Stunner Growth? (Pics)

[ScottB]

I am new to SPS, but not reef keeping. I picked up my first stony ever last week in the form of a Hollywood Stunner chalice, thinking I knew enough. Now a week later I have questions. Is it growing or is it bleaching?

Water is good, with Alk ~10-12 (dosing 2-part), pH 8.1-8.2, CA is 300 and rising (dosing 2-part), temp is 77-78, lighting is Radion XR30w LED at 70% intensity. Coral is in lower third, about 20" from the light.

Here is the piece:

Here is what I assume to be growth, but am worried like a new mother:

Here are a couple of spots that worry me:

This is an eye that has browned out, but I want to believe that I saw this eye consume a piece of flake food.

I have witnessed it taking flake food and fish poop, and appears to be fleshy, particularly around the edges. The spots near the edges in the 3rd photo, I cannot say were not there when I bought it, but I know the one eye/mouth that has turned brown was not. But then, I can't swear that it was an eye either, but I believe it to be.

Anyone have an opinion?

 

[jango]

I don't think the pic's are detailed enough to really see whats going on there. Good looking piece either way.

you might want to try the lps forum though.

 

[ScottB]

I don't think the pic's are detailed enough to really see whats going on there. Good looking piece either way.

you might want to try the lps forum though.

Huh? Color me stupid. Shows you how new at this I really am. I would not have considered a chalice to be an LPS. I always think scolys, bubbles, and frogspawn, and the like. Oh well, off to another forum, to display my ignorance there.

Thanks.

 

[Bobbofin]

Some of my SPS get a blemish or two. They heal over and carry on. Unless something is picking at it or and causing it I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Reefer1225]

White edges is new growth. Brown spots normal blemishes. Nice piece!

 

[dvanacker]

White edges is new growth. Brown spots normal blemishes. Nice piece!

white edges on a chalice is usually not a good thing.

 

[ScottB]

White edges is new growth.

white edges on a chalice is usually not a good thing.

Well then... It's no wonder I am confused.

 

[Reefer1225]

Aren't Stunners Echinophyllias? I have a stunner too. It encrusts like a standard chalice but grows like a cap, well at least mine does. Look up Echinophyllia.

 

[Reefer1225]

I meant Echinopora lamellosa, not Echinophyllia.

 

[acroholicreefer]

SPS and LPS are just a classification. With all classifications, there is a grey area and chalices fall into that area. However, they are best described as LPS corals that behave like SPS corals.

You want to be able to see the tissue on chalices. The new growth on the stunner is very close to the same color of the rest of the tissue. I wouldn't want to see anything white on a stunner but after looking at your pictures, your stunner look healthy to me. Reefer1225 is correct, the stunner does grow like a cap.

 

[ScottB]

So, I should dim the lights or lower the coral?