suitable for the species might be helpful in preventing BJ. I recall my favia colony looking a bit off before the disease took hold, and it was in a low-flow area. This has led me to believe that BJ might be an opportunistic disease that targets stressed corals. I also think that direct exposure to the sand bed might be a contributing factor, but that's just speculation based on my limited experience.
Best of luck with your experiment, and kudos for taking the initiative to try something new. I hope you'll keep us updated on the results, even if they're not what you're hoping for.
It's great to see you're off to a good start, and I hope it continues that way. Brown jelly disease is often said to be bacterial in nature, but I've never read any concrete scientific papers on it. I did have a run-in with BJ early on in my saltwater journey - I had a favia colony on the sand bed that got infected. I cut off the affected area, dipped the healthy part in a commercial iodine solution, and moved it to an area with better flow and higher light. The remaining portion ended up surviving and growing. I'm not sure what exactly worked - was it the iodine, the improved flow, or just dumb luck?
From my observations, I think providing the maximum water flow suitable for the species might be helpful in preventing BJ. I recall my favia colony looking a bit off before the disease took hold, and it was in a low-flow area. This has led me to believe that BJ might be an opportunistic disease that targets stressed corals. I also think that direct exposure to the sand bed might be a contributing factor, but that's just speculation based on my limited experience.
Best of luck with your experiment, and kudos for taking the initiative to try something new. I hope you'll keep us updated on the results, even if they're not what you're hoping for.
Re: Treating brown jelly disease with clout
Thanks rileyon. I treated 2 gonioporas and one open brain. The product I used is Clout parasite medication - it's a pretty harsh stuff. I've used it before to treat hookworms in discus, and it's always worked, but it really stresses the fish out. I only use it as a last resort.
I came across a news report about a zoo aquarium that used Clout to kill off parasites, and it ended up killing over 100 fish. That's how toxic it is. But I figured, what did I have to lose, right? I'd read that BJD is caused by a protozoa that destroys the outer layer of the coral to feed on the zooxanthellae within. So, I thought, maybe a harsh medication like Clout could wipe out the problem.
As for my results, the open brain didn't make it - it bleached out from the meds, but the BJD was gone. One of the gonioporas is doing well, and it's actually open right now. The other one, not so much - the BJD came back. I think next time, I'll try a smaller dose with more frequent dips.
I also learned that bflintix9ting out as much infected coral flesh as possible is a big help. The infection seems to penetrate deep into the coral, and the decomposing slime protects the disease from the medication. Good flow in the quarantine is a big help too.
I've seen firsthand how aggressive this disease is. If I can give any advice, it's don't wait - quarantine your coral ASAP if you suspect BJD, and treat it as soon as you can. I've seen 4 heads of large torch coral consumed in 24 hours. It's not worth the risk.
I came across a news report about a zoo aquarium that used Clout to kill off parasites, and it ended up killing over 100 fish. That's how toxic it is. But I figured, what did I have to lose, right? I'd read that BJD is caused by a protozoa that destroys the outer layer of the coral to feed on the zooxanthellae within. So, I thought, maybe a harsh medication like Clout could wipe out the problem.
As for my results, the open brain didn't make it - it bleached out from the meds, but the BJD was gone. One of the gonioporas is doing well, and it's actually open right now. The other one, not so much - the BJD came back. I think next time, I'll try a smaller dose with more frequent dips.
I also learned that bflintix9ting out as much infected coral flesh as possible is a big help. The infection seems to penetrate deep into the coral, and the decomposing slime protects the disease from the medication. Good flow in the quarantine is a big help too.
I've seen firsthand how aggressive this disease is. If I can give any advice, it's don't wait - quarantine your coral ASAP if you suspect BJD, and treat it as soon as you can. I've seen 4 heads of large torch coral consumed in 24 hours. It's not worth the risk.
Re: Treating brown jelly disease with clout
Fascinating stuff, Skillster. I had no idea BJD was caused by a protozoan - I'd always assumed it was bacterial. If that's the case, there might be other effective treatments out there. Maybe something like hydrogen peroxide or other anti-parasitic meds could work. Quinine, freshwater dips, or iodine could be worth exploring too. Wouldn't it be great to find something less harsh than clout? Congrats again on taking the risk and experimenting - who knows what we might discover.