Receding Goniastrea

[cmc5dc]

I've had this coral for almost 2 years but over the last 5 months it has slowly been receding. Tank parameters: 410 ca, 8dkh, 1200mg, 1.025 sg, 80 F temp, no target feed but feed tank cyclopeze, reef chili, brine shrimp, phytoplankton rotationally. Water change @ 10%/month and cannot figure why it is slowly receding. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[DetectiveTofu]

Hm, the dKH and the calcium levels seem a little bit low to me. Not low to the point where anything may really suffer, but you may want to get the calcium up to ~450ppm, and the dKH up to 11-13.

 

[shred5]

Your levels are slightly low but not enough to cause this to happen.. I would bring your dkh up some it may help.

Lots of times when a coral like this recedes it is lack of food when there is no algae encroaching on it.,. Either real food and/or from lighting. I would try feeding it like frozen mysis or frozen cyclopeeze when its tentacles are out, most likely at night. You may want to slowly increase the amount of light is getting in additions to the feedings if the feedings do not help.

Dave

 

[otiso777]

Is that a Galaxea above it? The Goniastrea could be getting stung. Also the green star polyps could be attacking it chemically from below

 

[cmc5dc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11747085#post11747085 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by otiso777
Is that a Galaxea above it? The Goniastrea could be getting stung. Also the green star polyps could be attacking it chemically from below

No that is a plate coral and below GSP, I haven't touched the position in almost 2 years and it was growing initially.

I have been using Polylab for 11/2 yrs., I wipe the glass every 5 days so I most likely don't have the algae/food that this coral needs. I will try feeding cyclopeze and phytoplankton at night when the tentacles are out as you have suggested, I hope that works and let you know the outcome.

Thanks,
Carl