Scolymia skeleton poking through?

[raoul]

We've had a scolymia since right before Christmas that we lovingly refer to as Jabba-the-Hut.
About a month ago, I noticed some of the skeleton poking through the tissue. Now, not only is there a little bit of poking, the tissue seems to have slipped up over some of the spikes.

I've noticed when it appears to be worse, there's a snail (stomatella and rarely astrea) that seems to be irritating it.

Could this be part the "cause" or just an affect of the tissue slipping up?

Any idea what's going on?

I will be doing water tests later on (giving ph time to get to daylight levels so my results are consistent), but typically our water tests out like this:

salinity - 1.0256
trates - 0
phosphate - 0
ph low end of normal
alk. is typically low and calc. is typically high.

We've been trying to level these out and think it might be time to change the filters on the rodi since we're getting minimal readings of dissolved organincs in our water, but nothing shocking.

As far as I know, we don't have any inhabitants that would be causing any problems (chromis were the only fish in the tank when this started) some pep. shrimp that we hardly see.

It takes small foods well. There's a trachy brain and favia brain in the vicinity, we moved the scolymia recently because it and the trachy were touching, but the problems began before this.

What am I missing that could be happening? I hoped just leaving it alone would allow the tissue to go back over the spikes of the skeleton, but the snails aren't cooperating :(

Any help or ideas would be appreciated....TIA

[29special]

first the snails are problly just eating the new algea growth on the white sketeon.
But you do not what to move it because time will heal. You also forgot to put down your tank temp. Which with LPS i think 76-77F. helps. lowering the salinity might help but it is hard to say what specific thing is ****ing off your scolymia. One thing I have tried in the past to help LPS is a melafix dip for bac. one gal of tank water and 5ml melafix for 3 min. good luck

[raoul]

Our temp is usally 78 with lights out and 80 with lights on. It has been creeping a little higher when the days are warmer, but this was happening before, but I'm sure it doesn't help at this point.

Thanks for the melefix idea:)

[raoul]

Okay, had a duh moment last night. I'm wondering if I should move it to a lower flow area (still trying to find one). I don't know that the flow was the cause, but I wonder if it would help it recover better. The trachy brain in the same area isn't reacting negatively to the flow, so I didn't think it was too bad, but now I have to wonder if it would at least help.

[FiReBReTHa]

bump, how did it work out?? I am going to drop down my flow thinking that may be the culprit.

[Tahoe Reefer]

I've also had successful dips with Melafix marine I also use ReVive coral cleaner.
Have you tried feeding it?
How are your Mag levels? I add Tech M Magnesium to help balance the Calcium in my tank and have had more success with LPS since I started doing that.

[flyingace2005]

How often do you feed it? Over feeding can cause this as they can not process the food and it just rots in them. If you feed pretty often then I would try not feeding it for a while.

[FiReBReTHa]

define often?

I have been trying to figure out how often to feed them.

Danke!

[Dave VG]

Do not drop the SG. You should be at 1.026. Yours is close enough so don't worry about it. The snail is just eating the algae but it is still stressing it out by crawling all over it and in turn adding to its decline I’m sure. Move it to a frag rack or a place where the stomatella can’t get to it. The peps could be doing the same thing at night by picking at the dead flesh so I would check that out to. As for the feeding question I feed once every two weeks. Mysis when the lights are on to all LPS and the rest get Coral Frenzy an hour after lights out.

[flyingace2005]

Once every week or two is plenty for them. Any more than that can have harmful effects.

[jonthany]

Old thread but I am having the same issue with mine. I just got it 3 days ago and it looked great at the store very nice and plump but since I have brought it home it seems to shrivel a little then today I noticed some spots where it looks like the beginning phases of the skeleton poking through. I haven't fed it yet, I was giving it time to acclimate but it worries me because it was not a cheap coral and I don't want it to die.

This is a pic from when I first got it

<a href="http://s113.photobucket.com/user/jonthany/media/IMG_0877_zpsa18f7be7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n234/jonthany/IMG_0877_zpsa18f7be7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0877_zpsa18f7be7.jpg"/></a>

This is now...
<a href="http://s113.photobucket.com/user/jonthany/media/IMG_0899_zps42b5cf71.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n234/jonthany/IMG_0899_zps42b5cf71.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0899_zps42b5cf71.jpg"/></a>

[betamed]

list your parameters