Is my plate coral dying?
 

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3c8464ae.jpg

This guy is only about a month and a half old. Its my first plate. I added him with a bunch of new coral which all seem fine. He stopped inflating and moving which he did a lot and I don't see tentacles (its a short tentacle) within the past week. Below is a pic of when I got him

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/...pscd01f96d.jpg

My specs were a little off due to vacation and a missed WC. As of last night
SG 1.025
Temp 79
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10-20
Mg 1240
Ca 380
Alk - 8.7 dKH

Its a 34 gallon RSM 130.
Lighting is 2x 65w50/50 10,000k & Actinic T5 Power compact lamps

I guess I answered my own question.

Does it need to be removed ASAP or does it stay? Ive read new plates may grow on the skeleton when it dies.


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Newbe 4 months mine last a copule of weeks but then it just die i also read that is común that by no reason they die. Your parámetros are Ok. I mean lower On some. But that doesnt kill them. The amonia and nitrite they do but does are Ok On your sistem i also read that about leaving the bone for future resurrección

I found mine doing bad with high phosphates, have you checked that? I heard you can flip them over as a last ditch effort and they sometimes grow babies from what's left. I'd read more about it, I've never tried it

I have read that as well, but there is one section of the plate that still looks OK so im hoping maybe it will recover.

Using the API liquid test kit is see no phosphates.

do not remove it. very low flow and it might come back or at least heal/ produce babies

So how's it doing?

From what I have heard, even if it down to skeleton don't take it out. Move it to a low flow portion of the tank. I have read of some recovering in a month or 2....

I have found that my plate reacts to salinity more then anything else.. .

I have seen plates look to be totally dead and the skeletons allowed to stay in the tank and they will occasionally produce babies. No idea how this happens but I have seen it.

Going to put my own stupidity in print here..

I never fed mine. He looked the same for a long time. Then I noticed he didn't inflate anymore and the sides of him were turning white. I was looking for answers, and read about feeding him.

Soooo, I cut the bottom off of a Mtn. Dew bottle, rinsed it out real well and lowered it over him. Then I cut up some a Silverside, which had some drops of Vitamins on it, and dropped the pieces onto the top of him through the small opening in the soda bottle.

Sure enough, he moved all of the food like an escalator, straight into his mouth. I've fed him now twice a week for 2 weeks, and his color is back. His tentacles are out. He inflates.

Anyway, I'm only a year into this, so pardon me if I said something dumb. But that's what I did and my plate is doing great now. Guess he was just hungry.

The bottle keeps the other critters from eating the food before he can get it into his mouth.

Dont throw it, It might have chance to come back in maybe six months

That's a good tip/trick with the MD bottle. I just got an orange plate yesterday...ill keep all this in mind if something goes wrong

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately I was hit with a large project for work so I missed most of these posts and had to remove the skeleton . The skeleton was growing crazy amounts of cyano on it, and in the sand and the rocks around it. Diatoms as well. It was an eye sore and I figured it was not helping parameters either so I tossed it. Hopefully this thread will help someone else.