LPS Tissue Bleaching

[FishyReef]

So for a while now (few months) I've noticed small patches on my australomussa turning white. These have primarily been in areas where it is developing new eyes and rings, so I thought it was a sign of tissue growth. But it seems to be spreading and I am not noticing lighter colored striping starting to develop in the main body of the coral. The tissue is not receding, it still responds to feeding, and generally appears normal aside from the white patches. This is a unique coral that up to this point has done amazingly well in my tank, and I've had it for 10 months. For those who don't know, it is an LPS coral that is probably most closely related to a scoly vitensis (these two specimens are often confused).

I have been having trouble keeping my alkalinity up and my best guess is that the discoloration might be related to that. Does anyone know if low alk can result in LPS tissue (or scolys specifically) turning white? Or could this indeed be a sign of impending growth?

I have also very slowly been increasing my lighting - the most recent change I made was an increase of 5% intensity probably 3 weeks ago for two hours at the peak of the photocyle. I doubt that is enough of a change to cause this, but that is really the only other change in the tank. Finally, for what its worth, I've been having trouble with virtually all zoanthids that I place near the australomussa - not close enough to be stung, but in the same vacinity of the tank. There have been no other changes in flow, etc.

Anyone have any ideas for me?

 

[Northstar24]

Any chance you can get some photos of the coral in question?

 

[FishyReef]

Absolutely - good point! I left my phone at home today, but might have my real camera with me so will see if I can get some pics before I leave work

 

[chichimom79]

Is it the same one that got munched by the urchin? Not that the two problems are related, I just love that coral :D

 

[FishyReef]

Yup, same one LOL

This coral is seriously so amazing that I'd hate to lose it to some odd bleaching given how it bounced back after its urchin attack. I just finished getting some pics of it and will post them when I get home. I also found a pic I took of it about 6 weeks ago and you can see the difference so that will be helpful as well.

 

[FishyReef]

Okay, first off I just realized that I posted this in invertebrates - can someone move it to corals for me (sorry about that!)

Second, here are several pics over time of this coral. Of interest, you can see the white areas of flesh in different parts of the coral throughout all of the pictures. Please bear with me through the pictures - I'm showing so many because I do strongly believe they are growth patches - you can clearly see how the white spots occur in areas where eyes later developed and in growth heavy areas, particularly after growing back from having been severely munched by the urchin, grown back, and added several more eyes that seem to be becoming another ring. What's different and concerning me now are the whiter striations that seem to be bleeding up into the purple/bluish parts of the coral. Anyhow, I'll be curious to hear your thoughts...

Feb 24th, 2012 (day it was added to my tank)



under blue lighting you can see the white patches better


March 7th 2012







March 20th 2012, post-munching



March 29th 2012



May 29th 2012 (this pic shows lots of white in heavy growth areas that later become eyes)



July 23rd 2012



October 14th 2012





November 29th 2012 (today)

 

[chichimom79]

That thing really made a recovery and shows awesome growth! If everything else in the tank is doing good, I would say it's just more new growth spots. The way it looks would freak me out too though.

 

[Northstar24]

Sorry, I can't really add something productive here, other than its a bad ass looking coral

 

[little_fish]

This could be a long shot, but it might be dividing to break into new, separate corals. The white lines seem to be dividing the areas where the new eyes formed. That is the best idea I have....

 

[lbcathee]

oh my gosh what an awesome coral. I hope Fishy is right. It sure is beautiful. Sign me up for a frag if it does start breaking up on you.

 

[FishyReef]

Thanks guys. If you google pics of australomussa you will see what the larger colonies look like. These corals don't really "split" per se, but more or less grow concentric rings with multiple eyes with smaller rings around them. Once it gets larger and really has distinct eye with their own concentric rings then I'll think about fragging a piece off ;)

I spent some yesterday looking through pics on google, and in virtually all pics you can see lighter patches of tissue in areas where the eyes/rings develop, similar to the white patches in mine, leading me to conclude the patches are indeed areas of growth. BUT I'm convinced that the other white areas (that look like striations or dusting up in the darker rings of the coral are also growth areas. Those are the white colorations that have developed recently and are causing me concern. Can low alk cause bleaching? I've been having trouble with zoas closing and melting with my low alk (as soon as I raise it to 2.5meq/l they open again) and my birdsnest branches look like they could use viagra (which I've heard is a very clear indicator of low alk). Other than that everything else, and all of my other LPS, appear to be doing just fine. Maybe it is just new areas of growth higher up in the ring that haven't fully developed into clear patches yet?

 

[poksal]

I have absolutely no help… Just wanted to say that is one absolutely amazing coral. As well as it bounced back from being munched on, I sure hope it’s just growth. You should be proud of that coral. You must be doing something right. I’m sure we will all be watching to see what happens in this scenario.

 

[FishyReef]

So I thought I'd give you all an update on my australomussa. I've finally discovered the source of the problem. My pink-spotted watchman goby has taken to sifting sand on top of the coral, which the coral is quite unhappy about. The dense white areas are new eye growth, but the dusty white discoloration inside the blue areas is where the goby has sifted sand. There is one area in particular that he constantly dumps sand on. I keep blowing the sand off and the coral will be really white in that spot, then color up again in a few hours. The last two days I've watched the coral puff up that spot to try to remove the sand, much like a plate coral does only it's only doing it in that one area. Of course, as soon as I remove the sand the goby comes right back. The timing on this makes a lot of sense - in Oct the coral looked amazing, then I removed the black-cap basslet from my tank which patrolled the caves right behind the australomussa. No other fish were allowed in that area, so the goby never ventured over there. Now that the black-cap is gone, the goby spends about half of his time there and the other half in his regular cave. I started noticing the dusty discoloration in Nov, after the black cap was removed. I have no idea what I'm going to do to change the goby's behavior, but I've got to eventually do something to get this coral back to its brilliant state!