Is this bleaching or STN'ing?

[Miller535]

I have a lemonade Anacropora that is not looking good it's either bleaching or stn'ing. Could someone please advise. They are not great pictures, sorry.

 

[Miller535]

I should add that my urchin picked this up and walked all over the place with it earlier in the week

 

[jda]

I cannot really tell. STN has real tissue loss, usually from the bottom up. Bleaching is when a coral goes light and loses most color - this does not look like it. The color could be lightening.

If you just moved it around a bunch, then just give it some stability (mount it) and let it recover.

 

[Miller535]

Ok, I can still see polyps on a lot of the lighter color parts. But its probably bleaching then?

 

[Miller535]

I should also add that I have a pink birdsnest and a meteor shower that are all not having good polyp extention and colors have faded

 

[Miller535]

This is darker but you can see the polyps

 

[vetteguy53081]

Appears to be bleaching. What will cause this:

Lights too bright
Flow too strong
High salinity
high temperature
High alk
Hi PH
Red bugs or flatworms

A FEW THINGS ABOVE FOR YOU TO CHECK.

 

[Miller535]

Appears to be bleaching. What will cause this:

Lights too bright
Flow too strong
High salinity
high temperature
High alk
Hi PH
Red bugs or flatworms

A FEW THINGS ABOVE FOR YOU TO CHECK.

Salinity is 35 ppt, pretty positive sure flow is good, alk is stable around 9 dkh, i have dipped everything and have not seen any pest. Temp is 76-77.5. Ph is 7.8-8.05. I have suspected that lights being too bright though

 

[SeaDweller]

Appears to be neither. I’d think it’s just adjusting to your tank. I don’t see tissue loss. I don’t see uniform lightening of the piece. May just be in transition.

 

[Miller535]

Appears to be neither. I’d think it’s just adjusting to your tank. I don’t see tissue loss. I don’t see uniform lightening of the piece. May just be in transition.

Is there anything I should do? Or just keep things stable the way they are?

 

[SeaDweller]

Is there anything I should do? Or just keep things stable the way they are?

Keep things stable and just leave it alone if it’s not getting worse.

I have (and had) a few pieces that took a crap and are still on the road to recovery, and it’s been 6+ months, a couple that have been in recovery mode for a year plus.