My Bubble Coral won't open up like it did in the store!!!

[MagReef]

No, I only have two other corals, (star polyps and small rock of zooanthids) they are on the total opposite side of the tank. I just read an old article by Brandon and mine sounds exactly like his was described. So by the gest of that thread his was brown slime. So do I just clip those pieces of the skeleton, salt water dip, iodine dip, or what. PLEASE, help me save my beloved Bubbles!!!! (*Note: the bubbles are not coming out where the brown stuff is, right now it is along the outer edges of the spikey pieces that stick up. The bubbles are out in the center and there is no brown in the center.)

[Tangster]

Well this jelly problem is usually caused by some sort of damage to the coral Like a cut that gets infected . The jelly masses feed upon the dying flesh and the toxins that the bacteria release kill the coral rather quickly you should have jumped on it ASAP That is if its is Jelly disease The protozoan Helicostoma nonatum and is a cause and also bacteria's But that’s the cause you want to try a cure O.K heres what you do well it's what I do.

first prepare a well-mixed quart solution of aquarium water containing twelve drops of Lugol’s iodine in a bowl , Then take a clean small bowl or pale then fill the bowl or pale with with aquarium water also and to this I add 15 drops per gallon .
Then take the coral from the tank and use soft brush and the quart of tank water with the twelve drops of iodine and scrub off as much as you can of the jelly , Then I take a small power head or turkey baster filled with the same water an wash the just scrubbed areas over the soaking bowl you mixed that solution then I simply set it in the new bowl of tank water with the 15 drops per gallon and let it set for a 1/2 hr. Then place it back in the tank and if you see the jelly reappear just clean the coral again as needed until it clears up.

hermits and even feeding it the DT's you may have scraped it ? and opend it to the infection But if you do this and its not to late ? it will recover just fine

[MagReef]

ok how much water do i put in each bowl. can you break it down in mickey mouse terms for me or ill screw it up. i dont want to overdue the iodine. i got some iodine at home, im not sure what brand, does it matter. i just bought it at my LFS this weekend or do I need to buy the brand you said? I will do this as soon as I get off work or if I make it on lunch break. Thanks for you help.

[MagReef]

well crap, I got home from work and I got Iodide the other day not Iodine. I picked up wrong bottle by accident. What am I gonna do with this Iodide? Is it like an antiseptic as well? I guess I'll be skipping out of work sometime tomorrow to get some Iodine! Dang it my beloved bubbles better live another day. I see what you mean about the tissue rotting or whatever. This stuff is definently getting worse so I'll be at the LFS first thing tomorrow. It's like having a sick kid, disheartening.

[Tangster]

Originally Posted by MagReef

ok how much water do i put in each bowl. can you break it down in mickey mouse terms for me or ill screw it up. i dont want to overdue the iodine. i got some iodine at home, im not sure what brand, does it matter. i just bought it at my LFS this weekend or do I need to buy the brand you said? I will do this as soon as I get off work or if I make it on lunch break. Thanks for you help.

Take one quart of the aquarium water and you add 12 drops of Lugols iodine this is the washing and cleaning portion and the bowl and solution to do this.

Then in a Second bowl or small bucket that holds about a gallon to this bucket you add 16 drops of Lugols iodine this is the soaking the coral portion of the show


Have any questions ask away also you may have to find the lugols at a Pharmacy or maybe a fish shop ? Kent's sells a little bottle .

[MagReef]

Ok, I did what you said, Tangster, and once the iodine touched the skeleton of the coral, it turned green. The slime stuff I was talking about turned green. Is this just a result of the iodine or was it really green algae? Anyhow, I got my soft tooth brush and brushed the stuff off as much as I could, although the tips appear to be stained green. I also noticed once the bubbles shriveled up, it looked like there was the brown slime stuff closer to the shriveled up parts. So, I gently tried to get that out of there. I don't know if the hurt the coral. I let it soak in the iodine solution and put it back in the tank. That was on Friday or Saturday and I have not seen it come out since. One bubble was trying to come out yesterday. Do you think I will ever see it again, or should I go ahead and write it off?

[MagReef]

Here are two photos. One is my Bubble Coral which has this now green looking algae stuff, maybe like hair algae on the skeleton tips. I have tried scrubbing it off with an iodine solution and letting it soak in the iodine solution, only to end up with the same results. And, my bubble has never fully opened like it did in the store. As you can tell I have a clam and carpet anemone which are doing fantastic. I don't know or understand what is going on with this bubble. I have had it now about 4 months. I don't have any other algae type that I can see in my tank. From the tank picture you can see its position in the tank. Can someone tell me what to do or what is going on.

[amcarrig]

You've got that coral under 520 watts of light in a 75 gallon is that right? Could it be that it's not liking all that light?

[MagReef]

I had it lower in the tank and my LFS said to move it up. I'm confused as to where it should be in the tank, you think I should move it lower? They said it needed strong light and that it should be fine with what I have. I've been looking to get a MH, but haven't found one that doesn't look so bulky seeing as I don't have a hood and just an open top. I'll try putting it lower and see what happens.....I guess.

[MDeth]

I agree with annik. No LPS needs THAT much light

Don't crucify me, but I'd say you could keep SPS where that bubble is :p