Trachyphyllia Receding but no RTN or STN

[sen5241b]

I got a small brain with a beautiful and unusual orange color. I noticed the flesh is receding around the edges but there is no dead tissue like you see when the coral is infected or when it has Rapid Tissue Necrosis (RTN) or STN. I noticed an emerald crab crawling on it at one point. Where the flesh is receded looks like it was picked clean. My other corals are looking fine although my lobo looks a little bit retracted.

 

[little_fish]

Do you have any shrimps in your tank? Whenever my sexy shrimp decide to go after a coral they look like that.

 

[sen5241b]

No shrimps. Got emeralds, gobies and snails including one inch and a half wide Turbo.

 

[sen5241b]

Salnity 1.023
Nitrates zero
calcium 490
Alk 7
Ph 8.3
temp 79

I had to leave town for 2 days and it has gotten worse and my lobo continues to look bad

HELP!

I know this pic sucks but you can see the white receding area.

 

[little_fish]

Did you by chance have an alk swing? I would also up your salinity to 1.026

 

[sen5241b]

Did you by chance have an alk swing? I would also up your salinity to 1.026

Good call -I dosed alk recently and there may well have been an alk swing.

My hammer, mushrooms (2 kinds), zoas (2 kinds), Echinophyllia (2 kinds), plate (funchia) all look just fine.

 

[sen5241b]

Also, if there was an alk swing it could not have gone higher than 8 maybe 9.

 

[little_fish]

Well, ive always heard that brains (and I would toss lobos into that category) are very sensitive to alk swings, so the swing might have been small enough to piss off the brain and lobo, but not any of your other LPS corals

 

[sen5241b]

My trumpets, sinularia and Ricordea are also fine. This is a weird one. seems like I can rule out of the obvious reasons.

 

[little_fish]

I would put my money on an alk spike personally

Perhaps next time you dose, do a test right before, 15 minutes afterwards, 45 minutes after, and then that evening. You might see something funny.

 

[sen5241b]

I would put my money on an alk spike personally

Perhaps next time you dose, do a test right before, 15 minutes afterwards, 45 minutes after, and then that evening. You might see something funny.

Good idea. I forgot to mention my Favia looks fine also.

 

[sen5241b]

My bulb is 11 months old. Maybe some LPS need stronger light?

 

[little_fish]

It could be, but I doubt it. However, it wouldnt hurt to change it