Surf N' Turf Bleaching With No Fish

[nuxx]

Hey guys, just a quick question.

I had an existing 55 gallon tank that I've had a Surf N' Turf frag for in for a few years.

It is now about 8-9" long with about 10 branches.

I removed the last of the fish from that tank and moved them to my new tank.

The Surf N' Turf is now bleaching at it's base. Around a dime size piece.

Can I turn this around by feeding? If so which food?

Anything else I can try, or once it's starting to bleach it's a goner?

 

[mbingha]

It may be lack of food, but without more information, it's impossible to tell. What are your parameters, and changes in lighting or flow? As long as the coral is still alive it could bounce back.

 

[nuxx]

It may be lack of food, but without more information, it's impossible to tell. What are your parameters, and changes in lighting or flow? As long as the coral is still alive it could bounce back.

Only thing that has changed is a food source.

I have kept half of the tank in the dark to kill off some algae growth on that side of the tank. Overfed before I moved the last fish over.

I also dimmed the lights over the SPS to about 25% less, but have turned it back up.

All the algae has mostly died off now, going to turn the lights back on.

What food would be good to make up for lack of fish?

 

[mbingha]

Before you start dumping food, what are your parameters? If your phosphate and nitrate are elevated you'll likely do more harm than good by adding food. How quickly did you change the lighting, too quickly may have given it light shock.

 

[nuxx]

Before you start dumping food, what are your parameters? If your phosphate and nitrate are elevated you'll likely do more harm than good by adding food. How quickly did you change the lighting, too quickly may have given it light shock.

Nitrate is lower than it's been for years. Haven't checked phosphates, never did in that tank.

Light was an instant change

It seemed like a bullet proof coral over the years though...

 

[mbingha]

By lower, what is it? Also calcium and alk?

 

[mbingha]

By lower, what is it? Also calcium and alk?

No parameters?

 

[nuxx]

PH: 8.1
Alk: 7.6
Cal: 440
N03: ~5 ppm

 

[mbingha]

It doesn't sound like a feeding issue. If you have algae growth you have phosphates and nitrates (coral will feed off these as long as they aren't at toxic levels). Provided you keep the tank stable I think it should make a recovery. It sounds like light shock. I wouldn't feed since it's not currently in an ulns, and feeding could drive more algae growth. Can you post a pic so we can see the damage?

 

[nuxx]

No problem here is a picture:

 

[mbingha]

Yea that's definitely recoverable, just keep a close eye that it doesn't get worse. Great looking euphyllia too!

 

[nuxx]

Yea that's definitely recoverable, just keep a close eye that it doesn't get worse. Great looking euphyllia too!

Thanks!

Just keep everything stable?

Will probably add one more round of fish into that tank before I tear it down.

Maybe some of the wrasse species that like sand.

Last time I'll use that setup as a QT, then move the coral over.

 

[ZON]

Put some lugol's drops at the base near health tissue..will recover soon

 

[mbingha]

Yup. That's what I would do, provided the necrosis doesn't spread. Adding fish should be fine. If it does continue to spread though, I would look into either fragging, a coral dip, or both. I had a stylo that was having some small patches of necrosis (extremely slow recession) and had to dip it it twice before it started healing. Second dip was at double strength as a last resort (about 50% of the coral was affected) and now it has almost made a full recovery and is actually showing some new growth. That was about 2 months or so ago. Good luck!