Bubble Coral Dying???

[teamguthix]

I bought a medium sized bubble coral about a little over a month ago. I brought it home and put it in my 29 gal biocube which is full of other corals like zoas, torchs, stay polpys, duncan, birdsnest... They are all doing very well but my bubble for a while has hardly opened up and when it does the bubbles aren't full out. There is a lot of skeleton showing, some algea growing on it, and purple lines that look like they are the skeleton of it.

I've heard algea is really bad for the bubbles and I have recently just gottan a lot of hair algea. I just ordered a phosphate test and some phosban to fix this.

I tried target feeding mysis shrimp at night when I saw it looked 'hairy' with it's feeding tentacles out but it didn't seem to take it much... Gonna try zooplankton tonight.

Im thinking about dipping itt in iodine however I can't find lugols solution anywhere but I do have normal iodine (45% alcohol)...

My water params are fine- ph,alk,calcium,magnesium,temp,specific gravity are all fine...no nitrites,nitrates,ammonia.

 

[drummereef]

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I would say you definitely have a nutrient problem even if the tests aren't picking it up. There's quite a bit of algae and cyano in the pics which tells me you either have a phosphate, nitrate problem or both. I would guess both since the coral is demonstrating a negative response at the moment. Hopefully you can get it under control in quick order. If you can also post your most recent tests, specific #s are most helpful, that would be great.

 

[teamguthix]

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I would say you definitely have a nutrient problem even if the tests aren't picking it up. There's quite a bit of algae and cyano in the pics which tells me you either have a phosphate, nitrate problem or both. I would guess both since the coral is demonstrating a negative response at the moment. Hopefully you can get it under control in quick order. If you can also post your most recent tests, specific #s are most helpful, that would be great.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Tested the calcium/magnesium/ph/alk/specific grav a few days ago, the nitrites/nitrates/ammonia about a week and a half ago.

Specs:
Temp: 76-77
ph: 8.0-8.1
Calcium: 418
Specific Gravity: 1.025 (going to bring that up slightly next water change)
Magnesium: ~1300 (will double check when home)
Alkalinity: --I forgot, ill check when i get home and edit this but I remember it was 'in the green'--
Nitrate: 0 (will test again when I'm home)
Nitrite: 0 (will test again when I'm home)
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: This is my big concern, don't know yet but like I said I've ordered the test and phosban which is coming in 2 days (Wednesday).

Also, like I said before, it's odd that all of my other corals (elegance, birdsnest, duncans, zoas, palys, torch, frogspawn, hammer, hairy mushrooms) are all doing really well. It seems the bubble is the only one affected by whatever it may be.

 

[teamguthix]

Nitrates and Nitrites are still at 0. Magnesium is 1400 and Alkalinity is about 2.0

 

[sh0rtcake00]

The Alkalinity is a little low should be at least 2.5 meq/L.

 

[rgonzalez]

What about flow? Bubbles HATE lots of flow. I keep mine is the lowest flow area of the tank and also not under direct light.

 

[RA]

You should consider using GFO in a reactor to get your phosphates under control.

 

[teamguthix]

What about flow? Bubbles HATE lots of flow. I keep mine is the lowest flow area of the tank and also not under direct light.

Some people are saying moderate-strong lighting others are saying low lighting... It was in low-med flow and now its in virtually no flow and still not looking any better. Any thoughts on an iodine dip?

 

[teamguthix]

You should consider using GFO in a reactor to get your phosphates under control.

Just got 150g of phosban in the mail today and a phosphate test. Says 0 phosphates, I'm assuming because the algae is taking up all of them but I'm hoping the phosban will help.

 

[rgonzalez]

"Lighting" is a relative term. I have never kept mine under anything lower than VHO's. They're under 250W MH's now and are doing just as fine. I think flow is more important and I also have had better luck with them growing faster in nitrates >10. Now, I'm not recommending you do this because most species do not like >10 nitrates. However, some do like elegance corals.

Give the Phosban a try. Hopefully it helps.

 

[kingfisher62]

Yeah, It does not look well But I rescued one from an lfs . The coral tissue was only nickle size and now it is about 4" across. I was amazed to see the tissue recover the exposed skeleton. So they can come back with some tender loving care. All i can tell you is mine seems to do well with low light and flow!

 

[Beat_You_Wrasse]

I've got one just like it that's melting away too. I can't seem to figure it out. I also have an acan the is not doing well either the problem appears to be related. All my other many corals (soft and LPS) are thriving very well!!!!!

