Bubble coral question?

[GilliganReef]

I just recently purchased a bubble coral. I positioned it on the sand bottom with low flow. It hasn't started to inflate wondering anything is wrong or if this is normal for them to acclimate to a new tank.

Temperature: 79
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia, NH4: 0
Nitrate, NO3: 0
Nitrite, NO2: 0
pH: 8.1
Alkalinity, KH: 9.3
Calcium, Ca: 520
Phosphate, PO4: 0

for date: November 3, 2014

 

[skiwez]

same thing recently happened to.me. put in a new bubble coral. lost all but a few bubbles. essentialy wrote it off as a goner. But.i left the frag in the tank. for some reason about 6-8 weeks later it started growing.

My suggestion would be to maintain water quality as best you and cross your fingers it may pull through. Also don't pull out the frag even if you think there is nothing left. It will suprise you

 

[dirtycontour]

Is that how it looked when you bought it?

 

[GilliganReef]

No when I bought it all the bubbles were inflated and looked nice. It was just purchased maybe 48 hrs ago.

 

[GilliganReef]

Should I try to raise my PH and alk at all?

 

[dirtycontour]

No when I bought it all the bubbles were inflated and looked nice. It was just purchased maybe 48 hrs ago.

It looks like the tissue is receding from the skeleton, which is a bad sign.

Should I try to raise my PH and alk at all?

I wouldn't go messing with params. Sudden changes could make the situation even worse.

Is this a fairly new tank? Are the other corals doing okay?

 

[ReefCowboy]

They are a bit sentimental(lol). They are hardy and although do ok in low light, i found higher lighting keeps them very happy. Flow is the main factor(assuming everything else is in check) that would keep them unhappy deflated.
They are hardy but do not handle swings in ph.
I have three large colonies up high, right under my leds and they have been fine for many months now.

I really appreciate this coral's beauty. Please keep us posted on how your piece does

 

[GilliganReef]

Tank is now over a year old. All my other corals are fine. Just this one is my concern right now. My parameters stay the same except my cal which is high.

I have T-5 HO lunar lighting with ati bulbs. Blue plus and coral plus for bulbs. Which are due for changing next couple months.

 

[kurt_n]

Maybe it's just a bad photo, but it doesn't look like that coral has been healthy for quite a while. Maybe a picture under daylight lights would help, but it appears there is considerable coraline algae on the exposed septa - the white "blades" of skeleton. All of those septa should be covered in tissue in a healthy bubble coral. When the tissue begins to receed or peel off the septa, that's not a good thing. In my experience, it's not normally reversible, but I'd love to be wrong!

I wouldn't go changing parameters around much. Just keep things stable, and cross your fingers.

 

[cloak]

Check this out.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/4/corals

HTH.

 

[GilliganReef]

Apparently when when the Aqua blues are on this is how it looks. When I have my bright on it looks like the original pictures? Should I let it keep adapting to the area or find it shade?

 

[dirtycontour]

I would find it some shade.

 

[ReefCowboy]

Cant really tell, but is that cyano growing sorrounding the fleshy part? If so that needs to be removed

 

[Budman422]

I keep mine under an overhang where it gets indirect light and low flow once it gets aclimated it is a very hardy an often overlooked coral

 

[GilliganReef]

Looks like it starting to adjust to my tank. I went back to my LFS and asked about it. Figured it was just my bright lights that were bothering it. Have it a little shaded area and seems to be doing a lot better.

 

[dirtycontour]

Looks like it's trying to make a comeback. I would carefully siphon that cyano off of the skeleton when you see it. Keep us posted on the progress. Good Luck!

 

[cloak]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before or not, but you might want to drop a few NLS pellets in it's grasp. FWIW, my bubble coral scarfs them down. GL.

 

[GilliganReef]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before or not, but you might want to drop a few NLS pellets in it's grasp. FWIW, my bubble coral scarfs them down. GL.

Actually black Friday I picked NLS food. I tried your advice and my Bubble loved it. It's slowly improving; I rearrange my rock work this week so I could build better shade for it and block some of the flow. Last couple weeks keeps looking better and better.

 

[rockslide123]

I feed my giant(ish) bubble chunks of raw clam, frozen krill it has done well and is up to about 14" diameter when open

 

[lgull1]

I have had one for 14 years and that one does not look good at all. That being said, if it recovers they are very hardy. Just keep it out of the flow area. They don't like high flow. They don't mind high light either but if this one came from a tank with low light then i would say adjust it to our parameters over the coming weeks.