I was given this dying Caulastrea “Candy Cane” or “Trumpet” coral and was told it had “brown jelly disease.” Although I had seen plenty of corals with “brown jelly”-like substances, I hadn’t had the mass contagion and mortality that some reefkeepers claimed at the time (although since then, I certainly have). I viewed this coral as a good challenge for rehabilitation. Although, without having a microscope back then, I knew I was taking a huge risk.
Note the damage and “brown jelly” on the four polyps. Image dated 14 March 2012.
First, I assessed the dying Caulastrea coral’s overall health, which was quite obvious. Of course, there was nothing I could do for the polyps on the right, so they were fragged off. The other four polyps looked awful. I dipped them in both Coral Rx and Lugols (separate dips) to check/treat for anything. I also used a pipette to gently blow off all “brown jelly” I could, without damaging the rest of the coral. Essentially, I just followed my standard inspection, dip, and quarantine protocols.
The coral would not take any food for several weeks. Instead, I resorted to just removing the “brown jelly” and maintaining water conditions, which worked in this case.
By 20 May 2012, the four remaining polyps had fully recovered. Once it started eating, the road to recovery was very quick.
I can’t say for sure that this was the typical “Brown Jelly Syndrome (BJS),” but it was still nasty. It left the coral quite ill for some time; it took another seven months to create another polyp. I do recommend extreme caution in cases like this, as BJS can cause massive die-off in the aquariums.
To see more amazing rehabilitations of previously dying corals, click here!
I don’t know if it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else experiencing issues with your site.
It appears as though some of the written text on your content are running
off the screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback
and let me know if this is happening to them as well? This
could be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously. Kudos
Thanks for the heads up! But, if there’s an issue, it’s because everything was migrated over to http://www.reefdup.com! This free site is no longer updated; it just redirects to my new site. Thanks for reading!
Question the skeletal structure from the receding polyp that is sharp. Do you want to trim that down and make it flat for the rest of the polyp to have an easier chance to grow over?
Hi Myles! Great question! Yes, that is typically what I do. However, there are always exceptions, especially if trimming could further damage the skeletal structure. In cases where there are skeletal issues (e.g., uneven/insufficient calcification) or extra-thick protrusions in comparison to the remaining skeleton mass, I do not trim, as the pressure exerted may jeopardize the remaining skeleton. There’s a bit more information on this page.