Is my coral receding and ID please!!

[chuckdallas]

I recently got this piece of coral from the LFS. It looks pretty puffy from the picture but it's hard, like a montipora. I have seen any polyps extended like a Lobo would have out.
After 3 weeks of trying EVERYTHING, I have finally gotten my phosphates down to 0.074, checking with the Hanna 736 meter and I'm still working on getting it below 0.03.

When I bought this coral, it had a tiny white area and I didn't think much of it, but in the last week, I've noticed that this coral has receded a tad more since I got it and I've had trouble with acros and montis in the past, due to the high phosphates.

What kind of coral is this and what are its lighting requirements? I had a piece or puple monti on the top shelf of the aquarium, sitting next to a Maxima Clam. The Clam is, sorry, "happy as a clam," but the Monti passed.

If this is a monti too, does it need high light?? The clam sits 8-10 inches below the surface and the 2 X 60 watt LED pendants are about 12 inches above the water.

Thanks.

[jeepinreefer07]

Looks like some type of Chalice (lps) Usually a good starting point would be mid lighting and mid flow. Can you give us your water parameters? Including temperature fluctuation, salinity, and all the other mag, alk, cal, nitrate, nitrite, ph, and and other you may test for. This will help us figure out the problem

[ehren78]

It's possible that it was freshly cut when you bought it and didn't have time to heal-up as well. Otherwise it is starting to receed slightly, possibly couldve been touching another coral or laying against a rock wrong that was agitating the coral. I've had a Chalice for 2 years now that hasn't grown much had 25 eyes when I bought it and has 33 eyes today not much growth size wise. How big is your chalice? It would seem to me they only get so big before it's time to frag the coral? Anyone else?

[smithj108]

Obviously incorrect water parameters and insufficient lighting often result in these types of “jelly” soft corals receding. However, I wouldn't rule out the cause related to a possible pest.

For example, in my earlier days of reef’ing, I had a decimation of all my soft “jelly” type corals as a result of a Gammaridean amphipod (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=973&bih=721&site=search&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Gammaridean+amphipod&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=) infestation. A few must have hitchhiked onto a piece of soft coral / rock I got from a past trade. At first I thought they were harmless amphipod keeping my live sand healthly - these little things eat everything. But little did I know they EAT EVERYTHING! Once the population got high enough (and they multiply very quickly) they start to turn to "other" food sources. One middle of the night I flicked on the lights and realize my horror that they were responsible for the "melting" and the receding of my soft corals. I Internet'ed and found it’s believed they love the slime of these corals which explains the slow yet constant receding around the borders of the coral.

Not trying to scare you, but you may want to try a quick freshwater dip test on an adjacent piece of live rock to see if any of these nasty buggers come flying out and any other small pests.

[DownwardDawg]

Hey!!! I got some of those boogers in my tank. Are they bad?

"I had a decimation of all my soft “jelly” type corals as a result of a Gammaridean amphipod infestation"

[smithj108]

Hey!!! I got some of those boogers in my tank. Are they bad?

"I had a decimation of all my soft "jelly" type corals as a result of a Gammaridean amphipod infestation"



"Normally" no, not bad. Most are not that aggressive and do provide a good "service" to the reef tank. But there are those that are really carnivorous (or omnivorous). In my case, I had seen them for quite some time before the corals started to really suffer, hence why I was late in drawing the predation connection. Personally, I believe all it takes is for the population to reach a critical stage and then they become predatorily on those types of corals. I'm not an expert on this – just what I've personally experienced.

[chuckdallas]

Smithj108, so what did you do to get ird of them? A fresh water dip will get rid of a few bugs here and here, but not the majority of the population.

[smithj108]

Smithj108, so what did you do to get rid of them?

You're not going to like the answer - "start over". You see, there is no such poison/treatment that knows the difference between "good guys" and the "bad guys" in the tank. The closest thing you can do is treat the whole tank chemically to kill ALL crustaceans, then re-introduce the "good guys" back.

There's an article at liveaquaria (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=351) that highlights a similar "red bug" problem (coral munching amphipods) and interestingly talks about using dog heartworm medication to eradicate the pests. Take it for what it's worth.

I got rid of "my" problem when I moved (aka started completely over).

[DownwardDawg]

Thanks.

[smithj108]

I don't want everyone panicking out there over these types of amphipod's. Most are like "vultures" and only go after dead or sick/dieing, detritus. However, I am saying that "if" they acquire a taste for something else (like zoa's are a common menu item), it's usually over. Seems all their offspring seem to inherit the same acquired taste. I saw my Zenia's go first, followed by one colony of zoa's, and so on. My fish wouldn't even eat the 'pods anymore as if they somehow took on the coral's toxins in the process. None of this is confirmed, just what I believe and have heard other observe too... one of those things to keep in the back of your mind however.

[chuckdallas]

Any one else got any ideas about what type of coral this is? I've only gotten one suggestion in 8 responses.

[AquaReeferMan]

Any one else got any ideas about what type of coral this is? I've only gotten one suggestion in 8 responses.


Thats because the first suggestion was correct. That is a chalice. What are your water parameters(Calcium, Alk, Mag etc...)? IME Chalice corals usually start to lose tissue like that when your system is having ALK swings.

[chuckdallas]

Tested everything last night.

Params:
Mag - 1320 (Brand new Salifert Test Kit - expiration May 2013
Alk - 8 dKh API Test Kit (was 7 last week, so upped the automatic dosing on the Drew's Doser)
Calc - 420 (Red Seas) (Been stable around 400, using the "Count the Drops" method of Red Seas Test Kits)
Nitrites, Nitrates, Ammonia - 0
pH - maybe high. The color came out darker than the colors of the test card with a range from 7.6-8.4. Have heard that pH Test Kits are very unreliable. Been doing 20% water changes every 4-5 days about 2 weeks ago, then switched to daily 5-10% water changes when I couldn't get the phosphates below 0.15-0.18
Phosphate - 0.1 (running 2 week old Warner Marine ECO-BAK pellets in the NextReef Reactor and Rowaphos in the sump next to the return pump, until the new fuge with chaeto and the pellets start taking effect.

I'm think the change to the new tank and the fact that I put it up too high (lighting wise) may be it. I moved it down from the top shelf to the mid shelf at lunch today.