jaymoney2
New member
Included is a pic of a "Grape Coral" i have had in the tank for 6 or so months.(sorry it is poor, in the back of the tank and cant get a decent shot of it, i can try to get the tripod out and try for a better pic if it helps)
it used to have 1" polyps on both heads, up until a month ago, when it started getting thinner and shorter. it never was growing, but for some time looked good. I discovered an aptasia that must have been attached to the plug from the LFS and was harassing this coral for quite some time.
Once i discovered this i pulled the coral off the plug and was able to get the aptasia out of the tank without any spreading, but ever since i had the coral out of the tank to remove it from the plug and re-glue it to some live rock one of the heads has been fully retracted most of the time and i get very minimal extension from the other head.
I have played around with placement and found a nice low flow cave with decent lighting, and am starting to see polyp extension on the side that was furthest from the aptasia. I see a little movement from the more damaged side, but it inst very promising.
I was hoping for a more rapid recovery after removing the aptasia, as my nitrates and amonia are zero, i run carbon and GFO constantly, change filter socks twice a week and do weekly 5% water changes. My alk and calc and mag are all at stable and acceptable levels.
my water temp is 76 for the winter and salinity at 1.026
i have some zoas that are spreading and doing well, a xenia and kenya tree, and a torch coral that has been doing extremely well during the same time period.
What else can i do to help this little guy out- any additives or techniques that will help nurse it back to health?
Is there something i should have done differently? (besides recognize the aptasia and remove it sooner)
is there any hope for this coral?
it used to have 1" polyps on both heads, up until a month ago, when it started getting thinner and shorter. it never was growing, but for some time looked good. I discovered an aptasia that must have been attached to the plug from the LFS and was harassing this coral for quite some time.
Once i discovered this i pulled the coral off the plug and was able to get the aptasia out of the tank without any spreading, but ever since i had the coral out of the tank to remove it from the plug and re-glue it to some live rock one of the heads has been fully retracted most of the time and i get very minimal extension from the other head.
I have played around with placement and found a nice low flow cave with decent lighting, and am starting to see polyp extension on the side that was furthest from the aptasia. I see a little movement from the more damaged side, but it inst very promising.
I was hoping for a more rapid recovery after removing the aptasia, as my nitrates and amonia are zero, i run carbon and GFO constantly, change filter socks twice a week and do weekly 5% water changes. My alk and calc and mag are all at stable and acceptable levels.
my water temp is 76 for the winter and salinity at 1.026
i have some zoas that are spreading and doing well, a xenia and kenya tree, and a torch coral that has been doing extremely well during the same time period.
What else can i do to help this little guy out- any additives or techniques that will help nurse it back to health?
Is there something i should have done differently? (besides recognize the aptasia and remove it sooner)
is there any hope for this coral?
