A couple corals losing tissue...

Shooter7 · #1 08/11/2007, 08:45 PM

Started up a Ca reactor recently, but due to a problem with the regulator, over the course of a couple weeks I lost all my CO2 (5 lb tank) and had to take the reactor offline until I could fill it. Was about a week later that I was able to get it filled. I didn't test during that time, added some kalk water to try and help fill the void, slow drip. Noticed that a couple corals started losing tissue out towards the ends of the branches, including the coral in my avatar. It now has 4 branches with damage out towards the ends. I tested the water and found that while my Ca and Mg had not varied much (Ca 400, down from 420, and Mg stable at 1300), my alk had dropped from where it had been for awhile at 9.6 dKH down to 7.7 dKH. I used B-ionic to raise the alk back up to 9 dKH over a couple days and now have the Ca reactor back online and starting the dialing in process over again. Now, the question is, with this damage on the coral, should I just sit back and wait and see how it does, or does this kind of damage warrant fragging or something? Really don't want to frag it as it is now about 3 or 4 times the size it was in my avatar pic. I don't want to sit back and watch it waste away either if there is a chance I could do something for it.

thanks for any input.

aquarius77 · #2 08/12/2007, 01:03 AM

I would watch it and if it continues then i would take frags.
I hope it turns around for you.

Bebo77 · #3 08/12/2007, 01:07 AM

you may have to start fragging..

Shooter7 · #4 08/12/2007, 01:21 AM

Thanks for the replies.
Picture of the damage as of tonight on this coral:

Bebo77 · #5 08/12/2007, 01:23 AM

id frag those branches at the base... best to do it to save the colony...

aquarius77 · #6 08/12/2007, 02:06 AM

Personally i would watch it very closely and if it advances at all do as bebo suggest.
Keep a good eye on it and cross your fingers, its a beautiful peice. I belive there is hope for it.

Edit:

Is that a stylo? i was thinking it was pocci but im not so sure now that i look at it

Shooter7 · #7 08/12/2007, 09:48 AM

lmao

When I first got this thing, I posted about it in here and there was a little back and forth discussion here, as well as with some of the local reefers, as to what it really was. I don't know that a definitive concensus was ever reached. I know it was sold to me as a stylo, but there was much argument that it was, instead, a pocci.

I will watch it for a short time, but if it keeps advancing, out come the clippers.

thanks for the replies.

wentreefgirl · #8 08/12/2007, 12:21 PM

Looks like alk issues. Did you check the alk level at the time of the problems.

Shooter7 · #9 08/12/2007, 01:18 PM

Like I said, I didn't test the tank immediately after taking the Ca reactor back offline because I had been running a steady alk of 9.6 dKH. I added a slow drip of kalk water and went about trying to find some time to get my CO2 tank refilled. After a few days, I noticed the beginnings of the areas of the coral with no polyp extension. I did not test the first day I noticed it, but when it continued the next day and showed some small white areas, I then tested and found the alk value quoted above of 7.7 dKH. I then spent a couple days bringing the alk back up to about 9 dKH. I now have the Ca reactor back online. Based on the replies here, I'm going to give it a short period of observation and if it continues to worsen, then I'll see what I can do to preserve as much of it as I can. Unless someone else has other suggestions. thanks

Shooter7 · #10 08/13/2007, 08:13 PM

wow, what is up with this coral? As you can see in the pic, even though parts of it were losing some tissue, the rest of it had polyps out and still looking good. Got home today and while the areas of tissue loss haven't really gotten any bigger, the entire coral has its polyps retracted in. Ca 410, alk 9.0 dKH, nothing else out of whack and the rest of the SPS corals in the tank are looking ok. Got out my big magnifying glass and don't notice any pests on it. Haven't really put anything new in there for several months, and those spent weeks in quarantine before I did. I don't get it...what's going on?

rleechb · #11 08/13/2007, 09:04 PM

I don't think you should frag it unless it starts receding to/from the base. It looks nice and healthy w/ the exception of the areas on those branches missing tissue. I bet if you leave it alone, it'll recover.

techrach · #12 08/15/2007, 02:38 PM

I just started keeping SPS and one of mine has similar damage it has not lost any more tissue in several weeks. Can the tissue grow back over the damage or will it have to grow new branches?

dreaminmel · #13 08/15/2007, 04:25 PM

I'm curious what the answer is for that coral being picky myself. Since I started keeping sps I have never been able to keep poci or stylo alive even though all other sps thrive, grow and show great color. I currently have a p. edouxxii type that has been alive since May but I've had others survive for a few months before declining as well...

wentreefgirl · #14 08/15/2007, 04:52 PM

Whats your flow?

Shooter7 · #15 08/15/2007, 05:27 PM

I'd say roughly 33x - 34x tank volume. Mag 12 return pump and a pair of Tunze 6060's.

