please help my moon coral

[keitho]

i've had a purple moon coral for about a month now, and i've had a tough time trying to keep him healthy. i've looked and looked and i can't seem to find what the lighting/feeding requirements for this particular coral is anywhere! if anyone has one, please help. the puzzling thing is that my open and closed brains seem to be doing wonderfully, but maybe the moon coral needs less light than i give him now. also, i feed DTs live phytoplankton 3-4 times a week, and i've unsuccessfully tried to feed the moon coral pieces of shrimp and silversides in the past. water parameters are great, lighting is ample (maybe more than ample which might be why i'm having trouble). please help if you can...

 

[saltwatersensae]

What do you consider more than ample light if you think that hes getting too much why don't you place him in a shaded area and if that does not work maybe he's not getting enough light and needs to placed in a high place so is that he gets more light.

 

[up north hermit]

It is not always lighting needs that need to be addressed. Consider water flow needs as well.
I looked up your coral, Diploastrea, and found that it has a high demand for light, and also a high water flow requirement.
There are also two other species of corals commonly known as "Moon Coral", and these are Favia and Favites. Both of these species have the same high light and high flow requirements.
From "Corals: A quick Reference Guide" by Julian Sprung. I highly recommend this book to any reefer. Very comprehensive.
HTH
Hermit

 

[burnnspy]

What are the great water conditions?
I don't recommend purchasing any more livestock you don't have the proper care info on also.
BurnNSpy

 

[keitho]

well, i see it's really easy for some people to throw stones even when they live in glass houses themselves. regardless, i DID do the "necessary research," and it doesn't seem to be correct. my closed brain, which IS a close relative, is doing just fine. to sate those who absolutely MUST have this EVERYTIME...
pH = 8.2
SG = 1.024
temp = 78 F
NH3 = 0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = <10ppm
Cu = 0
P04 = 1ppm
Ca = 450-500 ppm
Alk = >3.6 meq/L
dissolved 02 = 8 ppm
lighting = 2x175W 12000K MH
2x40W actinic 03
100 gallon tank
80 lbs LS
80 lbs LR

 

[fat_ed]

Keith:
It could be that the moon coral is on the receiving end of some chemical warfare b/w the corals. Check to see if any of your other hard corals are hitting it with sweepers at night.
Also, what soft corals do you have in the tank? Some hard corals are particularly susceptible to mucus secretions from soft corals such as Sarcophyton spp. and Lobophytum spp.
If you have a lot of soft corals in your tank. Consider using carbon to remove the mucus from the water, and make sure your skimmer is up to snuff.
If all this checks out, try feeding brine shrimp and/or placing it in an area of milder current. I've read that too strong a current can make these guys unhappy.

 

[keitho]

thanx for the info ed...
i dont think that the chemical warfare is the problem, but i'm not sure. i have some mushrooms in the tank and some star polyps, but all colonies were at least a foot or more away. anyway, i will try to experiment further with the water current...i've already moved the coral to an area of higher current, if that doesn't work, i will try a lower area. the problem i've encountered is that i've read/heard conflicting about how the favites react to hi/lo water currents. thanks for the help...it's very much appreciated.

 

[burnnspy]

My bad, I thought you meant that you couldn't find any info on the moon coral when you stated "i've looked and looked and i can't seem to find what the lighting/feeding requirements for this particular coral is anywhere!" and yes I do need water chemistry info because it is possible for you, me or anyone else to overlook a problem in the water.
Phosphates >0.5ppm may pose a problem for some stony corals.
I recommend a freshwater dip tp preclude protozoans, moderate water flow and a location with moderate lighting(It can then be raised in the tank because they prefer broght light).
BurnNSpy

 

[fat_ed]

np, glad to help -- hope it works out.