WWC Bizzaro Cyphastrea not doing so hot. Whats the problem?

[jimrawr]

I got this piece a few weeks ago along with some other corals. This is the only one not doing well. It looks like the skin is STN'ing, and the polyps not coming out that much. The white area at the back of the frag is tissue loss, that used to be nice and purple. I started it off in the sandbed in a lowish flow area. Now I just moved it up on the rocks in a high flow high light area. Included a tank shot as well.

Sg: 1.025
MG: 1400
CA: 445
Alk: 8.7 Dkh
Temp 78-80
PO4: 0-.04
NO3: 5-10
ATI Sunpower 8x54w

http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp120/jimrawr/IMAG0791_zpsz9cflc7d.jpg

http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp120/jimrawr/cyph_zpshfg8wasx.jpg

[Mcgeezer]

I go to the WWC store in Orlando all the time since I work close by. They really use minimal lighting on their tanks and all of their frags are kept fairly deep in the tanks. I'd say in most cases all of their frags in the main store area are two feet under T5 and LEDs.

Cyphastrea in my experience are not big on strong lighting. You may have shocked it due to not properly light acclimating it when moving it towards the top. They do better about 70% down.

FYI- buy their stuff on the ebay auctions. You can literally steal some things on those. I've paid $12 for a golden pavona maldivensis which normally goes for $75 for a tiny 1/2" frag.

The stuff they have in that store will blow your mind. You can't find specimens like that anywhere else.

[jimrawr]

Yeah I have been there as well and its very nice! If I remember correctly though, they are lighting everything with 6 bulb sunpowers + leds to supplement? I dont know how many hours they are running them.

The cypahstrea started on the sand and that's where it deteriorated. I just moved it up yesterday a few hours before creating this thread.

[Mcgeezer]

They also definitely don't like being touched by anything other then rock. Mine has some necrosis once when knocked off where it's perched by a hermit crab. It had only been touching the other coral for 20 min. Sand can be even more irritating. Just give it time.

[eg8r210]

I nearly lost my entire frag. Couldn't even tell there was a polyp left unless using blue LED flashlight at night. I tried everything until putting it in a frag tank under the racks. After about a year the whole plug is encrusted again. Beautiful coral but it will never make it in my display.