Orange digi (SPS) problems

[kkoch]

My Orange Digi was doing great, went dormant (polyps not out) and then started growing again like crazy. At the same time a purple ish red, I believe it was algae, started growing on the plug it was attached to. The coral started turning white at the tip and within a week was completely white. The red-purple algae took over all the digi. Should I remove because of this algae? Is it cyno?

 

[Jpugh73]

Yes

 

[cet98]

yes...it looks like Cyano to me...I would use a turkey baster to lightly blow off the cyano and see if there is any skin left on the coral...if it is all bone white then I would likely just toss it...but if there is any amount of skin and polyps visible I would leave it alone and try to increase the flow around the coral to stop the cyano from forming on it again...

your next step (and it's an important one) is to find the cause of the cyano and stop it from reoccurring...

 

[ostrow]

I never, ever remove an SPS from my tank, because I have discovered that what seems dead the majority of the time is not, and the coral comes back stronger, prettier, and more resistant to problems. It can take time. I have had it take over 8 months to see a polyp return, and then end up with a thriving colony again.

When I say "majority", I mean greater than 75% of instances in which a coral appears entirely dead, no visible polyps anywhere, nasties growing all over it.

 

[kkoch]

Would a peroxide dip kill it?

 

[Helter Skilter]

Yes, everything you put in H2O2 will die.

+1 cet98. I'd start by checking phosphate levels.