Stn

[xtrstangx]

I got my ORA blue tort a few months back (one of my first SPS pieces). About a month ago, I noticed it has a little white area on the base where there was no color.

I looked at it today and the area has grown a little bit larger. It seems like it would go faster if it was STN.. perhaps the flesh is just bleaching completely??

My calcium is 430 and alkalinity is 4.5 meq/L last time I checked.
pH: 8.1-8.2
Salinity: 1.0265
Nitrates: 0 (been a month since I checked though)

I do weekly 5g water changes. I'm running an ASM G-1X on a 40g tank with 2x175w MH. I have mille's, birdsnest, monti caps, monti danae, green slimer, and other various SPS.

What do you think I should do? Frag off the healthy parts or leave it be and see if it gets bigger this week?

 

[xtrstangx]

These are the best pics I could get of it:

These three show the white area (its pretty much the same shot, just different views):

And heres the rest of the frag.. still happy (and healthy)

 

[xtrstangx]

No one has an opinion on what I should do with this?

 

[wakefreak33]

It is hard to tell exactly what you are trying to show from the pics. It doesnt look like STN to me, perhaps acro flatworms.... but it is really hard to tell from the pics. Acro flatworms leave lighter areas where they have fed on the coral.

 

[Lobster]

Possibly flatworms, but the way its receeding on that one side makes me wonder if its a flow problem. What kind of flow do you have in the tank?

 

[xtrstangx]

2 Maxi-jet 1200's
500-600 from return through 4 Loc-lines

It is a gentle flow everywhere.. It is a bit on the low side, but I tried adding a Seio and it can't work in my system.

 

[Wiggawam]

Looks like it's getting pale but not STN.

 

[xtrstangx]

So just bleached flesh? What do you think I should do? Try getting more flow?

 

[jay24k]

Lack of light might be the issue. If you see it spread more, I'd chop it up.

 

[Lobster]

It's hard to say from the information given - those pics are really blurry. I would still think it's low flow problems.

There's no way to ditch a maxijet and put the seio back?

 

[xtrstangx]

Lobster: I can't mount the Seio to my tank without using the suction cups. I really don't feel safe using the suction cups after all the bad experiences I have had with them.

I'm getting my bigger tank in a month. Do you think it will be fine till then?

 

[xtrstangx]

Alright, I changed one of my Loc-lines to give this coral more flow. Its a low-flow jet (maybe 100-200 GPH), but its shooting right near the base of the coral. So it will bounce off the rock and flow onto the coral. Hopefully this helps.

 

[CaptainDave]

do you have room to do a magnet mount? I sliconed a magnet cleaner to the mounting plate and use that to hold the Seio in place. or, you could so something like this .

Sorry, I don't have anything to add about the coral, although flatworms or insufficient flow both seem plausible.

Good luck!

 

[xtrstangx]

Thanks Captain Dave.. I have done the mounting mod in the link. The way my canopy and return manifold works, there is no room to hang anything on the tank.

I considered doing a magnet, but do you think it is worth it to spend $15 on a magnet for 1 month of use (going to do that mod when I get the 120g). I might have to go to Petsmart tomorrow and get one...

BTW, the Seio's are in my bucket downstairs cooking LR.. I guess I could put a MJ in there instead

 

[CaptainDave]

sure thing. I agree it might not be worth it for a month, but it's SO much nicer if it's going to be a semi-permanent situation.

FWIW, I use the Twister brand magnets. They're fairly cheap, and really low-profile. You can get them from Marine Depot.

 

[CaptainDave]

oh, and by the way, I use the Twister magnets to mount my MJs too. I really, really don't like suction cups

sorry i hijacked the thread.

 

[xtrstangx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6683378#post6683378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CaptainDave
oh, and by the way, I use the Twister magnets to mount my MJs too. I really, really don't like suction cups

sorry i hijacked the thread.

No problem. I think I might go out and buy 2 magnets today. One for my MJ and one for a Seio.

How long should it take for my tort to start to recover its flesh in better flow? If flow was the problem.