Scolymia-Major change for the worse..Please help

[ifirefight]

Originally Posted by dkw27
I work so hard to make sure everyone is happy, coral and fish alike...I don't know what else to do...I feed a variety of good foods, do water changes every week and do my best to keep the water levels right where they should be....It's just frustrating when you see one of your favorite corals completely change its color and fullness...I'm thinking it must be the lighting, the trouble began when I replaced the 24" light with a 48"....
That might actually be the problem.... Did you light acclimate it or did you just change the fixture and continue to run the same hours as with the old light??? Especially if it was an upgrade in wattage. IMO thats what yours looks like...it looks more due to light and less to do with water quality. My 2 cents.

 

[nietzsche]

its bleached. the exact thing happened in my tank with a trachyphyllia geoffroyi and when i gave it to my friend it turned out to be the best looking brain i gave away. it went from a tank with 250w of metal halide in a 28 to a tank with 70w mh. i just think my tank was too much for it with the lighting. it regained all the nice green and tan colors

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by ifirefight
That might actually be the problem.... Did you light acclimate it or did you just change the fixture and continue to run the same hours as with the old light??? Especially if it was an upgrade in wattage. IMO thats what yours looks like...it looks more due to light and less to do with water quality. My 2 cents.

No, I did not light acclimate it, and yes it was still on the same cycle....I didn't know I was supposed to do that, now I feel bad...Is there a chance it will get used to the brighter light and turn dark purple/red again? Or do I need to go back to the old light configuration?

 

[trippkid]

Anyone else think that this looks more like a Cynarina deshayesiana or Cynarina lacrymalis than Scolymia or is it just me. Care would be the same, Med light and a low to low-moderate flow. IMO, 83 is too warm, I would stay under the 80 degree mark.

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by trippkid
Anyone else think that this looks more like a Cynarina deshayesiana or Cynarina lacrymalis than Scolymia or is it just me. Care would be the same, Med light and a low to low-moderate flow. IMO, 83 is too warm, I would stay under the 80 degree mark.
I just kicked on the chiller to cool down the water...let's see if this has a positive effect on it and the tank itself....When I bought it from SWF they called it a Scolymia, but a friend of mine that works at the LFS I frequent told me he thought it was a Cynarina Deshayesiana....

 

[ecu_2004]

While the coral does look bleached, you definitely don't have too much light for it.
If it is bleached and you want it to do better, it is going to need regular (every other day feedings). If this coral has lost all of its zooanthellae (sp??) you are going to have to feed it!!! Phytofeast and marine snow will do nothing for this. Feed it meaty frozen/fresh foods. Mysis, Cyclopeeze, mussels, plankton, etc. Very few, if any, corals benefit from phytoplankton based foods.
Trina

 

[dkw27]

Originally Posted by ecu_2004
While the coral does look bleached, you definitely don't have too much light for it.
If it is bleached and you want it to do better, it is going to need regular (every other day feedings). If this coral has lost all of its zooanthellae (sp??) you are going to have to feed it!!! Phytofeast and marine snow will do nothing for this. Feed it meaty frozen/fresh foods. Mysis, Cyclopeeze, mussels, plankton, etc. Very few, if any, corals benefit from phytoplankton based foods.
Trina
I do feed it each day, it gets target fed with mysis, brine & cyclopeeze....Marinesnow and Phytofeast are a once a week thing and each product is rotated...One week marinesnow, next week phytofeast...

 

[trippkid]

Don't cool it down too quickly, a degree or 2 a day at the most to be on the safe side. My tank will fluctuate from around 75 to 79 in a days time, but they are used to the swings. I do agree that you may need to feed it the more meatier type of foods like said, you can try Zooplankton type foods too, Phytoplankton is mainly for lower filter feeders and soft corals. Good luck I hope you can bring the guy back to its original state.

Matt

 

[jonthefishguy]

Originally Posted by ecu_2004
Very few, if any, corals benefit from phytoplankton based foods. Trina

That's not entirely true. SPS coral and about half LPS are zooplankton eaters and Soft corals and the other half of LPS are phytoplankton eaters.

 

[trippkid]

Originally Posted by jonthefishguy
That's not entirely true. SPS coral and about half LPS are zooplankton eaters and Soft corals and the other half of LPS are phytoplankton eaters.
Agree

.
Matt

 

[ecu_2004]

Originally Posted by jonthefishguy
That's not entirely true. SPS coral and about half LPS are zooplankton eaters and Soft corals and the other half of LPS are phytoplankton eaters.
I have yet to find the HALF of lps that are phyto eaters. According to Anthony Calfo, SPS are not phyto eaters either (although I don't know much about SPS).
While soft corals may benefit from some phytoplankton, they feed more on the dissolved organics put out by fish waste.
Gorgonians and phyto

Clams and phyto

Please correct me if I am wrong. I really would like some specifics as to what types of LPS.....You are welcome to PM me.