Lobo receeding

[travis32]

Hello.. I've got a fairly good mix of SPS, softies, and my favorite LPS...

I have lots of frogspawn growing like weeds. Caps, that won't stop growing, ricordia mushrooms reproducing at their will / leisure. I have 125g tank, 30 gallon sump, I'm running an ATS, skimmer, and have 2 X 250W halides I run for approximately 4-5 hours and 1 400 watt halide (in the middle) that runs for 4 hours.

Temps I let range from 76 to 80 throughout the day and night.

Stats last tested:
Calcium was a little low for the first time - 370
Alk was a little low at 2.5 meq/l. I've since remedied that.. Should be between 3 and 3.5 meq/l now.
PH ranges from 8 to 8.2

Had a hair algae problem that is receding. I've had this awesome pink / red ultra lobo for about 3 months. I noticed today that some of it's flesh is receding. This is the first time I've seen it recede. Just on a lower part of it. The rest of it looks inflated and good. About 1/3 of the 5" lobo is receding and it's skeleton is starting to show. It's on a rock that's in the lower half of the tank. I was thinking of raising it up a couple inches to get the lower half more light. (It's the part furthest from the light that seems to be receding..) And it's on a side, which means it gets indirect light from the middle halide for 3-4 hours, and then gets direct light from one of the 250W halides for about 5 hours.

I was thinking of raising it up and maybe moving it closer to the 400W light so it gets light from both. Any other suggestions?

 

[klepto]

Lobophyllia thrive with regular feedings in my experience. Usually you will see the difference in extension immediately. Try some PE mysis or other chopped seafood.

Your issue could be flow related too. Most of the lobos that I have seen are sensitive to flow and will start receding if the flow is too strong or laminar (mono-directional). Occasionally they will acclimate to higher flow, but in general I think it's best to place them in low flow areas.

 

[travis32]

How do you feed them, I see their mouths (around 4 or 5). But they don't seem to have a way to catch food.. I've fed reef chili, coral frenzy, frozen kril that permeates the water most of my corals love it and fully extend when I do this all the little tentacles come out. But, I don't see any tentacles for the lobo to grab food with, so I haven't target fed it or anything. It's on a low flow side of the tank.

I have a 750gph evo that it's a few inches under. (Hardly any flow for a 125g from these..) I have another 750 pointed at the front of the tank, and then on the opposite side I Have a 1650 gph Koralia power head pointing at the surface of the tank to avoid any one direction currents. I have a torch and some frogspawn that don't like flow so I try to keep the big powerhead pointed at the surface.

I can try target feeding it, but, flow wise, I don't think it would be in any definition of "high flow".... I have 2 colonies of frogspawn behind it against the corner overflow and they are forming new heads constantly. Almost everyweek they have new growth. I would think they have similar requirements to Lobos based on your description.

The only thing I can think of is target feeding. I don't target feed the lobos and maybe I need to be...

 

[klepto]

How do you feed them...
The only thing I can think of is target feeding. I don't target feed the lobos and maybe I need to be...

Exactly, just target feed them. Turn off all flow and use a turkey baster or some stainless steel forceps to place a few pieces of shrimp as close to the mouths as possible.

A light broadcast feeding with Reef Nutrition's Oyster Feast (OF) has worked well in prompting a feeding response for me on countless Lobophyllia. After the coral reacts to the OF, then it should take to larger food items no problem. The OF isn't essential- but it does make life easier. I like to use a baster to "dust" specific corals that need a meal with the OF- rather than just putting products in the water column for a less discriminant broadcast feed.

Hope this answers your question.