NEED Help! Dying Coral!

[brayden]

Could someone please help me identify this coral and tell me what I can do to help it from disintegrating any more?
My water parameters are stable at: CAL: 475 ppm, temp: 79, Alk: 10, Sal: 1.025, PH: 8.2 and Nitrate, Nitrite and Amonia are all 0. This slowly started happening after I added a 175W Halide to my 130W PC system. I have tried moving it further from the light and it still slowing disintegrates. I have a medium amount of current around the coral. Please let me know if you have any recommendations.

 

[Echidna09]

I can't see a picture. Lots of coral will bleach/die if you didn't acclimate the tank to your new lights.

 

[brayden]

Dying Coral

Dying Coral

 

[brayden]

Lighting

Lighting

I acclimated it for about 5 days by lowering the light each day little by little til it was approx 8 inches from surface. Is this long enough and would the coral still be bleaching even though I added the halide about 6 weeks ago?

 

[brayden]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10740460#post10740460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Echidna09
I can't see a picture. Lots of coral will bleach/die if you didn't acclimate the tank to your new lights.

Do you know what kind of coral it is or what is wrong with it? Did I begin to kill it with lighting?

 

[Echidna09]

I can't give a proper ID. I could give a few possibilities, but someone else would be better for an ID. 5 days is a short acclimation to the new lights. 175 Halide is a lot brighter than 130 PC. I would have done it over 4 weeks. Keep an eye on the coral and possibly an iodine dip would help.

 

[brayden]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10740576#post10740576 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Echidna09
I can't give a proper ID. I could give a few possibilities, but someone else would be better for an ID. 5 days is a short acclimation to the new lights. 175 Halide is a lot brighter than 130 PC. I would have done it over 4 weeks. Keep an eye on the coral and possibly an iodine dip would help.

How do I perform an Iodine dip? Should I go ahead and try it? What affect does it usually have on the coral?

 

[airinhere]

Looks like a pagoda coral. the Halides should not be a problem for it but you might want to try a shortened light period if it starts to bleach out. (The whole thing will start to get visibly lighter in coloration.)

Looking at it, I am guessing you have a coral eating bristleworm on the underside of your coral. Or the coral is too close to another coral and is being stung to death in the affected area. (Remember that many corals let fly with some mighty long sweeper tentacles during the wee hours of the night.)

I really think your coral is not suffering light shock. Even the placement of the damaged tissue is not consistent with the brightly lit portions. Did you maybe handle it by that corner recently?

An Iodine dip is a very good idea. You need to get some Lugols Solution (Iodine for marine uses) and follow the directions for dipping. (directions are on the jar.) Or you could try the Tropic Marin Coral Dip stuff, but I havent used that myself. (I just hear many good things about it.)

 

[brayden]

If I have a coral eating bristleworm on the underside of the coral, is that something I would be able to see? Can I somehow remove it or will an Iodine dip take care of it? I also noticed it starting to disintegrate from all edges now. Thank you for your input.

 

[Packdog]

pink cup pagoda

Looks like a pink cup pagaoda. Moderate lighting requirements and should be kept just off the bottom.


I would determine,,,,maybe at night...if you do have a predator situation as suggested previously. Iodine dip might help.

I'm hardly an expert, but if this gets into a desperation mode where the thing looks like a lost cause....I had success with a galaxia(not saying this will work with all corals) where it was plainly dying. I fragged off the dead part, which was most of the coral, and kept 2 nickel size chunks....they have been flourishing for the last 8 months.


Good luck.

 

[brayden]

When you get rid of the dying part, will the surviving part grow in size or will it stay at the same size that you broke it off? What is the best way to break apart the coral?

 

[kingfisher62]

About a month ago I had a crash from what i believe were too high a temp for a few days while I was on vaca. My beautiful forest green pagoda cup became pale and bleached looking . It took over a month for the color to come back.Did Your temps ever get away from you?

Here are some pics I wish I had a shot of when it was bleached but I was too distraught to take one.