Coral Tissue Peeling Off

[Leeroy]

Anyone have any idea as to the reason of this tissue peeling off?

6 days ago I performed a routine monthly water change, 25% of clean NSW, which was heated and alkalinity adjusted prior to water change. 2 days later the coral started to mucus heavily and since then the tissue has started to peel off, up from the base.

I have had this coral for 9 months, and has been in a 6/2/2 tank for the past 3.5 months and has been doing fine.

Water parameters are pH 8.4, Temp 77Ã"šÃ‚°, Salinity 35.5, Calc 460, Alk 10 dkh, Nitrate 5 ppm and Ammonia undetectable.

All other corals seem to be fine, any ideas ?

And also a positive coral id would be great as well.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/IMG_6053.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/IMG_6066.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/IMG_6063.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/IMG_6062.jpg

Regards,

Lee

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

It is a gonipora.

Very difficult coral to keep. There are a small group of people who are keeping them sucessfully, but this is a new development.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

http://www.goniopora.org/

 

[Honigbiene]

agreed goni`s are very tough to keep alive in captivity....

 

[justincognito]

Looks like goniopora polyps but the skeleton looks like diploastea almost. Do you add phytoplankton?
I would do an iodine dip. I've had this happen a few time before. So far i can keep the seperated tissue alive for a couple weeks before it dies

 

[Leeroy]

Thanks, I have had a good look on the goniopora pages, but cannot find a similar one.
I am familiar with goni's (but not an expert) and aware of the difficulty of keeping them, but didn't consider it to be one as this coral doesn't have the polyp extension that goni's do. When the polyps are fully out, they are about 5mm maximum above the skeleton, as in the first photo. Also it doesn't have the 24 separate tentacles on each polyp like the gonioporas do, these seemed more fused together, but the most I've been able to count so far is about 18-20.

justincognito, yes the tank is fed a micro vert food. Also, you've had this happen a couple of times before, was the dip any help and do you have any ideas or theories as to why this happened.

Regards,
Lee

 

[Leeroy]

Here are a couple of close up's.

Lee

 

[justincognito]

Very unusual. The polyps look like really upset Goniopora with tentacles completely withdrawn. But the skeleton doesn't really look like Goniopora. If it is Goniopora it looks like G. polyformis.