Open brain help please

[FidgetBridget]

I have had this coral for 4 months and it has been doing great...has grown a lot but about 2 weeks ago I noticed that the fleshy part around the bottom was deteriorating, leaving the skeleton exposed. It has increased daily...this pic was taken today. I checked my water today using my master test kit and a calcium test...everything is perfectly normal except that my ph is a little low. Any help would be greatly appreciated.... This is my favorite coral!

 

[Ohiomom]

Well for one they prefer the sand as the rock work will generally damage the corals flesh..so I would move it.

Secondly has lighting or flow changed?

 

[FidgetBridget]

Well...it was on the LR when I bought it...it is attached...but yes...I did move the powerhead after I added some new LR...any suggestions?

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[consumed corals]

set it on the sand bed and make sure its getting good light/flow more light than flow I have several and they all sit on the sand except for my rainbow trach.

 

[Ohiomom]

Mine likes very little flow..and is on the side of the tank not in direct light path. If the power head is directed at it at minimum change the flow pattern.

 

[FidgetBridget]

I fed it a mysis shrimp tonight...so it is still eating...I will try moving the powerhead back to where it originally was... Thanks for all the tips!

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[Justin74]

LR is so very dangerous to add to an existing system with coral and livestock.
LFS hardly ever keep the rock submerged as well as the unaware hobbyist. When that stuff grows sponges and such and exposed to air for more than a few minutes, it then becomes a few minutes too late and bad news for you when you drop it in. Sponges die when the air gets trapped in there vents, also, just because you dont see sponges, doesnt mean there arent copious micro amounts in the nooks and crannies, let alone good size encrusters just out of sight growing within the rock.

Some times people dont experience this right away because the ammonia spike is quickly consumed if they have a large diverse bacteria load. But regardless it still needs to be processed, meaning it was still in the tank and inevitably doing/done damage.

Let alone LR being sold as LR that hasnt entirely cured..

Sounds like you lucked out though if it's eating. Wouldnt be a bad idea to change out your phosphate and carbon media as well if you havnt already

-Justin

 

[FidgetBridget]

Great info Justin...I did change my filter media...lesson learned!

 

[elegance coral]

You have a Rose coral, Manicina areolata. A very common, and hardy coral here in Florida. Like trachy (open brain corals) and elegance corals, they are attached to solid structures when young. As they grow, they eventually break free of the solid structure and usually end up in the sand. I personally would not attempt to break it off the rock it's on now. In our tanks, with the lack of violent storms, or activities of large animals, they can remain attached for many years.

I honestly can't be sure exactly whats wrong with your coral. I'd look very close around the effected area for a small anemone like aiptasia. The low PH could be an indication that alkalinity is low. Personally, I'd just do a really large water change. Then give it 24 hours and test alkalinity, calcium, and PH.