Duncan coral skeleton issue

[Lelegance]

I just got this beautiful duncan colony from my lfs, and it was open and happy for the first week or so until an emerald crab ate some of the polyp and dislodged it onto the sandbed. Got home, removed the crab, and replaced the duncan. The head that was eaten is still closed, but the others were starting to open. A couple days later, which is now, i see a couple white spots on the skeleton. Is this recession? What is going on? I will test soon here. I posted three pictures, the blue light one the most recent, the darker white light one the oldest.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It doesn't look good. Do you have other corals in your tank, how are they doing? Duncan is usually a hardy easy going coral. If you can share more details on your tank (parameters, age, lighting and flow) it will help. I do see a lot of algae in the background which shows some instability there.

 

[Lelegance]

It doesn't look good. Do you have other corals in your tank, how are they doing? Duncan is usually a hardy easy going coral. If you can share more details on your tank (parameters, age, lighting and flow) it will help. I do see a lot of algae in the background which shows some instability there.

~1 year, low flow, 120 par, salinity 1.025, temperature 79, i will check parameters

 

[Lelegance]

Its getting worse, and the skin is starting to look brown. Does anyone have ideas on what to do? Would hate to loose a coral right after buying. What do i do?

 

[Shirak]

What are your other parameters?

Are the polyps still opening up? Duncan like to eat. Small frozen mysis works well. Day or night as long as the tentacles are out. Twice a week is good.

 

[Lelegance]

What are your other parameters?

Are the polyps still opening up? Duncan like to eat. Small frozen mysis works well. Day or night as long as the tentacles are out. Twice a week is good.

I dont think it will receive food. It barley lets its polyps flush with the skeleton. Parameters:

110 par
Low-medium flow
1.025 salinity
79 temperature
Ph 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 375
Alk 7.2
Mag 1260
Phosphate 0.03

 

[Dou g]

Feel like it likely not the cause, but would work to raise calcium to at least above 400 and Magnesium to 1350. Do you have any coral dip that is iodine based? Edit: may also want to have some trace level of nitrates.

 

[Lelegance]

Feel like it likely not the cause, but would work to raise calcium to at least above 400 and Magnesium to 1350. Do you have any coral dip that is iodine based? Edit: may also want to have some trace level of nitrates.

I just dosed neonitro, and am working to raise calcium and magnesium. I have dipx, no clue if its iodine based

 

[Dou g]

Looking at the dipx info, it does not have iodine, but the products site still does list that it slows down RTN and STN. Looks like the coral is glued down, so not sure how easy it would be to remove and dip it.

 

[Lelegance]

Looking at the dipx info, it does not have iodine, but the products site still does list that it slows down RTN and STN. Looks like the coral is glued down, so not sure how easy it would be to remove and dip it.

It should be doable, The glue is not too strong, i beleive.

 

[Shirak]

Your Alk is on the low side also along with Ca and Mg which tells me your salinity measurement may be off and reading higher than it is. That and very low nutrients is going to be the cause of the coral tissue receding fast IMO.

Try adding a little food about an hour after lights out and see if you can get the polyps to extend out a little. You might be able to get it to take a little food if you can get a little feeding response.

 

[Lelegance]

Your Alk is on the low side also along with Ca and Mg which tells me your salinity measurement may be off and reading higher than it is. That and very low nutrients is going to be the cause of the coral tissue receding fast IMO.

Try adding a little food about an hour after lights out and see if you can get the polyps to extend out a little. You might be able to get it to take a little food if you can get a little feeding response.

You are right. Salinity is 1.023 after calibrating my refractometer, thank you! I am feeding it right now.

 

[Lelegance]

The issue is resolved, but i saw some brown stuff on the coral. Sucked the bulk of it off but some wont come off.

 

[Jaden9933]

i know you just said it was resolved, but i would definitely consider getting a bit of nitrates in the water, and making sure you have a at least .1ppm of phosphate. LPS love nutrients and low nitrates essentially “starve” the coral

 

[Lelegance]

i know you just said it was resolved, but i would definitely consider getting a bit of nitrates in the water, and making sure you have a at least .1ppm of phosphate. LPS love nutrients and low nitrates essentially “starve” the coral

I dosed neonitro, and removed algae yesterday.

 

[Lelegance]

I am just worried that this is BjD. I will get back to you with a better photo after hockey.

 

[Jaden9933]

I am just worried that this is BjD. I will get back to you with a better photo after hockey.

sounds good! also, if it is BJD, you may want to cut off the affected heads/polyps. i’m weary to say this, because fragging an irritated coral isn’t the best option, but from my personal experience, BJD always wins in the end. let’s stay hopeful it’s not BJD!

 

[Lelegance]

That brown stuff is not on the duncan, but it has continued to loose tissue. The polyps look happier and happier, but the tissue not so much. My parameters are the same. I have been dosing amino acids and Pohl’s coral vitalizer daily. Also adjusted the flow slightly to be giving it a bit more, since it was not medium flow but rather really low flow. Thanks for any help!