Australophyllia (Symphyllia) Wilsoni care?

Brian1f1 · Jun 25, 2019

reefsponge said:
Does yours get any direct light? Yours looks rich in color, many others including myself seem to have bleaching issues that cause a decline.

It does, on the sand bed. It’s done quite well, but like I said, I think it’s beginning to fail now, maybe from too much light, or flow, or a sting, or over or under feeding, or who knows... it’s a shame.

Look at the size it used to expand too at its peak. Makes me sad.

Fiesty · Jul 8, 2019

Starblenny said:
Has anyone have had any long term success with these beautiful corals? I've noticed they are more common at LFS (and in sponsor's threads) but when searching about them, it seems like no one has any success with them in the long term.

Ive had one green n dark colored for a couple years now and been very easy to keep for me. No special treatment. Didnt realize these r difficult till I read this!!!!! Now u got me worried. Bought another orange colored one a few months back but it seems to be doing well also. Im posting some terrible pics of them now from phone (zoomed in from full tank shots) but will take better ones of just them when home and have the time.

luv2lopeqhs · Jul 20, 2019

This is a picture of mine. It’s been in my system since the first of the year so about 7 months now...it’s maintained it’s color and stays very fluffy. I really think your bleaching issue may be related to your light spectrum.

Brian1f1 · Jul 20, 2019

Mine has continued its very slow decline after one year or so.

luv2lopeqhs · Jul 20, 2019

Brian1f1 said:
Mine has continued its very slow decline after one year or so.

Sorry to hear that....any idea as to what might have caused it’s decline? Was yours a frag or larger colony....mine was a very small frag that the vendor I got it from had since October of 2018....I got it early in 2019. He told me he originally had two and lost one but this one held on and was doing well and since I got it has seemed to continue to flourish, maintain its coloring, and grow....so far any way. Mine isn’t nearly as tight appearing as so many I have seen it’s more fleshy...wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Brian1f1 · Jul 20, 2019

It was a larger colony. It thrived for about 10 months, and has been slowly failing for about 5. No longer fully inflated. Skeleton exposed in areas. It’s been painful bc I feed it, keep the tank on the cooler side, have given it different amounts of flow, and so forth. Idk what it’s deal is, but I hear it’s a pretty common course with the wilsoni.

andrewkw · Aug 7, 2019

Update. The earlier pictures were taken just in sunlight but it is a little darker today. I have lost a couple of polyps off the top though I am unsure if that tissue recession is due to catching other corals or just it's slow decline. It's still eating well and I'm generally keeping my tank around 76 but on hot days I will still reach 77. Keeping the tank cooler has not had much effect these 2 months or so. Perhaps some growth rates have slowed a bit in other corals but nothing substantial.

I target feed the coral once a week with LRS, and various other foods, as well as try and get some tiny pellets to hit it a few times during the week. It still eats well and puffs up, but occasionally deflates like the picture I posted a few months ago when I thought it wasn't going to make it another day. If I had a little more resources I'd like to try these in different tanks to see what exactly can be done to keep them healthy but the reality is I just want this particular colony to colour up again and at this point it's either going to continue to slowly decline or maybe just maybe regain it's colour in the next year or so.

andrewkw · Aug 23, 2019

Another update : While the colour is either staying the same or getting slightly better there is more tissue recession. Given that it's now been 4 months of decline, I am more convinced then ever it's slowly on it's way out. I would actually prefer to raise the temp back up in my tank but I am still trying to keep it lower than normal for this guy. I continue to heavily feed once a week and it continues to accept the food but it's condition continues to worse

I hate to say it but this is one piece I do regret buying. I like a challenge, and I love meaty LPS corals but this is a losing battle. While it seems my experience is common, there does seem to be a few people keeping these. I wonder what the secret is if any, or perhaps it's just where their specimens were collected from.

These pics are just in sunlight

reefsponge · Aug 23, 2019

I had to ask a retailer who brings in many wilsoni’s, what the sweet spot is. He said no light at all, super low blue spectrum. I currently have mine under an overhang receiving no direct light and trying to feed it reef roids and fauna Marin pellets every other day. I want to say that it hasn’t bleached any more, but hasn’t deepened color.
It always makes me wonder if I had put it under the overhang initially if it would have held its color. Initially, I had it on the bottom in a corner getting indirect low light.
Anyone out there who has brought a bleached one back to deepened colors?

andrewkw · Aug 28, 2019

Another update. I have reluctantly removed the piece from my display knowing that it's very likely never going back. While the colour still continues to improve, tissue loss is also increasing.

I dipped it with an iodine based dip (seachem reef dip) and then placed it in my unlit refugium. I will attempt to target feed it there and see what happens. Next week when I do my next water change I'll dip it again.

In the bucket while being dipped it puffed up, and on the back side where it was cut just prior to me taking it home you can see there is a bit of new growth, but also lots of tissue loss.

Brian1f1 · Nov 24, 2019

I was told by TSM, where I got mine, that they’ve yet to “crack the code” on them. I took it to mean they can’t typically keep them alive either and don’t know why, I think they actually stopped selling them. Mine has now been with me for nearly 18 months. The very long very slow decline continues...