Need Quick Help with Favites!!! (pics)

[SteveNMegz]

Hey guys,

we've had this favite for around 4 months now. since we got it we have never seen any sign of tentacles wether its during the day or any hour of the night. we don't know if its just getting to much light, or maybe not enough, or maybe because it hasn't eaten at all (we've tried lots of times and it just doesn't work)

Heres some pics....
The full coral, left side is all wasting away, while the right side which is a bit lower is still puffed up

The left side

The right side

And placement in the tank (tank is 20" deep)

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Nolimdien]

Those bumps on there looks like it's some sort of disease. I'm not sure which one it would be though, trying to look through my books now.

 

[SteveNMegz]

really? we thought the bumps were jsut skeleton showing through from it not being puffed up, Thanks!

 

[Hormigaquatica]

The bumps are the underlying skeleton.

The coral appears to be bleached- has it been that way since you got the piece? My guess is that it bleached out due to some major stressor, which is keeping it from feeding as well. I would try to shade the coral a bit, and just make sure the water quality is good.

Honestly, once they get to that point, they very rarely recover IME, but its worth a shot.

 

[audio101]

What do you feed these btw?

 

[SteveNMegz]

well its been to this state a few times but always comes back, never gains any color and the top it pretty much white, all levels are perfect and a calcium reactor keeps them consistant.

we try to feed it meaty frozen foods by jsut laying it ontop of each mouth but nothing happens ??????

 

[Justin74]

Appears to be too much light, I agree about shading it and see how it responds after a week Turning off the powerheads and trying to spot feed it with some pellets or mysid may help induce a feeding response and hopefully bring it back to health.

-Justin

 

[kev apsley]

tuck it away in a low light/shaded spot in your tank, give it time and see if it will put out feeders at night, if so, then feed it but keep it in that shaded/low light spot until you start to see color and better health...just looks like it's being blasted with too much light, which in turn is bleaching it like stated by Hormigaquatica


most favia/favites tend to like very low light levels, there are some such as the Baby's Breath that like moderate light

 

[SteveNMegz]

if we put it in a cave how would it do with hardly any flow?

 

[seapug]

I think too much light is the problem as well. Looks like you have a nice semi-shaded crevice over there on the right side of the tank. I'd let it hang out there for a few weeks and see if it improves.

 

[kev apsley]

Don't put it in a cave but rather under a overhang or the lowest light level you can find, right now it's sitting on the bottom but exposed to the full light, indirect light is what you want

 

[musty baby]

Probably not the cause, but IF your tank is running at too high a temperature that can also be a bleaching cause.

 

[Scythanith]

I agree on too much light , get into a shaded area and keep trying to feed.

 

[Sheol]

This happened to my Platygyra colony. Too much light & possible too much warmth as the others said.
Not going to add to already given advice, except to definitely try spot feeding.

Matthew