Plate Coral Bleaching?

[rawskyje]

I've owned a small tenacle plate coral for almost 5 months with no problems. I've been thawed mysis once a week. Recently a small pie shaped section has bleached and looks dead. Has anyone had success bringing them back to life or is there anything I should do besides monitor perameters?

 

[raoul]

I don't have any experience bringing them back, I haven't come across this problem yet.

I hope you can bring it back though. Mine is a frag (1/4 of a plate) and it's healing and growing back into a whole one, it's almost half now.

I wanted to let you know though, not to throw out the skeleton if it doesn't make it. I've read some articles, and it's possible for new babies to spring up on the de-nuded skeleton after a while.

Good luck!

 

[gosaints]

do your fish dig? if they are constantly throwing sand on it that could be a problem. the reason i ask is i have seen damsels do this befor.

 

[rawskyje]

Actually, yes. My blue damsel does dig and it does get sand on it from time to time. I recently put a 20 oz. pop bottle top over it to protect it and feed it. It seems to be much "puffier" with this enclosing it. Why does the sand affect this coral?

 

[gosaints]

i really dont know why. i would think being a sand dwelling coral it would be used to having sand on it but i have heard of other people having this problem.

 

[raoul]

It could be similar to trach. brains. It requires energy for them to puff up enough to remove the sand themselves. I've read if they have to do this too much it's stressful and then you see problems.

I don't know if it's the same for fungia or not, it's just a guess

 

[JM68]

Sand irritates the soft tissue on the top side of the plate. If u notice the bottom of the plate that sits on the sand has no soft tissue and when it is open only a very small portion of the soft tissue that does expand from the upper part touches the sand. Even though they like to live in the sand they do not like to have their soft tissue touch it. I would compare it to getting something in our eyes, it irritates its tissue and can damage it.