How to keep gha off coral skeletons?

[BristleWormHater]

I'm having this problem with my slower growing corals. My favia frag (or dipsastraea is your fancy) keeps getting algae on the skeleton and the flesh is receiting very slowly in one corner I scrub the algae off the exposed skeleton with a toothbrush, but I can't reach this corner without scrubbing the coral's flesh aswell. My goniapora frag is having the same problem with gha growing on the side of the skeleton, again I brush it off with the toothbrush, but it's hard to do without touching the coral's flesh aswell. I've tried putting my ceriths right beside the skeleton but they turn the opposite way and are no help at, tried the same with my hermits too. I'm wondering if there's a better and more precise and maybe more permanent method?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Here's dome pics after I scrubbed them a few minutes ago
Goniapora

Favia

Heres the slow recession im talking about

Here's some old pics for reference

This is the oldest pic see you can hardly see a few empty spots

 

[BristleWormHater]

Bump

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I don't believe there is a way to keep algae from growing in certain spots besides manual removal and CUC.

My goni looks similar to yours, however there is no algae. My mind goes straight to nutrients. I don't test mine often, but I just tested mine to give you numbers.

Phos: 0.03
Nitrate: 10

These are a bit low for my liking, but I have very limited algae growth. Are yours high?

 

[VintageReefer]

It’s hard. You can try h202 dips. That will kill the algae. Then hope the coral grows over the spot before the algae grows back.

Sometimes you need to repeat this every few days to keep up.

I have the same issue with a moseleya coral. Fell in the sand and was unnoticed for a day and when I picked it up, it was receded where it landed. Algae grew before the coral healed. I tried my h202 dip trick and it reacted very poorly. Seems this coral is very sensitive to it. I will redo the h202 treatment on the receded spot but this time I will spot treat with a small paintbrush

I have successfully done the dip method on goniopora and favia without issue

 

[gbroadbridge]

Here's dome pics after I scrubbed them a few minutes ago
Goniapora

Favia

Heres the slow recession im talking about

Here's some old pics for reference

This is the oldest pic see you can hardly see a few empty spots

Algae does not grow on live coral.

What can happen though, is that algae can grow an a tiny bit of dead coral, then it smothers surrounding coral which allows it to spread as the coral dies.

Best bet is to do a Hydrogen Peroxide dip to kill the algae on the coral, and at the same time introduce herbivores to stop the algae growing back.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I don't believe there is a way to keep algae from growing in certain spots besides manual removal and CUC.

My goni looks similar to yours, however there is no algae. My mind goes straight to nutrients. I don't test mine often, but I just tested mine to give you numbers.

Phos: 0.03
Nitrate: 10

These are a bit low for my liking, but I have very limited algae growth. Are yours high?

I'll test tomorrow and see, but I have been seriously slacking on testing since nothing has been going wrong other than this. Last time I tested my nitrates and phosphates were bottomed out for what its worth and since then I added a fish that I have to feed so I doubt they are still bottomed out, wow I need to test lol

 

[BristleWormHater]

Algae does not grow on live coral.

What can happen though, is that algae can grow an a tiny bit of dead coral, then it smothers surrounding coral which allows it to spread as the coral dies.

Best bet is to do a Hydrogen Peroxide dip to kill the algae on the coral, and at the same time introduce herbivores to stop the algae growing back.

I know it wont grow on live coral, these are still young frags the algae has just been growing on the exposed bits of skeleton. I'm actually wondering if there is stn going on with the favia though, if you look at my pics the rescission started among the coral flesh and spread out, any input on that?
I appreciate the hydrogen peroxide suggestion, is there a pre-made dip I can buy or do I have to make it myself?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Is the dip the most effective peroxide treatment or is there a way I could do this without ripping the coral off the rock?

It’s hard. You can try h202 dips. That will kill the algae. Then hope the coral grows over the spot before the algae grows back.

Sometimes you need to repeat this every few days to keep up.

I have the same issue with a moseleya coral. Fell in the sand and was unnoticed for a day and when I picked it up, it was receded where it landed. Algae grew before the coral healed. I tried my h202 dip trick and it reacted very poorly. Seems this coral is very sensitive to it. I will redo the h202 treatment on the receded spot but this time I will spot treat with a small paintbrush

I have successfully done the dip method on goniopora and favia without issue

Algae does not grow on live coral.

