sbustobante
Member
Anyone been able to keep one of these alive for more than a year?
I first attempted a turbinaria (t. patula) in my 10 gal. It was fine and opening up for two months, then started a decline where the polyps didn't open, then appeared swollen like little balloons but did not extend their tentacles. Finally, the coral went into decline, just sort of slowly wasting away. I attributed this loss to the lighting in my 10 - which sucks - but let's not get started on my stupidity for having a 10gal - I know.
Since then I have a 30 gal going and everything in it (frogspawn, green star polyps, organ pipe coral, various zooanthids, mushrooms, yellow polyps, 2 cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, bubble tip anenome, tomato clown, cleaning crew) have been growing and look very happy - except for my pagoda. Once again, it is not opening, and appears to be wasting away - flesh receding from stem, working its way slowly up.
When I first got it, it was red with yellow polyps. The color has changed to bright green now. It was acclimated with lower lights, and moved over the course of two weeks to a high light position in the tank, with good current. It was open and feeding on extra fish food and brine for about two months. Now it's closed all the time.
My water parameters are normal, I add bionic three times a week, feed three times a week, and change water once a month. Lighting is vho with actinics, not sure of the lumens, but it's mighty bright. Filtration is LR and skimmer. One powerhead. Nothing is stinging it.
My books list this as an easy, hardy coral, but I can't seem to keep it going for more than a few months. What am I doing wrong?
I first attempted a turbinaria (t. patula) in my 10 gal. It was fine and opening up for two months, then started a decline where the polyps didn't open, then appeared swollen like little balloons but did not extend their tentacles. Finally, the coral went into decline, just sort of slowly wasting away. I attributed this loss to the lighting in my 10 - which sucks - but let's not get started on my stupidity for having a 10gal - I know.
Since then I have a 30 gal going and everything in it (frogspawn, green star polyps, organ pipe coral, various zooanthids, mushrooms, yellow polyps, 2 cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, bubble tip anenome, tomato clown, cleaning crew) have been growing and look very happy - except for my pagoda. Once again, it is not opening, and appears to be wasting away - flesh receding from stem, working its way slowly up.
When I first got it, it was red with yellow polyps. The color has changed to bright green now. It was acclimated with lower lights, and moved over the course of two weeks to a high light position in the tank, with good current. It was open and feeding on extra fish food and brine for about two months. Now it's closed all the time.
My water parameters are normal, I add bionic three times a week, feed three times a week, and change water once a month. Lighting is vho with actinics, not sure of the lumens, but it's mighty bright. Filtration is LR and skimmer. One powerhead. Nothing is stinging it.
My books list this as an easy, hardy coral, but I can't seem to keep it going for more than a few months. What am I doing wrong?
