Galaxea (propagated frag) receding/dying

[Jollyblue]

Hi,

I've got a Galaxea about the size of a dime (frag from local LFS) - was fine when I bought it, but now has no visible tentacles at all and one of the polyps is showing skeleton. I've tried moving it around the tank (50 watts PC over 20g) different flows, etc - no effect. It's got one very large sweeper extended out - that's it. It's as if it's starving, but this happened so fast I don't think that's the case. Other corals in the tank (mushroom, leather, brains) are fine, growing, etc. This has happened over a span of about 3 weeks.

Any thoughts? It was difficult to feed since the polyps are so small - perhaps it is simply starved - any strategies for recovering it? I thought to put it in a small bowl with finely chopped squid/mysis, etc but with no polyps out I don't see how it can feed.

THX

-K

 

[Len]

Hey K,

What's the longest time you've kept it in one spot? It might just be acclimating. But you do need more lights over your tank. I'd aim for at least double what your current lighting is, preferably more.

I know the following probably isn't what you want to hear (and by no means do I intend it to be inhumane), but perhaps it's not a terrible thing the Galaxia isn't faring so well in your tank. Thriving Galaxias are a menance to reef tanks because of those deadly sweeper tentacles. A 3-4" colony can easily shoot off tentacles that covers the span of your 20g, killing everything it touches.

IMO, if you can return it for credit (or just so that it can go to a new home), that's what I would do.

 

[stubbsz]

Interesting. I have a tiny frag which is doing fine... I see plenty of growth and it seems very happy...pc lighting of about 400 Watts on a 100g tank.

Since then I've got some cheap SPS frags from my most excellent LFS who is fragging everything. I got them as am experiment as I thought they might not thrive under PC (given comments on forums such as these). However, they are growing and I'm now concerned about the Galaxea.

His sweepers are going out only about 2-3 inches. He's plenty further away than that from his nearest neighbour but with his rigorous growth I'm thinking of demoting him to lower lit areas of the tank where he won't have much I care about within stinging range.

So, I'm interested in how much light these Galaxea's really need.

But to reiterate the point you made. When placing anything, I've found that even if it doesn't look totally happy at first, you're gonna make life very hard if you keep moving it without giving it a chance to get used to a particular spot.

 

[Anonymous]

Len is right about those tentacles.

I got a fist sized colony for $20 bucks when my LFS was making room for a big shipment. I thought it was like any other LPS until I read about it.


I could see the long thin sweepers streaming over a foot away from the colony and pissing off every other coral in the area.


It now lives in the near stagnant and very dark back corner of the tank...and oddly enough, it's been doing very well there with no direct light for over 6 months. Doesn't grow, but it lives. I'm going to sell it to some unsuspecting newbie reefer when I move :twisted: ...it's a menace. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I don't get it. I have a colony that grows, and grows, and grows. I keep it in the corner of the tank, very low flow, in the shade, and it grows fast. I also never see any sweeper tentacles. My Favia has the longest sweepers in my tank.

Weird.

 

[Len]

You have a defective Galaxia, Matt

You know, I used to snip off the sweepers on my closed brain corals! 8O