Cyphastrea problem

[Chris_Noles]

So I’ve had this cyphastrea frag for about a week and it completely lost color in the first day and progressively has gotten worse, what can I do? DKH is 8.8 and calcium is 439, It is in the lower portion of the tank also

 

[lelandmarine]

may be sensitive to high par. Nice info at Tidal Garden

 

[Duffer]

Phosphates and nitrates are ?

 

[UnderseaOddities]

So I’ve had this cyphastrea frag for about a week and it completely lost color in the first day and progressively has gotten worse, what can I do? DKH is 8.8 and calcium is 439, It is in the lower portion of the tank also

Did you dip? Could have been an adverse side effect of coral rx.. could be n p k, I would inquire about the parameters in which it was kept before you got it. Light intensity, placement, nutrition, feeding.

Personally to me it looks to be a cal mag problem leading to mineral depletion, plus maybe combination of high flow and too much light or not enough it all depends on where you have it place cyphestrea have done good in the middle of my tank with semi to moderate flow others color down and may need less light for a few weeks on the bottom of tank with minimal flow, another thing may be over feeding alot of hardcorals don't do well to aminos or high nutrient output powders such as roids or chilli, most sps ime prefer oyster feast and a combination of spirulina and frozen mysis shrimp, some also have adverse effects to aminos and it depletes the mucus coat which eventually leads to stn

The best advice is placement is key as well as knowing the who what when where how. Many wholesalers and retailers will sell you there problems hydroids, bryopsis,turf,wafer encrusting or go heavy with the glue selling you sometimes something that's already half dead but they don't care it's just a number to them,as long as they're making money in the chop shop.sometime you can lose a piece to no fault of your own, one thing I've learned over the years quality in quality out, and the more simple the better at then end of the day the equipment doesn't keep the coral alive the person does,there are company's that sell you the dreams ( try to upsell you on equipment, half of which you don't even need) then there are genuine stores that actually make their revenue from fish and coral. Buyer beware and keep your squinties peeled , know who's the kingfish in your local reef scene

 

[JSchwarz]

It looks like a new tank by the pictures. In my experience cyphastrea don't do well in newer tanks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any number of factors can affect their appearance such as changes in light, water chemistry, nutrition, or stressful events like shipping or being bagged and then not properly acclimated. If there is one coral you do not want to put in strong light or even moderate light to begin with it is a Cyphastrea because it takes a long time for them to adjust to high intensity light. We recommend lighting intensity under 100 PAR to start and if you want to move them into higher light conditions, do so very slowly. They require a moderate, indirect flow to ensure that no detritus builds up on their body. As they grow however their shape can become more of a detritus trap and you may have to change things up to keep them clean. If the detritus is allowed to build up it will over time kill the coral underneath and may be a reason you are experiencing fading.
If you want to feed them directly, you will want to be able to completely shut off the flow because any flow will wash away the food before the coral has a chance to grab and eat it. Speaking of feeding . . . . do not target feed Cyphastrea as it may be more effort than it is worth. If you turn off the flow and provide them with appropriately sized food, they do take in a fair amount and slough off the rest. If you do decide to target feed them, there are a couple sources of food that work well, amino acids and small zooplankton.
There are three major chemical parameters that are needed by Cyphastrea to build its stony skeleton. These are Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium. Cyphastrea is adaptable and will survive in lower nutrient as well as higher nutrient situations BUT these levels will impact their appearance. Too much nutrient and the coral might turn an unattractive brown color. Too little nutrient and they might take on a pale emaciated appearance.
Shoot for Nitrate levels around 5-7ppm but don’t freak out if theyare slightly higher around 15 ppm. Similarly, try to keep Phosphates around 0.01 to 0.05 ppm. If those figures get too high, it may slow down their growth or cause them to take on poor coloration - again something to keep an eye on.
Quality test kits will assure your numbers are safe - NOT API test kits either which are very unreliable.

