I'm having problems with my Platygyra, can someone help?

[ccorpse27]

I posted this on nano-reef where I usually spend my time but could use some more opinions.

I bought a maze brain a few months ago and most of it seems to be doing well. However, there are some spots of bare skeleton and some reddish algae is starting to grow there. It's in a 20L with a 20L for a sump, 150w mh 10k HQI and 2xT5HO actinic. It's a mixed tank with a hammer coral, zoos, some sps and a gbta. All the other critters are great.

I wonder if there's too much light or something else I need to be doing. Should I try and remove some of the algae or try to shade the coral for a bit? I have to find a camera that works and i'll post a pic.

A poster said that it's not looking good and I really don't want to lose it because I'd feel bad for the animal plus the money loss. My water parameters are fine and all other sps, lps and fish, etc look great.

[Justin74]

Whithout being able to systematically go down the line, I can only speculate. First impression, ya, it might be getting more light than it was use to due to the shallowness of your tank. Another thing speculation regarding the size. Its a pretty big piece, and took some time to grow in that exact formation it presently is shaped in. Being in your system, those conditions are different and some not there all together anymore. The water is slightly different, the light is different, and the flow is certainly different which is the biggest shaper of corals IMO. That being said the direction of growth it was heading in due to light/flow are now different and may not be being stimulated, in turn receding back.

At the present, all you can really do is make sure a moderate current is over the specimen so no more algae can settle on the skeleton. Make sure your phosphates are in check so your not feeding the algae and making it harder on you and your coral to regain health, if not able to moniter closely you may want to consider weekly waterchanges if your not already doing so. Also sweep away any algae that is on the skeleton with your hand or a turkey baster. Corals grow over coraline algae alot faster than micro algae so keep it clean and hope for the best. Worse case scenario an infection develops(brown jelly) you may want to have some Lugols on hand for a dip.

Ideally, clean water and consistant feeding is the best method in my opinion(rotifers, brine, mysid, squid, silversides would all be relished by this coral).

-Justin

[Conesus_Kid]

Justin gave you some good advice.

Mine was quite faded due to getting too much light, even when on the bottom of the tank.

I had to place it under an overhang in the rocks. After doing so, it colored right up.

Good luck!

[ccorpse27]

Thanks for the good advice. It's not so much as faded as it is receded. I'll post an update if things improve.