What should I do?

[Meloman]

About 3 weeks ago I bought a small Acropora Coral (Neon Color) to add to my tank, It has since turned all white and it looks like there is a very small crab living inbetween the branches. Is this coral dead, since it has turned a bleach white from its beginning color and if so, should I remove it from my reef?

Thanks for your help

 

[kevin25]

If it is totally bleached out than chances are its dead. Leaving it in your tank wont hurt anything, it will just be a decoration. But it will not come back alive.

 

[L and L]

Bleaching means the coral expelled it's zooxanthellae. My acros never bleached... but, my Sarcophyton leather did. It took it a few months to get back to hosting zoo's, but it did get back to health.

I would check your tank parameters and try to see what caused it.

Do you have other acros in your tank?

 

[Meloman]

I believe the reason is waterflow and it falling down(placed it toward the top portion of tank) to keep closer to the lights.

My waterflow is only 3 - Maxijet 900s, in a corner 135gal. My param have always been pretty good. would waterflow kill it.

 

[Meloman]

PS; No other acros in tank, this was my 1st one.

 

[DevilBoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9268593#post9268593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Meloman
I believe the reason is waterflow and it falling down(placed it toward the top portion of tank) to keep closer to the lights.

My waterflow is only 3 - Maxijet 900s, in a corner 135gal. My param have always been pretty good. would waterflow kill it.

I would have placed it lower in the tank, and then let it acclimate to the light that way. and slowly move it up to the desired positon

 

[DrBegalke]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9268593#post9268593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Meloman

My waterflow is only 3 - Maxijet 900s, in a corner 135gal.

not nearly enough flow for a 135g/sps tank.

 

[L and L]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9272619#post9272619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBegalke
not nearly enough flow for a 135g/sps tank.

Well, since this was his only acro, I wouldn't define his tank as a SPS tank. You can place the acro in around the powerheads and receive good circulation and not have 15x-25x turnover flow total in your tank.

 

[supervdl]

The main reason might have been strong light initially. SPS must be slowly moved up in the tank - if you don't you might be lucky and the coral is fine or more often it will be partially or fully bleached.

Start with frags from fellow reefers and get more flow.

 

[L and L]

But, I do agree that if you are going to get more sps corals and corals that need good water motion, you need to get more flow.

You currently have 5x flow.

Sometimes overlooked, but the most important part of water motion is velocity and variability.