 

[Chris_Noles]

Any number of factors can affect their appearance such as changes in light, water chemistry, nutrition, or stressful events like shipping or being bagged and then not properly acclimated. If there is one coral you do not want to put in strong light or even moderate light to begin with it is a Cyphastrea because it takes a long time for them to adjust to high intensity light. We recommend lighting intensity under 100 PAR to start and if you want to move them into higher light conditions, do so very slowly. They require a moderate, indirect flow to ensure that no detritus builds up on their body. As they grow however their shape can become more of a detritus trap and you may have to change things up to keep them clean. If the detritus is allowed to build up it will over time kill the coral underneath and may be a reason you are experiencing fading.
If you want to feed them directly, you will want to be able to completely shut off the flow because any flow will wash away the food before the coral has a chance to grab and eat it. Speaking of feeding . . . . do not target feed Cyphastrea as it may be more effort than it is worth. If you turn off the flow and provide them with appropriately sized food, they do take in a fair amount and slough off the rest. If you do decide to target feed them, there are a couple sources of food that work well, amino acids and small zooplankton.
There are three major chemical parameters that are needed by Cyphastrea to build its stony skeleton. These are Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium. Cyphastrea is adaptable and will survive in lower nutrient as well as higher nutrient situations BUT these levels will impact their appearance. Too much nutrient and the coral might turn an unattractive brown color. Too little nutrient and they might take on a pale emaciated appearance.
Shoot for Nitrate levels around 5-7ppm but don’t freak out if theyare slightly higher around 15 ppm. Similarly, try to keep Phosphates around 0.01 to 0.05 ppm. If those figures get too high, it may slow down their growth or cause them to take on poor coloration - again something to keep an eye on.
Quality test kits will assure your numbers are safe - NOT API test kits either which are very unreliable.

So I only have the API test for nitrates but they have been in the 0 range, also if I wanted to slowly raise nitrates how would I go about that?

 

[Chris_Noles]

It looks like a new tank by the pictures. In my experience cyphastrea don't do well in newer tanks.

Tank is about 5 months old so yeah pretty new

 

[nanonøkk]

not to high jack the thread but i have cyphastrea in my new tank that’s younger than 4 months and it’s growing great so it could be something else

 

[Chris_Noles]

not to high jack the thread but i have cyphastrea in my new tank that’s younger than 4 months and it’s growing great so it could be something else

Where do you have it placed and what light are you running? I'm running an AI hydra 52 on a 25 gal lagoon

 

[nanonøkk]

i have an ai prime hd and it’s at the bottom of the tank the light is 8 inches from the surface of the water here’s a picture with it circled

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I only have the API test for nitrates but they have been in the 0 range, also if I wanted to slowly raise nitrates how would I go about that?

Do not raise- at least yet. Using API, take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does not use API kit and have them test to verify readings and to compare with yours. Then make changes if warranted.

 

[Chris_Noles]

Do not raise- at least yet. Using API, take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does not use API kit and have them test to verify readings and to compare with yours. Then make changes if warranted.

Okay I can do that but as for flow I have 2 wavemakers that put out 600 - 700 gph each but they are pointed at each other across from the tank, should I switch that up so the flow comes from the back? Here is a pic of my current set up

 

[Cell]

I'd try to lower it or shade it a bit if anything. I find a lot of my cyph's grow faster away from the light, towards shade.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'd try to lower it or shade it a bit if anything. I find a lot of my cyph's grow faster away from the light, towards shade.

Yep- low to moderate light and moderate flow
For powerhead - off set them

 

[Chris_Noles]

I'd try to lower it or shade it a bit if anything. I find a lot of my cyph's grow faster away from the light, towards shade.

I put it in the shade and it looked worse so moved it up, I’ll try it on the sand and see how that does

 

[Pistondog]

I put it in the shade and it looked worse so moved it up, I’ll try it on the sand and see how that does

How long did you leave it there?
Mine didn't start to improve when moved to < 100par for a week.

 

[Chris_Noles]

How long did you leave it there?
Mine didn't start to improve when moved to < 100par for a week.

Had it in the shade for 4-5 days and I moved it up for 2-3 days

 

[Cell]

Gotta give it time to settle in a spot. Cant expect to see a reversal in just 4 or 5 days.

 

[Uncle99]

I put it in the shade and it looked worse so moved it up, I’ll try it on the sand and see how that does

IMO making too much change too fast will aid it’s demise.
Repair happens in months, not hours and days.
Mine took three months, I thought it was done, but now, I wish it would slow.
Seems mine does best under a rock cliff, and growth slows as it spreads to higher light.
Good luck.