LPS are losing flesh

J

jynx1693

New member
I have lost an elegance and currently my duncans, trach, platygyra, and chalice are losing their flesh slowly. 2 x 48" ecoxotic leds. 1.023 refract 430 calcium dkh 10.5 nitrates/trites 0. Moved to a 150 g from a 75g 6 months ago. Never had had a problem with my 75g. I dosed my 75g calc/dkh daily to maintain ideal water parameters. I thought i outgrew the 75g and moved to the 150g. In the 150g i don't dose because the parameters are ok according to what ive read. I switched to led when i went to my 150g because its 30" deep. Ive tried just about everything that has been suggested to me. the only thing left is to dim my leds to almost nothing. I appreciate any help.......
 
i have lots of zoas and softies. they are doing fine. is it possible the zoas and palys are killing them? there is lots of space between the zoas and lps....
 
If you've ruled out everything else like water, lighting or a pathogen, consider if it might be slow starvation. From what I've read, LPS corals can look great for a long time and still be gradually starving...eventually developing slow recession and eventual death. I recently have also been seeing gradual tissue recession of several of my LPS corals and have to my pleasant surprise seen some significant improvement in several, after starting daily spot feeding. Unfortunately the hair algae is enjoying it too, but that's another story...
 
i have carbon in my fx5. i will try the gfo and swap out one of the other media. this seems like an easy fix. hope it works.
 
drdavethedude said:
If you've ruled out everything else like water, lighting or a pathogen, consider if it might be slow starvation. From what I've read, LPS corals can look great for a long time and still be gradually starving...eventually developing slow recession and eventual death. I recently have also been seeing gradual tissue recession of several of my LPS corals and have to my pleasant surprise seen some significant improvement in several, after starting daily spot feeding. Unfortunately the hair algae is enjoying it too, but that's another story...
Click to expand...

What are you feeding them?
 
MellowReefer said:
What are you feeding them?
Click to expand...

I've tried a number of foods including NLS "Reef Macro Feeder" pellets, but the corals were regurgitating it undigested after a while. Tried PE mysis but it's much too large for most corals. Recently using Hikari mysis (is much smaller than PE) and Hikari "enriched" Brine shrimp. I try to chop them up a bit to create some still smaller chunks.
Before I was spot feeding once weekly, but since noticing multiple corals receding I have been spot feeding daily one or the other with a "Julian's Thing". My Lobo that lost 1/3 of it's flesh stopped receding and is expanding very well. My hammer has rebounded really well too. My caulastrea which was going downhill quickly, from about 20 polyps to 5, has really improved as well since the increased feeding. Not enough time has passed ot actually see new heads forming, but the recession has definitely stopped, and the polyps are much plumper. My other Lobo has not improved as of yet, I suspect largely because it has lost much of it's feeding response and isn't taking in much food...however I'm definitely sold on the idea that LPS corals should be fed regularly, if not daily, to maintain long term. Time will tell. Regards
 
Mag has always been in the 1300 range. Aptasia has really been popping up everywhere lately. Would this have anything to do with it?
 
drdavethedude said:
I've tried a number of foods including NLS "Reef Macro Feeder" pellets, but the corals were regurgitating it undigested after a while. Tried PE mysis but it's much too large for most corals. Recently using Hikari mysis (is much smaller than PE) and Hikari "enriched" Brine shrimp. I try to chop them up a bit to create some still smaller chunks.
Before I was spot feeding once weekly, but since noticing multiple corals receding I have been spot feeding daily one or the other with a "Julian's Thing". My Lobo that lost 1/3 of it's flesh stopped receding and is expanding very well. My hammer has rebounded really well too. My caulastrea which was going downhill quickly, from about 20 polyps to 5, has really improved as well since the increased feeding. Not enough time has passed ot actually see new heads forming, but the recession has definitely stopped, and the polyps are much plumper. My other Lobo has not improved as of yet, I suspect largely because it has lost much of it's feeding response and isn't taking in much food...however I'm definitely sold on the idea that LPS corals should be fed regularly, if not daily, to maintain long term. Time will tell. Regards
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have a frogspawn, hammer and torch that have been slowly receding until each head dies. Funny thing is that I have another torch that I got a few months before the dying one that's doing extremely well. Another frogspawn is doing well but I got that one more recently. I have 3 duncan colonies that look great, one I've had for a few years, but I've heard these are really hardy. I've been feeding only once a week for a long time now. I have algae problems too so I haven't wanted to feed any more.

So a few weeks ago I moved the dying corals into a 20 gal with T5 lights (I have LEDs on my main tank), no skimmer, and feeding them every other day with ON formula 2 small pellets and alternately chopped mysis and a frozen mix. I can't say they look much better yet and I think the frogspawn is a gonner.
 
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