Pipe organ

[Grant Gibson]

Hello everyone,
I've got a large piece of pipe organ that looks like its slowly dying. Over the past two weeks its been slowly losing polyps. Everything else in the tank looks great. Any idea's on what the problem is?

 

[Reef Fixations]

I'm guessing you've checked the basics as far as ammonia, nitrates and PH.

Beyond that u may want to check your alk, phosphate, calcium, salinity (with a refractometer or floating glass hydrometer).

Also check to see if your lighting it too much by placing it in a dimmer location and/or move it to a location where flow is on the slower side as it may be too much flow for it where it is now. It's a fairly easy coral.

 

[albano]

It's a fairly easy coral.

:scratch: I can't think of anyone that has done well with pipe organ coral

 

[Grant Gibson]

I've had this piece of pipe organ going on two years without any problems. All levels are where they need to be. Lighting or flow could be the issue. I

 

[mbg75]

:scratch: I can't think of anyone that has done well with pipe organ coral

Mine is doing phenomenal. Got it from Gary who grew out a monster colony of it.

 

[Reef Fixations]

Hello everyone,
I've got a large piece of pipe organ that looks like its slowly dying. Over the past two weeks its been slowly losing polyps. Everything else in the tank looks great. Any idea's on what the problem is?

R u running an SPS tank or LPS & softies?

 

[dubs]

Albano I do really good with pipe organ I got a small frag less than a year ago and it large than a soft ball and I have frag it few time well already ... Medium flow and medium to high light with decent par and that thing grows

 

[MikeC]

Mine is doing phenomenal. Got it from Gary who grew out a monster colony of it.

+1 got mine from Gary also lol it's dooing great.

 

[Imbarrie]

I have had great results with pipe organ also. The white kind is growing really well in my tank. The green kind is not.
Could something be eating the polyps? I had a piece a couple years ago that slowly died away. All the polyps looked great and healthy with good extension, just slowly there started to be less of them until they were all gone.
That structure hides hitchhikers amazingly well and most of starfish, but sometimes it could hide something that eats the polyps. Check really well.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Did you move the colony, it needs a lot of flow or the polyps will algae over and start to melt. I would also look for a pest or fish that could be eating it

 

[Silkyslim]

I got piece from the frag swap. I can't kill it if i tried. I gave some away and pieces of it established on my rocks. Medium flow and light is all it needs. I'm running 250w mh dunno if that helps.

 

[albano]

Also check to see if your lighting it too much by placing it in a dimmer location and/or move it to a location where flow is on the slower side as it may be too much flow

Medium flow and medium to high light with decent par and that thing grows

Did you move the colony, it needs a lot of flow

:scratch:

 

[Grant Gibson]

R u running an SPS tank or LPS & softies?

LPS & softies.

 

[Reef Fixations]

Hello everyone, s
I've got a large piece of pipe organ that looks like its slowly dying. Over the past two weeks its been slowly losing polyps. Everything else in the tank looks great. Any idea's on what the problem is?

I assumed that you meant that you had just added it to your tank about 2 weeks ago. If you had extremely powerful lighting, it would be common for many corals not to behave properly and possibly die if not given enough time to get used to the lighting.

I've had mine under halides, T5's and PC's but I always started them off in areas that weren't as intense but that's common practice for me with many corals that I would have put in my DT.

I asked if it was an SPS dominant tank because maybe it was over the top flow and maybe the water was simply to clean as opposed to an LPS/softy setup.

If it's been in there for 2 years than I'd look at what has changed if anything at all.

Have you changed your lights?

Upgraded your skimmer or added any other equipment?

Increased flow in your tank to the point that it is just getting pretty heavy direct flow as opposed to indirect flow?

Did you add a coral or did a coral grow that is close enough to it that may be stinging it?

Did a clown recently start hosting it and it doesn't like being hosted?

How often do you feed your fish and is it enough? Maybe you have a fish that has taken a liking to it and you may be able to keep that behavior at bay if it isn't so hungry; just throwing ideas out there.

If nothing has changed and parameters are in check than like everyone else suggested, look for the pest/fish that is the culprit.

There are so many variables with corals like this, there isn't always one right answer. Many species of corals fit the bill for doing well in a wide array of conditions. Acans can live in low to extremely high lighting for example. Frogspawn can thrive in low to moderate flow and someitmes even a little bit higher. Some zoos can live in SPS tanks and some can't and some feel that the water is someteimes too prestine. Some can keep common euphyllia but not the more colorful variants.

=================================

Out of curiosity, of the people that have been keeping it successfully, are they in mixed reef (SPS, softy/LPS), SPS dominant or LPS/softy setups?

 

[MikeC]

Out of curiosity, of the people that have been keeping it successfully, are they in mixed reef (SPS, softy/LPS), SPS dominant or LPS/softy setups?

Mixed SPS dominant

 

[mbg75]

Mixed with SPS dominant also.

 

[Reef Fixations]

damn Mike,

Nice! Is yours green pipe organ? The closest thing that I can see in that pic is the coral up on top against your right overflow box.

I've always kept mine in LPS/softy setups. But between Mike & MBG, there goes my theory about water possibly being too clean. I know someone that has a tank similiar to both of yours and can't keep pipe organ so we were thinking that the water conditions that he maintains is too clean.

 

[Grant Gibson]

Mike your tank looks awesome. Keep up the good work.

What kind of lighting are you using?

 

[Silkyslim]

Mixed going sps heavy.

 

[MikeC]

damn Mike,

Nice! Is yours green pipe organ? The closest thing that I can see in that pic is the coral up on top against your right overflow box.

I've always kept mine in LPS/softy setups. But between Mike & MBG, there goes my theory about water possibly being too clean. I know someone that has a tank similiar to both of yours and can't keep pipe organ so we were thinking that the water conditions that he maintains is too clean.

Yup that's it in its hary glory up top against the right overflow lol
Could have something to do with ware it came from
You should see Gary's Reef.

Thanks Gary :biggrin: