Do I have a sick Kenya tree? Or does it just hate me?

Hi folks! Noob coral concern over here: I'm sure I'm doing something wrong...
I bought this kenya tree over a month ago. I think it might be sick::sniffles:
It was doing great up until last week. I went to Florida for 3 days, and came back to a small green hair algae bloom in my tank. Promptly did a water change, and everything seems to be back on track... Except my Kenya tree doesn't seem to 'bloom' anymore. Also it looks to be a bit more purple than it used to.

Before it was pretty much a fleshy pink color, and would 'bloom' (not sure of the correct term) within 1/2 hour of the lights coming on. Now it's more purple, and not, well, blooming in the morning.

I had it on a rock that was pretty much half way deep in my tank with the intention of moving the entire rock to the bottom of the tank when I finally got a better looking rock for that spot. But I figured that whatever else was on there could reap the benefits in the meantime. All went well the first month and the tree pretty much doubled in size. (Not sure if that's normal or not, either)

Nothing has been added to the tank in the last few weeks. I did start feeding with very small doses of phytoplankton this week thinking that was the problem. And, all other corals seem in good shape, although they're all zooas and mushrooms...

Water levels seem good: ph 8.2, salinity 31, nitrates 15 (it's been better) , calcium 375, and everything else 0. I'm not sure of my alk. (I've ordered a KH/Alk test 3 different times from 3 different companies, and all 3 have cancelled my order because the item was backordered. I placed yet another order today with a 4th company, we'll see what happens.)

Am I doing something wrong? Or is there something that I think is OK, that really isn't? Or does this coral just hate me? :twisted:
(Remember, I'm the one that got squirted in the eye by the purple killer mushroom.) I'm a little paranoid, now.

I don't know what to do...
Thanks!
:HELP!::HELP!::HELP!:

Here's some pictures, if you think that will help: (sorry, they're not so good)
The first is from 2 weeks ago, tree blooming, pink, looking good...
The 2nd is from yesterday, kind of purple, not so good...
granted, the first was taken from a higher angle, and you can't see the difference in hight, but you can see the difference in appearance and color, right?

 

Kenyas hate strong current! In pic one it looks like it has some protection from the current. In pic two its by itself. I had to put mine on the sandbed beacuse its to big to hide from current now. Is there algae growing on the base of it? sometimes that will effect them. If so just scrub it off.

 

LOL....sorry but I laugh a little bit when I hear about Kenya problems.Kenyas are nearly indestructible.I have some that lived through a cycle of all things.IMO,a Kenya Tree shrinks from time to time,some people say they do that when they are about to drop babies.For me,I think its a way of purging themselves like other softies like colts.In your pic,the Kenya looks like it is holding itself up and doesn't look like its melting.Give it sometime and I'll bet it will be back.If you do end up killing it,I think there are going to many people asking you how you did it.There are people who's been trying to kill them and they seem to come right back.

 

it COULD be those nitrates being up a little high also. i would try another water change to get them down some.

 

Thanks for the help! Believe it or not, the current in this tank is really low.
Now that I look again, the pictures might be a little deceiving.

This tank was actually meant for seahorses, now I might be putting the horses in another tank. But anyway, there's a super-low flow, so much so, that I was worried that it might be too low for corals. I have a Fluval 104, old I know, but it never gave me any problems, and this time I have about 15 lbs of LR to help it along (no help on the current, though.)

Low flow for most of the tank, where this coral is could be considered low to medium flow area....
I'm still stumped...

 

I agree with the others, that it might be getting ready to drop babies. It still looks healthy to me, not slumped over or slimy. Give it some time. They are near indestructible.

 

You know, about a week after getting this thing, I was pretty worried about where else I would have to put it.

I was initally going for the 'very hardy/ easy to grow' corals. Obviously this one turned up. I liked it.
We kind of have a relationship now, so I really don't want to kill it.

I guess I still have a little of the 'treehugger'/ greenpeace spirit left in me after all... I also can't kill the spaghetti worm that I hate, but that at least lives in the sand bed for now...

 

It's okay. I'm vegetarian .

 

Just tested everything again, the only change: nitrates are 10
I would rather put it in another tank than kill it.
Still stumped-I can't win...

 

I just don't think its dieing.
What lights are you running?

 

I have my original crappy PC 36 watt light. This was the strongest light I could get to fit on the top of my tank. Remember this was meant to be a seahorse tank; a 10 gal hex, but for some reason I decided to put a few soft corals in there first.
That's why I thought the Kenya would be a good starter coral, and also why I put it 1/2 way deep after acclimation to start, with the intention of eventially moving it down ot the bottom half.
I think it just hates me... maybe in cahoots with the mushroom... :grumble:

 

Your a little low on lighting.
IMO,I think its just enough for Kenyas.I still say give it some time,it may recover after all.

 

I'm a newbie, so bear that in mind, but your SG number seemed awfully high to me - 31? I thought we shouldn't go much higher than 27...

 

SG 31 ... was this 31ppm or 1.031 ?? i was thinking that you were saying ppm. i keep my tanks at 34-35 or 1.025-1.026.

 

HAHA yeah please let us know :mrgreen:

 

Still trying to figure out what is wrong with my Kenya. I have two tanks, a 90 gal, and a 30 gal. biocube. The Kenya's in my 30 are growing and multiplying like crazy. The Kenya's in my 90, will not grow. They stay sort of hard and purple. How important is lighting for Kenya's? My lights are not as bright in the 90 as they are in the 30. My water parms. are about the same in both. I do have a Coral Beauty in the 90, but I've never seen him pick at the corals. My lighting for my 90 is 3 blues and 1 white, 4 LED's. I have the whites on for 4 hours a day, blues for 6, and LED's for 10. Ideas?