Today, there is good and bad. There is more extension of the polyps on the rest of the coral, however, there is also involvement of another branch of it with some tissue loss. Nothing real extreme, but some loss nonetheless.

wentreefgirl · #16 08/15/2007, 05:31 PM

I dont know. Maybe someone else will chime in. I think you need more flow. Just 2 tunzes in a 120.

Shooter7 · #17 08/30/2007, 04:00 PM

Ok, need continued input on this situation. Since posting previously there has been some minor continuation of the loss of tissue. Thing is, that picture I posted above is the best that coral has looked since then. It seems like it's trying really hard to hang in there, but you only see partial polyp extension at best, where before it had its polyps out all the time.

I'm looking for suggestions on what to do next. This coral has been in the same spot since last November or so. During that time, it looked great. It was under Ushio 10k's, kalk drip as the only supplement for Ca and alk replacement (and the levels varied), and I had a pair of Seio 1500's along with my returns pushing water. I then had the near simultaneous change of all of these things. The Ushios were replaced with Reeflux 10k lights, the kalk drip was replaced with a Ca reactor, and the Seios were replaced with Tunzes. I had the problem with the significant alk drop after I had to take the Ca reactor offline briefly, but have since had it back online and a steady alk and Ca since then. The Tunzes added a little bit more flow than the Seios and probably more random flow. And then there's the lighting change. My values have been rock solid with a Ca at 430, alk at 9.6 dKH, and Mg at about 1300. Most of the rest of my SPS have been eating this new light and reactor addition up, with significant growth increases.

So, I look at my labs and those seem to me to be in a good range of where I want them and where I would think the coral wants them. The flow has not really changed substantially from when the coral looked great. So that has me wondering if this is a lighting thing? Should I try moving this guy somewhere else? Right now he's pretty low in the tank, about 6 inches from the bottom of a 2' deep tank. He still acts as though he's getting too much light. Should I move him down? Anything else I'm missing? Thanks if you've made it this far through my little book here.

wentreefgirl · #18 08/30/2007, 05:40 PM

You need a mag of around 1400. But I dont think that is the problem. What makes you think it is getting too much light. I might react this way because it doesnt have enough light either. I have 12k 250 reeflux's and mine is sitting up on the top. Any way to say move it up to 3/4 of the way up under the light or maybe in between the two lights and in a spot getting some good bounce off flow. Meaning bounce off the wall and past it. I could very well be unhappy or just needs a change to work its way back.

lvreefer · #19 08/30/2007, 06:00 PM

I've been reading this thread and just caught the part of a lighting change. Was this done prior to the cal reactor failing? What lighting did you switch from? If the lighting did change, is the die off on the side that receives less or more water flow? Also i don't notice any damage around the base, is that correct?

lvreefer · #20 08/30/2007, 06:07 PM

Almost forgot. A spike in CA can cause polyp bailout in Pocilloporidae. I wander if your regulator caused a spike by allowing excess C02 in your reactor or tank. It doesn't have to be elevated too long, less than a couple of hours, to cause issues with this species of coral. I remember a poll that placed the longest thriving specimen at a year. This was out of 30 - 40 specimens in about 20 different reefs.

Shooter7 · #21 08/30/2007, 08:27 PM

Yes, the lighting change was done prior to the issue with the reactor, but only a few days. Switched from aging SE Ushio 10k 250w bulbs to new SE Reeflux 10k 250w bulbs. No other changes in photoperiod or reflectors. The die off is on the side that perhaps might receive a very slightly lower amount of flow, but it's almost the same flow it was receiving when it was looking great. No, no notable damage around the base...yet. Have no idea about any Ca spikes.

Quote:

I remember a poll that placed the longest thriving specimen at a year. This was out of 30 - 40 specimens in about 20 different reefs.

Bummer.....not cool.

Thanks for the input.

Shooter7 · #22 08/30/2007, 08:58 PM

Finally got some time this evening to get a much better look at it and it's definitely starting to lose some more tissue off of it. It had held stable for a week or more, but it's continuing to lose now. Should I start cutting affected branches off of this thing?

mesquite · #23 08/30/2007, 09:15 PM

I would frag the whole colony.

Shooter7 · #24 08/31/2007, 05:17 AM

Thanks.

Anyone else, before I start hacking and chopping? Move up....or down....or at all, make any difference you think, rather than cutting it up?

wentreefgirl · #25 08/31/2007, 08:12 AM

Frag it and place the frags in several different spots in the tank. Some up, down, middle, higher flow, medium flow and lets see which best man will win. Whichever looks better is where you want to keep them. But leave them in one spot for at least 2 weeks to see if they are adjusting to it first before you move it.