Is my coral infected?

[ParticleMan]

So this coral has been in this tank for over a week and I noticed today it has a couple brownish type protrusions coming out of what i assume is one of the mouths. I noticed the lower one had a string coming out that was flowing in the current. Is this infected with something? I've not seen this before.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It looks like its skeleton is poking through the flesh, flesh is completely receded on the left side. Its receded so much I can't even tell what kind of coral that is. If you can share some details on your tank - parameters, type of lighting and flow, etc - I'm sure someone would be able to help you.

 

[ParticleMan]

Sure here is a summary of the tank. The frag was a bit of a charlie brown I saw at the LFS, they basically just gave it to me.

Equipment & layout (Fluval 13.5 EVO)​

• Lighting: AI Blade 12" Grow
• Flow: Hygger mini wavemaker
• Return: Vivosun 210 pump + two 1/4" RFG return nozzles
• Heating: Hygger 50W heater
• ATO: Top-off system running
• Chamber layout:
  • Chamber 1: inTank media basket (mechanical + chem media)
  • Chamber 2: refugium with Chaeto + ChaetoMax lightChamber 3: heater + ATO gear + thermometer + return pump

Filtration/media​

• Media basket currently: coarse sponge, carbon/fiber media sheet, Purigen
• Nyos Phos-Ex (~1/3 cup) started 12/31
• Bio/media: mixed rock/sand base + Seachem Matrix + ceramic rings (you’ve got a lot of surface area, which helps explain the fast nutrient processing)

Routine maintenance​

• ~2.5 gal weekly water change
• Replace fiber media, rinse sponge, clean glass, siphon sand, brush/remove hair algae as needed.

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Last 3 days of water parameters on record​

03/03/26:

• Phosphate (PO₄): 0.04
• Alkalinity (Alk): 7.8 dKH
• Nitrate (NO₃): 0 ppm

03/05/26 — Full panel​

• Alk: 7.7 dKH
• Mag: 1280 ppm
• Calcium: 395 ppm
• pH: 8.2
• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrite: 0
• Salinity: 1.025
• Nitrate: 2 ppm

03/06/26 — Partial panel (post-dose, ~2 hours after nitrate dosing)​

• Mag: 1350 ppm
• Nitrate: 4.6 ppm
• Alk: 8.0 dKH
  (No pH / Ca / salinity / NH3 / NO2 reported in that test round.)