Identify and diagnose soft coral

[michaelp]

1. What type of coral is this?
2. Why is he sick? (Tank params check out super. he's in a higher flow area, but was thriving a month ago. Now all his little polyps are kind of drawn in and have been like this for a few days. He used to be twice this size)

 

[Euroreefer]

Looks like a bleached Kenya, or Colt coral. How high is it in the tank?

 

[michaelp]

Yes, you're correct. Looks like a cauliflower colt coral:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+600+640&pcatid=640

Also, it's as high as it can get with good water flow. I read the text on the liveaquaria site and can't think of what could be wrong.

How many hours of MH's do you think it needs a day?

Tank is being fed with bloodworms brine shrimp, krill, rotifers, cyclopeeze, etc.

 

[KathyC]

According to what is printed on that link, it should be able to take a lot of light.

Is the coral as white as it appears in the pic? How long ago did it start to change color and become white?
Tank size, lighting? Any chance of a FTS?

While corals like this will sometimes colose up theri polyps for a few days, and shed, they don't turn corlor when that happens. Something else muct be going on here.

 

[michaelp]

Yes, it is as white as it appears. It started about a week ago.

Tank size = 200g
Lighting = 3x450W MH
What is FTS?

 

[KathyC]

FTS = Full Tank Shot Sorry about that!

450W MH?? Typo?

How long have you had the coral? Has it been in this location since it was put in your tank?

Sometimes it takes a few weeks before a coral starts to show damage from an event that bothered it

I'd move it lower and out of direct light into moderate flow and see if it recovers. It might take a while. If it starts to disintergrate, take it out of the tank immediately.

 

[Euroreefer]

yeah 3x450watt metal halides? Your cooking that guy.

 

[michaelp]

He's been there a month. I haven't moved him from that location (he did fall over once).

They are actually 400W max MH's but I have to check on the bulbs that are in there.

I currently took the timer down for how long they are on from five hrs to 3 hrs so hopefully that will help.

 

[KathyC]

With 1200 W of MH coming at him, he is definitely getting fried. Please move him way down in the tank, perhaps to a slightly shaded area and see if it recovers.
Might be a good idea for you to always ask what kind of lighting a coral came from so that you have some idea where to place it in your tank as most reefers aren't running 400W MH's, nevermind 3 of them :spin:
You can probably 'light acclimate' many corals so you can eventually place them higher in your tank, but you'd definitely need to take your time.

 

[Josh]

Are you sure about those lights? In the photo, that does not look like 3x 400w MH.

I think it is a pink sinularia. Very hardy. It could be bleached from the light if those numbers are correct.

If not, I would check your PH and magnesium. I know Mg shouldn't have much impact on a soft coral but I did have an issue a long time ago where my pink sinularias were wilting and then I hit on Mg dosing and they started to come back to life. I cut out the Mg for a week and they started to look like garbage again. It is an off the wall shot I guess. Check your PH first.

 

[reefman]

agree. unless theres some seriuos photoshoppin done, from that pic, it certainly does not look like MH, even harder to believe 3x400watts.
any pics of your lights or replacement bulbs?

 

[duke62]

looks loke the lights are off and thats the flash light

 

[michaelp]

Sorry for the confusion. That was just with the actinic's on.. not the MH.