What can cause a lobophilia to STN?

[AcroSteve]

This has been in my system for years and in this same spot for at lease 1 year. Most likely longer, but I don't keep track.

Anyway, about 5 days ago, I noticed some tissue recession on the back side. It has been continuing to recede at about 1/8" a day or so.

Anyway, right now, my parameters are stable. CA about 400 Alk at about 9 and mag a little over 1200, but earlier in the week, I had a problem with my alk when it spiked to about 11.5. Just a couple of my SPS where affected and I had just very slight amounts of stn on them.

But in all of the times I have had issues with ALK, I have never had any trouble with my LPS. So I am kind of at a loss.

I have not added any new corals or inhabitants since October. The other morning before the lights where on, I noticed a few pods cleaning up the exposed skeleton, but I saw nothing else strange.

I have not target fed my LPS in quite some time, but I did feed some brine at the time I observed the pods. The lower portion of the coral had some short extension of feeder tentacles and did catch some of the shrimp. But, the recession has continued.

Any ideas?

 

[porky]

Hey Steve, it kinda looks like damage I have noticed when a part of the coral is not getting enough light... Was/Is the part of the coral that is receding shaded or partly shaded?
When's the last time you changed your bulbs?

 

[Justin74]

A surrounding shot could help rule out a few things. Kinda looks like it could be possibly a few things like shade as mentioned, a sting from something, no chance of you fraggin stuff then accidentally bumping into to it ? Any hydroids growing on the rock near or under the burn? Did you supplement buff or kalk directly into the tank if so, possibly sediment burn?

The rest of the coral looks fine I suspect a more direct cause, alk ups and downs would effects would be throughout the coral if thats what was bummin it out, so I vote for shaded, or a sting from something.

-Justin

 

[AcroSteve]

I suppose it could be related to shade, but I upgraded to Luminarc reflectors about 5 weeks ago and I think I am getting a lot more even lighting than before. My bulbs are about 10 months old and approaching the end of their life.

Here is the coral as of a few minutes ago, taken with a flash.

Right now, with the lights out, this old photo is the best representation of the area. This one was taken a month ago right after my lighting upgrade. I do see a little shadow on the right rear section of the coral, but the recession is continuing past that area now. I have a very slow growing piorites that can be see above it.

I thought this lobo was a more tolerant of a little bit of shade, but maybe that is the problem. If so, what should I do for the best recovery? Pick a different spot in the rock work, or move it down to the bottom of the tank for a while? Or, frag the Piorites and leave it where it is?

 

[porky]

I would try and give it more light a little at a time.
Fragging the coral above it might be the easiet way to do that...

 

[rxdi]

Check your salt leval and what ever your checking it with have it calibrated. I had the same problem with one I had for years. It ended up that my hydrometer was bad and my salt level was way too high.

 

[AcroSteve]

I will double check my refractometer calibration, but if it is right, I am at 1.025

 

[redFishblue]

In the past, I noticed that some echino frags lost color at the edges and were receding like they had been stung when I raised my alk too quickly.
But they recovered in a few weeks.