 

[undertai]

Run phosphate remover, I would make my temp around 78 to 79 and calcium should be around 450. Alk I would get to about 8 dkh, after phosphate is under control. Run carbon it will to the the stuff out of your water.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Beat_You_Wrasse]

Run phosphate remover, I would make my temp around 78 to 79 and calcium should be around 450. Alk I would get to about 8 dkh, after phosphate is under control. Run carbon it will to the the stuff out of your water.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Judging by the pictures and the time this thread was created, I would have to assume this bubble coral is long gone by now.

Mine however is in a system with the parameters you specify and continues to melt away. The only other thing that may be causing it, is that I've got about 30ppm worth of trates I'm trying to get control of. The bubble started withering about a month and a half ago as has the acan they are both nearly toast completely while many others that would seem to be less hardy continue to do outstandingly well. I would not consider this to be a begginer coral at all.

I have tried many many things to try to reverse this but with little or no effect.

 

[sqwat]

i have gone threw six bubble to finally get one that is super healthy wich is the most important thing with these lps once healthy they are simple to keep and beautifull.i dont see youe guy recovering any time soon but he can if you keep him in a nutrient algea free tank till he recovers once algea is on those septa it is so hard to kill it but it can happen.try to cut the exposed septa as close to the plolyp with out tearing it this help it get covered by flesh and heal faster use a large straight wire snips and do it in one clean snap no delay or slowly squesing the clippers the can shatter the septa all the way to the polyp.if you need a new bubble the healthiest ones are sold at happ corals .com.he also shipps them perfectly so not so damaged.also make sure the polyp flesh goes atleast 3/4 inches down the base sides not receded right up the the septa wich i see in most pieces.the polyp should cover allmost all of the outside base if not i wouldnt even by it.also if you order a bubble and one or two septa are brocken threw thw polyp clip it like i explained by you add it into the tank this will let them cover the exposed area fast so no algea or crap covers it. i cant stress more about how to cut it with a quick snip no hesatation.also feed samll portions of food regualary not big pieces they love to eat but big pieces are not digested well.also keep alk ,calc and mag in check sometimes the polyp bails gl clip off the black exposed septa on that guy and feed him a good mix of mysis and minced silversides with selcon.i dont think he is healthy enough for live ghost shrimp.also keep a medium current on him ,this should bring him back even if he doesntshow his feeders drop it on him and he will eat

 

[etannert]

Wrasse, I find my LPS to be like magnesium canaries. Mag goes down, LPS start to look bad. What is your mag at?

 

[Beat_You_Wrasse]

Wrasse, I find my LPS to be like magnesium canaries. Mag goes down, LPS start to look bad. What is your mag at?

Thanks for the responses guys.

Mag: 1350
Cal:420
Alk:10.5
Phos.0!
Trates:20-30 on there way down. Never got higher
Ph:8.2-8.3 (stable)
Temp:79-80
Sg:10.25

I buy RO/DI and have never used anything else.

 

[no1bubba]

My bubble coral is doing the same thing. Has anyone else ever clipped off the bare spines?
My first bubble lived for 4 years and then overnight he was gone. That was over a year ago so there isn't anything left in the tank that would be the same. Thanks, Bubba

 

[Beat_You_Wrasse]

My bubble coral is doing the same thing. Has anyone else ever clipped off the bare spines?
My first bubble lived for 4 years and then overnight he was gone. That was over a year ago so there isn't anything left in the tank that would be the same. Thanks, Bubba

I personally have no experience fragging dying corals. I would assume its not a good idea unless you know what is going on with it.

If you had a bubble doing well for 4 years and died overnight, I would say something dramatic had to have happened to cause it like a heavy ph, temp, salinity, swing or salt burns or attacked by another animal or ammonia spike. Something that dramatic should be easily detectable. I know I had a xenia dissapear very fast when I was cleaning my tank and a piece of salt creep feel in and landed on it and literally burned it to a crisp.

I don't know. Thoughs are just my two cents. Mine is still hanging on after about 2 full months of slow decay.

 

[GPB]

I have had no luck with Bubble corals. I have plates, Zoas, Montipora, Seriotopora, Trachyphilia, and all are fine. But everytime I put a Bubble in it slowly deteriorates. It starts with reduced extension and then it just dies back to nothing.