What can happen though, is that algae can grow an a tiny bit of dead coral, then it smothers surrounding coral which allows it to spread as the coral dies.

Best bet is to do a Hydrogen Peroxide dip to kill the algae on the coral, and at the same time introduce herbivores to stop the algae growing back.

 

[VintageReefer]

I know it wont grow on live coral, these are still young frags the algae has just been growing on the exposed bits of skeleton. I'm actually wondering if there is stn going on with the favia though, if you look at my pics the rescission started among the coral flesh and spread out, any input on that?
I appreciate the hydrogen peroxide suggestion, is there a pre-made dip I can buy or do I have to make it myself?

the easiest way is just put the coral in a cup of sw, squirt in hydrogen peroxide (3%) and watch for a minute and see if microbubbles start to form

If no bubbles, add more and stir, watch again. Depending on the amount of water in the cup you may. Need several squirts of hydrogen peroxide until the bubbles start. They will come from the algae and skeleton areas.

Once they start, let it sit for 5 min then lit the coral back in the tank and check back tomorrow. Algae should be dead or weakened.

You can repeat. If you tracked the number of squirts from the first time it makes future dips easier and faster

There is also a product with h202 I will find it for you. It does have a ratio and maybe be easier to use. It’s called coral bubble bath or something like that

 

[VintageReefer]

Is the dip the most effective peroxide treatment or is there a way I could do this without ripping the coral off the rock?

The frag is attached to the live rock?

 

[BristleWormHater]

The frag is attached to the live rock?

Yes I snapped them off the plugs and glued them to the rock a few days after I got them(which was few months ago). They haven't grown onto the actual rock yet though so I could snap them off and glue them again.

 

[VintageReefer]

Yes I snapped them off the plugs and glued them to the rock a few days after I got them(which was few months ago). They haven't grown onto the actual rock yet though so I could snap them off and glue them again.

There is a less effective method without removing from rock

Turn off all flow and use a syringe with pure hydrogen peroxide and slowly slowly squirt the algae with the peroxide. As soon as it comes out it will start to dilute with sw and make the peroxide less strong. So this may take several tries. The goal is the same as using the dip. Algae reacts with hydrogen peroxide and will bubble and fizz. Then you need it to let it continue that for a few minutes and then turn on the water flow again

 

[BristleWormHater]

There is a less effective method without removing from rock

Turn off all flow and use a syringe with pure hydrogen peroxide and slowly slowly squirt the algae with the peroxide. As soon as it comes out it will start to dilute with sw and make the peroxide less strong. So this may take several tries. The goal is the same as using the dip. Algae reacts with hydrogen peroxide and will bubble and fizz. Then you need it to let it continue that for a few minutes and then turn on the water flow again

Yeah.. I think I'll just do a dip then. Thanks!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Yeah.. I think I'll just do a dip then. Thanks!

There are instructions here:

Peroxide dipping guidelines (for corals)

A while back Justin Credabel published this chart detailing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide appropriate for dipping various genera of corals. I've used these guidelines myself a few times to remove algae from coral frags and it's been quite effective. Justin Credabel's hydrogen...

humble.fish

 

[BristleWormHater]

There are instructions here:

Peroxide dipping guidelines (for corals)

A while back Justin Credabel published this chart detailing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide appropriate for dipping various genera of corals. I've used these guidelines myself a few times to remove algae from coral frags and it's been quite effective. Justin Credabel's hydrogen...

humble.fish

Thanks!

 

[BristleWormHater]

@VintageReefer @gbroadbridge Did a 5 minute dip with 130ml of hydrogen peroxide diluted in 1 liter of tank water. Some gha actually fell off during the dip! I scrubbed the coral skeletons and surrounding rock as well!
I'll let you know how the corals do!

 

[BristleWormHater]

Both corals still have some bubbles on them after a few minutes in the tank, should I blow those off with a turkey baster or leave them be?

 

[BristleWormHater]

@VintageReefer How long do I need to wait before repeating the process. The goni looks good now but the favia seems like it will need more dips.

 

[VintageReefer]

as needed I would space apart 2 days just to not over stress the coral

Sometimes one treatment is enough sometimes it takes a few