Tissue recession

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Flreefer

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
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Location
SW Florida
I have a Hydnophora that was bought as a small frag years ago. It has always done well and grown rapidly in comparison to other similar corals. I believe it to be a LPS, although structure would suggest a SPS, the polyps can get quite large, maybe 3/4" at times.
Months ago I started to notice some tissue recession on an edge that was being shadowed by a Monti cap. I traded out the Monti, thinking this was my problem, but the recession has continued. Over the course of the past few months, it has spread through a lot of the bottom of the coral, and is now stretching into the bottoms of the fingers.
What could be causing this? Can it be reversed? Could too much flow cause this , it being a LPS? Both returns converge in the middle, causing high flow. Flow is disrupted by wave maker though, so it is irregular to some degree.
All tank params are good, although I cannot check for Mag.
Weekly 7.5% PWC with varied reef salts
Sump w/micron sock and skimmer, and seperate sump w/ refugium(Chaeto, Caulerpa, Prolifera)
Any help will be appreciated, thanks
Toby

View attachment 90989

Monti on left will also be removed this weekend.
 
Ok. This coral requires high flow. What flow do you have it under? Also- what's your lighting? I believe these guys need MH lighting as it is an SPS-like coral. Also, what's your calcium at? Do you dose iodine?

Do you target feed it once or twice a week with brine or phyto?

You don't see any brown jelly around the receding tissue do you? You could always do a coral dip on it if you do and scrub away the jelly. I've saved a few corals this way- but you have to do it daily until the jelly goes away.
 
Thanks,
It is in a relatively high flow area. 2 returns converge at mid tank @ appeox 1500gph+ 4 Italian Maxi jet 1200's on waves.
It is top-water under 780 watts of T5, half ATI Blue spec.( 2 months old) half 420/460 actinic ( end of life)
Ca is at 440, pretty stable I
 
Sorry, pocket- send....cleaning pool!
I dose liquid Ca every other day at approximated usage rate.
I feed a live Phyto-based mix, 3 days later, a frozen Cyclopeze& coral food based mix, and so on.
As far as brown jelly... None
Thanks for the help!
 
Maybe try target feeding it with brine when you feed the tank. They are capable of eating larger than cyclopeeze and phyto
 
If you are only adding calcium, I wonder how your alk is holding up. If you are using calcium, there's no doubt you are using alk at a similar pace.
 
Every time I feed I target all corals, and almost every day I target a Tubastrea w/ Mysid and cyclops, with my Copperband( daily on him because he's desimated my pod pop in tank),fuge supports population still, but in the tank they are much more scarce...5 months with him and counting. Still looks great though.
So I would think its getting plenty of food
 
mr_X said:
If you are only adding calcium, I wonder how your alk is holding up. If you are using calcium, there's no doubt you are using alk at a similar pace.

I typically buff once a week with Seachem Reef buffer, which also raises Alk.
Ph stays pretty much at 8.1, except slight .1-.2 diurnal shift.
Alk on yeaterdays test was about a 2.1 Meq/l.... Red sea test kit
I hate to dose with these, but I feel I have too much bioload not to. All coral with a Kole, Yellow, Copperband, and Maroon clown...all about 3-4", in a 180, not many fish at all, but a lot of coral.
Thanks for the help!
 
That's low. Dosing alk once a week is making your parameters unstable. You need to add it as needed. A drip would be best (for calcium also).
If that coral has been in the same place the entire time, I wouldn't think it's flow, especially if it's polyps are extended.
 
I need dosers, I know , but for now I've had to make due. I try to maintain a steady dose of Ca, 1 Tablespoon every other day
I'll check Ph and Alk now, I buffed yesterday. Thought Alk was low too, mainly why I decided to buff.
 
Ph-8.2, daylights just cycled off.
Alk still about 2.2.
What would be the best, economical way to setup doser pumps for Ca and Alk supplementation?
 
You could get a pair of containers (1 gallon or 5 gallon, depending on how often you want to refill them)and a pair of dosing pumps. Put the pumps on timers....say, dose calcium at X amount for 15 minutes at 9:00am, then X amount of alk at 2:00pm, then calcium again at 7:00pm.....etc.
That would work and your biggest expense would be the dosing pumps. BRS has all of the stuff you need.
 
Would a typical 2 part system be appropriate for this? Like the standard part a, part b supplement for Ca and Alk, whatever brand.
Didn't I read in a previous thread that you use
 
Right, thanks for the help. I'm hoping my next one will be a big custom build like that.
So do you think the Hydnophoras problem comes from the inconsistent Ca and Alk? And what can I do to try to help it out? On one side it's receding and right next to it polyps are fully extended. I've also noticed that coralline overtakes the skeleton quickly

View attachment 91337
 
I don't know. It would be alk swings that would concern me. I've seen them ruin tanks. Is it the reason this coral is receding? I don't know for sure. Any sps showing signs of a less than ideal environment?
I would also try to feed it, as mentioned above. It can never hurt LPS.
 
I feed regularly and Montis show good growth, Valida has good color with slow growth, Large LPS look great. Cyphastrea right next to it is spreading well, so It's really just this one. I don't get it. I don't think it could have been stung either. Only thing that could is Candy Cane, but it's about 8-10" away and I've never seen feeders out of it bigger than 2".
I will be looking into a dosing setup, thanks for the input!
 
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