elegance coral Help please

[goochesfish]

In an attempt to change the flow in my tank to help blow detritis off the live rock, my elegance coral was subjected to high flow for 1 week. I subsequently moved it to a lower flow area but not before the end can detach from is skeleton and subsequently tear itself free. This piece has been free but lying close to it's parent for weeks. At one point it was behind rock work until I blew it into the light. What will become of it? Will it ever grow it's own skeleton?
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/sumnerfan2/March2010/DSC_0003.jpg

[Amoore311]

Once it dumps its' skeleton it's done for.

[DJREEF]

Just keep an eye on it, and keep us updated. When LPS jettison their skeletons it's usually a sign of high phosphates. They have a difficult time puting down new layers because PO3 interrupts the calcification process at the polyp/skeleton interface.

DJ

[Amoore311]

Low Alk can do the same thing. I lost a big Wellso b/c my alk dropped to far while I was away from my old tank for vacation. Came back and it was completely peeled off the skeleton.

[DJREEF]

I guess low Ca+ would probably do it too, come to think of it. Anything that interupts the calcification process would b a culprit.

DJ

[goochesfish]

Only part of it came off though. I really think it was the high flow because it was blowing around pretty hard. The majority of it is still in the skeleton.

[DJREEF]

Only part of it came off though. I really think it was the high flow because it was blowing around pretty hard. The majority of it is still in the skeleton.

Yea, but if the flow is that high, and it's firmly attached, it'll close up and blow off in smaller pieces as opposed to having the polyp separate from the skeleton. I'd check all your levels, then double check.

DJ

[goochesfish]

looks like the detached piece got sucked into the closed loop intake. Rest of the elegance coral is doing well.