Lobo Coral in trouble??

[The Cat Burglar]

Hi - Got a lobo coral approx 4 weeks ago. Was doing fine for 2 weeks but over the last 2 weeks it has begun to receed badly. I had been spot feeding it weekly with reef roids. I have attached a few pics below and would love some advice on how if possible to get this coral back to its normal self. Parameters for the tank tested today;

SG: 1.024
No3: 5/10 ppm red Sea test kit
No4: 0ppm
No2: 0ppm
Cal: 460ppm
Kh: 7.7dkh
Po4: 0ppm
Ph: 8.2

 

[The Cat Burglar]

Sorry folks can't seem to attach any photos at the minute will try later.

 

[stef83]

Hey,

It's in trouble but it can come back.

Try some iodine bath ( 10/15 min in 1 L of water tank + 3 to 4 drops of betadine). It's help mine to recover

+ feed it with small particle with low current.

Stef

 

[steallife904]

guessing to much light and/or flow. salinity could make it unhappy, better to keep at 1.026 or 1.025. I think that Duncan next to it could be touching it and making it mad as well.

 

[The Cat Burglar]

Thank you for the advice guys. On the iodine bath would this be a one off thing or would it need to be done on a regular basis until full health is recovered? It's not something I'm familiar with. On the small food I've started feeding frozen lobster eggs and frozen copeods and covering the coral with a plastic cup to stop fish and shrimp taking the food, you think this is OK or is there something else you would recommend??

I have moved it to the side of the tank, I had originally placed it in the middle of the tank on the sand bed. Hopefully it returns to full health, it was a beautiful piece when I got it from my lfs.

 

[stef83]

For me it's ok for food but feed it during night.

For bath just make some during the receding period. Make one and see if improoving come, wait 1 week and make another.

Stef

 

[The Cat Burglar]

Thanks stef.

 

[steallife904]

I also think it cant hurt to raise your salinity. just my opinion

 

[The Cat Burglar]

I also think it cant hurt to raise your salinity. just my opinion

The coral looks to be puffing back up since I've knocked off a wavemaker I had running and I've been feeding nightly. Just waiting on my iodine dip to arrive (had to order on line, out of stock at the lfs). I'll raise my salinity to 1.025 and see if there is more improvement. Hopefully this will do the trick.

 

[stef83]

Just to give you an idea :

My symphillia in october 2015 (center ) in a bad shape :

And from april 2016 :

Stef

 

[rt67ghy]

Love that natural look to your tank, especially the echinata in the foreground. I lost a couple of lobos. Ate well for a few months and then suddenly stopped eating and lost all their zooaxanthellae before dying. Could never figure out why. I hope yours pulls through.

 

[stef83]

Thx, I lost the green trachyphillia in the first pic.

In the pic we can see the middle is less little, he came back to a big necrosis (allmost center disappear)... to this on photo... and suddenly become little to little, try everything without save him :/

Stef