Please help my SPS!!!

[Lionfan]

Hi guys here is an SPS that has really changed the last few weeks in my display. I have had it for years and it has always looked good, All other SPS are fine parameters all OK. Cal480, ALK 9, and Mag. 1280. T5 lighting and is 3" from the lighting (up high) I will supply before and after photos. Can you give me any info on species and what I can do. I have alot of flow in display. which is 72G barebottom mature tank over 10 years old. 3 fish in display. Feed flake and once a week cyclopeeze. Like I said rest of coral over 40 species SPS and Lps all fine. Here is photo when healthy

[Lionfan]

What it looks like 3 weeks later

[Lionfan]

The only thing I did was I moved this SPS (turned it around) and put it about 1 inch higher but in it's same area. I wanted to get a nicer angle to look at. I can't believe that would be severe enough for it to loose it's color. It has been loosing more and more purple every day and the beige is turning white, Polyp extension is not good.

[2crazyreefers]

I just had the same thing happen with my superman monti. 3 days ago I moved it over about a few inches (same height) and the next day it started bleeching then the next day it was gone. You may want to switch it back. Just my 2 cents.

[mixed_reefer]

Yea if polyps arent extending i would look into moving it. I can believe turning it around could have had that effect, its most likely getting light to areas that had been shaded for some time and it was just too much for it all at once. T5's are no joke, they very well can bleach corals.

[Lionfan]

does anyone know what species of SPS this is???

[murphreef]

looks like a tri color valida... id move it back... once sps get acustomed to a certain spot in the tank and you move it even an inch in your case the flow changes the light changes and it can stress them out causing it to bleach... im not sure it thats the only issue but from what you are describing it sounds like it.... i have a valida that i tried putting high in the tank once and within a week it was bleaching so i moved back to the bottom of the tank where it had been used to and it recovered very fast... make sure also that there are now AEFW's tri colors are one of there favorite foods and i know that they can stress a coral out like that as well.... my opinion is that the move did this

[cwegescheide]

You only feed once a week? I'd also feed more. The more you feed (within reason the better coloration IME). Looks pretty pale even in the first picture.

[Lionfan]

Guys thanks for all your advice. If I see any positive changes I will let you know.

[Lionfan]

murphreef, You were spot on and thank you for telling me about these SPS FLATWORMS. I understand they could be a real plague if not taken care of. I gave pictured coral a freshwater 10second bath and then shook coral, WOW I would say 70 flatworms came off. They are opaque white in color. Easy to see on glass but very hard to see on coral as I just learned. I also saw some eggs on my glass where a few flattys were adhered. The strange thing about this is that I have not introduced anything to my tank for over a year as if maybe they were lying dormant. I don't get it. All of a sudden an outbreak after a stable reef. Thanks again for warning me about them. I have some Blue Torts should I be worried about them. I have a mystery wrasse but he is not a great hunter so tommorrow I will pick up 2 wrasses maybe a yellow and a 6 line.

[Jorgens]

alywas good to see a happy ending. will 6-lines eat said worms? Just curious, I'm having issues as well but I have a 6 line in tank. I havn't seen any worms but reading this makes me wanna go shake something in freshwater..lol

[murphreef]

man im sorry to hear about the issues flat worms can be very troublesome and devistating there are many threads on treating them and how to do it... i know people use some kind of treatment where they do dips on the corals... some are more succesful than others but you have to be very careful its a powerful treatment that many times can wipe out alot of your corals....

do some searching and you will find many threads on these guys... id recommend dipping your corals in a saltwater/iodine dip let them sit a few minutes in the dip blow them off with a turket baster the force really blast them off they will be easy to see... then inspect coral for eggs... they are brown little balls the size of a pen head... ur going to have to try and scrape those off... your going to have to keep doing this for a while to try to get them under control... these guys also like millis so watch for that they dont bother birdsnest, montis, poccis just acros but they can spread quickly....

they can come out of no where like your experience they can sit there for some time before there numbers become problamatic and noticeable to the corals healthy.. dont take it lightly and try to get it taken care off

good luck

justin

[Lionfan]

Thanks again guys, we shall see what my future brings, but I won't just sit and watch it happen, I plan to take action!