Kenya Tree looks sick - pics included

[llebcire]

I've had this Kenya Tree for about 9 months or so, and it's always done well. It actually started from a very small frag, fragged itself, and has always had a nice bushy appearance.

It has always seemed to close up and droop once or twice a day, but does it so often that I just deemed it normal.

It has looked like it does in the pic for the last 3-4 days and is starting to get a yellowish/brown appearance which I have a feeling isn't a good sign!

Nothing has changed in the tank for months including lighting, photoperiod or its placement.

Params are good, temp fine. You'll see it's frag in the foreground which looks great! I also have frogspawn, multiple sps (milis, acros, digis, etc.), many types of shrooms, Xenia, Anthelia and zoos that all look great.

Today I'm doing a water change, cleaning all of the filters and replacing the carbon to see if this helps.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[tigerarmy40]

possibly too close to the xenia!

[JonK]

Maybe it needs more flow. Use a turkey baster and squirt the coral to see if any "skin" sloughs off. I'm not sure if they develop that like toadstool leathers do but it's worth a try.

[llebcire]

I appreciate the suggestions and will certainly try both!

What's strange is that nothing has changed in months and the other frag is only an inch away (closer to Xenia) and doing fine.

[Nagel]

I'd say the flow. Possibly lax on the water changes made more dissolved organics, and thats the brown "dust" on the coral. Give it a squirt with a turkey baster, and if it comes clean, i would add some flow to it.

They do like medium to high flow, mine really tolerate a good pulsing blast...

[Brooks_McClary]

I have had a LOT of experience with this coral. It is touchy. It likes a flow a lot. It seems to be OK with being crowded. Though mine seemed to be pretty toxic to other corals. especially mushrooms. I have never seen it slough. It is still pretty small. It likes a LOT of light. with good light and good flow it will grow SUPER fast. It got to pest levels in my tank within 6 months after putting off enough frags to fill every reef tank in our county.

Try moving it up onto your rock work into some flow and closer to your lights.

[llebcire]

Thanks for the suggestions and it appears as though it was the flow!

As I investigated, I found that I had a powerhead that needed cleaning and therefore was limiting the flow to that part of the tank.

It has now cleansed itself and perked back up to it's normal self!

Thanks again.

~Eric

[gearqueer]

Hey is that red sea xenai next to the kenya trees? Very nice.

[gearqueer]

i meant x-e-n-i-a.

[llebcire]

Originally posted by gearqueer
Hey is that red sea xenai next to the kenya trees? Very nice.

Just your typical white pom-pom xenia weed.