Question re: recession on coral base

[thepudge]

Hi all, a few weeks ago I got a large acro colony about 7 inches, I have actually seen pretty decent growth in the past three weeks (some tips that broke off are fully healed and growing). Full polyp extension. However, I noticed that the base of the coral is receeding very slowly, like a millimeter a day, and a couple of the very low shaded branches have died. Will this stop at some point, or is it going to get worse until it becomes a real problem?

Nitrates - <5ppm
phosphates - undetectable on salifert, but recently they were higher and I had to add phosban.
alk - ~9
calcium ~400

Thanks!

 

[FastFish720]

Run a search if you can for STN and Acro Eating Flat Worms or AEFW

 

[reefdood]

FWIW the redbugs hit me by starting at the base of one acro I had just put into the tank. Just something to look for. They look like dust specs, best seen with a macro or closeup pic.

 

[thepudge]

I'll check it out, I dont think it is AEFW or red bugs, but I will make sure.. If the coral is STNing due to lack of flow or phosphates, if I correct the problem, will the coral stop STNing? or am I going to have to frag it?

 

[Frankysreef]

Sometimes new additions will stn just because they are not happy in the current environment...

You may have to frag the whole thing up and place the frags all over the tank to save it.

But when the frags grow they will grow already used to you tank parameters.

That is the problem with wild large colonies.... They are used to turbulent ocean conditions.

 

[thepudge]

Nah, it came from someone else's tank.. I guess I will see if it stops on its own and if it continues I will frag and save what I can..

 

[crypticghost]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7833258#post7833258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thepudge
Nah, it came from someone else's tank.. I guess I will see if it stops on its own and if it continues I will frag and save what I can..

But that does not mean it was not wild caught...if its bleaching on the base, it will continue to do so and even if it stops, there is a very good chance that algae will grow on that part and slow start to take over the rest of it...It would be better to just frag it out now...when they grow you will then have multiple table acros which you can trade for some other stuff, as table acros are sought after by many people, including myself. Just frag now. SPS are not like LPS, if something starts to "bleach" or "die", it is alot harder for it to grow back, as opposed to LPS, that usually makes a strong come back and over that dead spot.

 

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7833319#post7833319 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crypticghost
SPS are not like LPS, if something starts to "bleach" or "die", it is alot harder for it to grow back, as opposed to LPS, that usually makes a strong come back and over that dead spot.

My experiences totally contradicts this statement. I have had plenty of sps have some tissue die off, (stung, rtn, low flow, too high flow) and 90% of the time they have regrown, and much faster than lps. I have a brain that lost half its tissue a year ago from a brown jelly infection, and while i was able to halt the brown jelly, the exposed skeleton is still not grown back over.

 

[Neptune777]

I agree with twon8....where some of my SPS suffered some damage they regrow over it rather quickly.

thepudge: Sounds like the right plan....not much else you can do unless you are able to identify an actual pathogen or water parameter that needs attention.

 

[thepudge]

have you ever had an SPS stop receeding from the base? If i can avoid fragging I would like to. I am hoping the receeding is due to high phosphates which have since been taken care of -- if I fix the problem, will the recession stop?

 

[Neptune777]

I recently had a pink birdnest start some STN at the base and it stopped on it's own.......this is not always the case. I find it useful to take a picture daily of the exact spot close up to monitor progress. If it continues to spread then I say Frag it....

 

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7831949#post7831949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thepudge
I'll check it out, I dont think it is AEFW or red bugs, but I will make sure..

---AEFW are nearly impossible to see, so you can't really be sure, you can only see damage and eggs.

If the coral is STNing due to lack of flow or phosphates, if I correct the problem, will the coral stop STNing?

---IME, sometimes it will, but if the bottom isnt' getting enough light it might continue




or am I going to have to frag it?

--- That is up to you, but I would at least break one branch off to keep as a backup.

 

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7833400#post7833400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thepudge
have you ever had an SPS stop receeding from the base? If i can avoid fragging I would like to. I am hoping the receeding is due to high phosphates which have since been taken care of -- if I fix the problem, will the recession stop?

this pink prostrata started to recede a bit, maybe 1", I fragged a cap in front of it, thus allowing more flow, withing a week it had completely healed over.

 

[thepudge]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I know where I stand now, and if the STN gets out of control I will frag.

Thanks again,
Alex

 

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7833496#post7833496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thepudge
Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I know where I stand now, and if the STN gets out of control I will frag.

Thanks again,
Alex

no problem, keep us updated, some pics wouldnt' hurt either.

 

[crypticghost]

None of my stuff that started to recede did not grow back, it was better that I fragged it. and everything that is heathly grows very well. and my LPS grows back very quickly. My anemone landed on two of my LPS and did some pretty good damage, however they recovered very quickly and look awesome...guess I have had a differe expeirence.