Sun coral with "muck" on base?

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smartorl

Guest
I've had this particular sun coral for about two years. I bought it as a nearly dead, three headed mess. It's color is vibrant and the polyps extend and it feeds well. From the three original heads it got up over 40 before I fragged it into four pieces of about 10 heads and it's already back up to about 20.
My problem is, I have moved it alot as I have had to adjust my corals because of the torch, fs, and hammer. Just in the last two months, the base started getting grey "muck" on it. It doesn't look like algae. It doesn't blow off. I have been pulling the coral out and using a bent paperclip to get it out of the nooks and crannys. The skeleton beneath is faded and almost gray. Again, the polyps are still extending and look great.
Has anyone else had this problem? I am not sure what I should do, or if this is the sign of disease beginning?
Thoughts?
 
S

smartorl

Guest
Good morning Slice!
To follow up, I received information after emailing another reefer that has decades of experience with suns. I also have some new suns on the way, a really pretty sun coral morph, a black, and two dendros. Yay!
All the changes in my tank have made my sun unhappy, which I knew. Initially, I had it under pc's but then caved in and switched to a halide/t-5 fixure. I moved the sun into a cave I made for it to keep it from getting burnt. The problem is that it made it difficult to reach and sediment likely formed when I wasn't able to blow it off when I fed it, nor were the ph's able to get to it effectively.
Also, being in places that were difficult to get to, I slowed down on feeding as religiously and thoroughly as I had previously.
I sent pictures and while it isn't fully healthy, it's definitely recoverable. Rather than trying to "cave" it, I have it down on the sandbed on a flat rock to keep the sand clear under one of my larger leathers for a "shade". I gave it a thorough but gentle cleaning. I do see that I lost 5 of the newer heads. These would have been the ones down on the level with any potential sediment. This was caused by sediment building up around the base.
I have had problems with this coral since I changed my lights. The problem wasn't the lights, but my attempts to "protect" the coral putting it into a bad placement to be able to feed it correctly and to keep all debris clear of the skeleton.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Good Morning!
Glad to hear the issue is being resolved, I love the look of sun coral and dendros. I look forward to having some myself someday.
 
S

smartorl

Guest
My sun corals are my favorites. No matter what corals I get over the years, I still can't help but pull up a chair to watch the suns come out.
You really should! As long as you are consistant, they really aren't "so" difficult. To me, I enjoy watching them feed and dont' see it as a chore at all.
I am excited about the blacks, they will be my first! Supposedly, these have green heads.
 
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