What's up with this BUBBLE coral?

[apexi]

I've had this green bubble coral for a few months. It's been doing awesome as can be seen in the first pic until recently. Now it looks like a section of it has deflated, and that the "skin" is also pulling apart from the skeleton as shown in the pics below.

Is there something wrong that I need to fix asap, or is this a part of coral growth/expansion? Any help appreciated!

I'm running three 250W 15k halides, four 96W actinics, and have tons of flow. Calcium 400ppm, Alk 8dhk, PH 8.25, Nitrates less than 5ppm, Temps 80-81F, Salinity 1.025. Setup includes protein skimmer in 40gallon basement sump, phosban reactor, activated carbon, RO/DI, temperature controller.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/rotapowered/bubble1.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/rotapowered/bubble2.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/rotapowered/bubble3.jpg

[Mattmcf]

try placing it in an area with less flow. Too much flow can be bad for the bubbles. If you ever notice the coral when the lights are out there is a skeleton with somewhat sharp edges... Too much flow can actually cause the bubbles to get punctured by its own skeleton. Good luck!

[demonsp]

They dont like the SB.Better mid or higher up off the SB.
Also what do you add for food in the tank?

[apexi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12250910#post12250910 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
They dont like the SB.Better mid or higher up off the SB.
Also what do you add for food in the tank?

I've repositioned the coral for now. I feed the tank Formula 1&2 pellets as well as mysis from time to time. I haven't specifically spot fed the bubble. I'm wondering if this has caused these problems, or it could also be a Xenia which was growing like a forest. I recently fragged the Xenia about a week ago.

In any case, I took a closer look at the coral. Very sad looking. The skin has substantially receded off the skeleton so it looks serious. What do I need to do to save this coral?

[apexi]

it was in a low flow area and was doing awesome. After much research I've concluded this was due to one or both of the following:

-recently fragged a huge xenia colony, and all the chemical warfare could've resulted in the bubble's decline. Looking through my journal the bubble started to look unhappy during the same time period.

-no question there is some kind of tissue infection. The coral tissue has receded almost entirely from the base of the skeleton around the back and sides, and a bit of the front.

I immediately did a 15 min dip in Lugol's to try and stop the spread of the tissue infection and repositioned the coral away from the xenia colony. Hoping for the best.

[apexi]

Well here an update so far after a few days. After the Lugol's dip and relocating the bubble away from the Xenia and in an area with as mild flow as I could find in the tank, it's been looking like this. You can still see the septa (skeleton) from the damage. Will the skin ever grow back over this area? Talking to some others it seems as though in these cases the best you can do is stop the tissue infection/recession, but that it would rarely ever grow back in a reef tank environemnt, maybe it would grow back in the ocean. Any advice?

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/rotapowered/b2.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/rotapowered/b1.jpg

[seapug]

it'll regrow quite quickly if all other conditions are good. I had one that used to get punctured all the time but would heal over and return to normal within a couple of days. I just got rid of the thing because it was getting huge and sending out sweepers at night that forced me to devote half the tank to it.

[BLKTANG]

Looks like a nice save.

[ahullsb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12285343#post12285343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
Looks like a nice save.

I agree. Good job. I'm betting it will come back.

[demonsp]

They like smaller meatier bits of frozen,like brine and cyclops and ect.. A well feed tank will keep them well fead.And good flow so the food can flow throught them . Look here.


http://www.asira.org/caresheets