Trachy Help :(

[y4zhuang]

Hi guys,

Params
Alk - 6-7 (I've been dosing to keep at 7)

Rest of Params are great, I picked it up a few weeks ago, then started to expel this black stringy excrement which the tangs took as lunch. The skeleton started showing like the second pic, it would slowly get worse. Also if something is nipping at it, wouldn't the flesh be completely gone? I took it off the sand bed as snails/crabs would craw over it. but that didn't help, it's back on the sandbed but looks like the last pic. There is color but its very receded. Also the raised edges of the skeleton are turning brown, which is not good. Also the small mouth is stretched open it seems.

Could it maybe be the stress of tangs nipping at the black stringy stuff + crab hermit crab traffic be stressing the coral.

I was thinking maybe creating an eggcrate encasement over it to let it heal, if so how long would it take for me to see any improvement. Also I will start feeding it with brine shrimp at night, but this Coral should be able to sustain itself without meaty foods?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Being an $80 coral, would love to save it! thanks

Left to right is a progression.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/kroz5lmsmo7kue0/YjSQrLqT8M

 

[Percher]

If you turn off your pumps and put some small pieces of thawed meaty food on it will it feed at all?

 

[ItzJustinN]

Problem:

Alk - 6-7 (I've been dosing to keep at 7)

bump kh up to 9

you are further stressing the coral by letting alk swing that low.

i also wouldnt be surprised if the hermits have been eating tissue of the coral as its been dying.
hermits will eat coral tissue to the point they are nipping at healthy tissue.

 

[y4zhuang]

I tried feeding it, no response, the food was pretty close to its mouth. Been like that for 5 min, i will try and slowly raise dkh to 9. I have all types of LPS and they all look great. I have created a cage out of eggcraft. As it seems now, nothing can get in. We'll see if it looks better in a week