Need ID Cats Paw?

nate213

Member
I purchased this back in January as a Pink Cats Paw. I was looking at photos today and realized the dramatic change in color. In the store it was under 250w MH, same as I have. What is it, and why the drastic change over the last few months?

 

yosemite sam

Active Member
It is a Stylophora (cat's paw). There are lots of causes for corals to 'brown out'. High nutrients or other water quality issues can cause many sps corals to turn brown.
 

nate213

Member
I check my water quality often. All the normal parameters (trates, trites, PH, amm, calcium, alk, phosphates) look good. Too many nutrients? So should I cut back on feeding? Is "brown out" a good thing or bad?
 

spanko

Active Member
Well the good thing here is that you now have a Sylo without any spots where there was no flesh before and it has encrusted over the frag plug. The "bad thing" is that it is no longer a nice pink color. The pc. is healthy, not sure what to do to get the color back though.
P.S. you might want to suck that bubble algae in the second picture with your siphon hose the next water change though. If it breaks spores will spread throughout the tank and any connected sumpfuge and you will have an outbreak.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3036587
Well the good thing here is that you now have a Sylo without any spots where there was no flesh before and it has encrusted over the frag plug. The "bad thing" is that it is no longer a nice pink color. The pc. is healthy, not sure what to do to get the color back though.
P.S. you might want to suck that bubble algae in the second picture with your siphon hose the next water change though. If it breaks spores will spread throughout the tank and any connected sumpfuge and you will have an outbreak.

Hi Spanko, I saw that algae before in other tanks and I think it looks nice. Why get rid of it?
 

jackri

Active Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3036610

Hi Spanko, I saw that algae before in other tanks and I think it looks nice. Why get rid of it?
Wait until you get 40 million of them covering your rocks, growing in your coral and clogging your pipes

Then ask me again if it's pretty

I'm winning the war on mine -- down to about 10 -15 visible out of a few thousand -- literally.
I have a bright green cats paw... pretty -- nothing like how pink yours used to be though -- sorry about the brown out.
 

nate213

Member
I liked it much better when it was nice and pink. I also figured it was healthy, since it seems to be growing.
Yep, Im battling the bubbles. Got lazy and didnt remove them all when there was only a few. Now I have 40-50. A syringe works well. I suck out the inards and then pull out the skin.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3036665
Wait until you get 40 million of them covering your rocks, growing in your coral and clogging your pipes

Then ask me again if it's pretty

I'm winning the war on mine -- down to about 10 -15 visible out of a few thousand -- literally.
I have a bright green cats paw... pretty -- nothing like how pink yours used to be though -- sorry about the brown out.
All you needed to explain was how fast it would take over a tank. It is pretty. I also saw a bright blue aiptasia...lots of very bad things for fish tanks are pretty. That's their evil little plan on how to take over... That's why I always ask if the "pretty" thing can be kept at all.
edit:
I forgot the smiley face...I am not at all upset with your answer.
 
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