Lobo not inflating

[Susan Edwards]

Okay, this could be a symphillia not a lobophyllia. At night, it swells up a bit inside. Daytime, it's completly retracted, no sign of any flesh. Is this normal? I started it at bottom, moved it up. Today, thinking it doesn't like being on top, moved it back down. I try feeding but food doesn't stick.

I'm beginning to believe that corals from a lfs are in starved states when we buy them. Will it inflate more as time goes by? Will it be inflated during the day? Also noticed some red bumps on outside. Is that part of it--growth or new bits?

First pic is how it is during lights on. Pic is also when I first got it. (sand bed clear mostly now)

Following what it looks like in morning before lights on while high in tank. back to sandbed right now.

Coral growth?

 

[Labridaedicted]

Corals primarily feed at night, so you may have better luck feeding after the lights are out and if you turn all the flow off. Lobos and Symphyllias always did better low in the tank for me. As far as being retracted during the day, it's likely acclimation to your lighting (which based on the corals response sounds more intense than the stores). If you want to have it high in the tank, start it lower and move it higher in increments so it has a chance to adjust.

I find most LFS run actinic heavy spectrums (gotta show off those awesome colors) but when we get them home under intense full spectrum, it stresses stuff out a bit. Give it some time and you should see improvement.

Edit: the red bumps are sponges and tube worms in the picture referenced.

 

[Susan Edwards]

@Labridaedicted Thanks. I am feeding at night, after lights out with flow off. . Nothing sticks and the flesh doesn't look as inflated as what I see when I google and see images. The pics above, except the first which is daylight, are of it at night and as fleshy as I ever see it. and never like that during day, even on the sand. I'll give it more time on sand. I figured it wasn't getting enough light so moved it up and it didn't do any better. Not worse but not better.

Am I right in thinking this is a symphyllia?

The sponges are good, right? My first sponges.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Sponges are good. Just little filter feeding hitchhikers. You may have more of them than you realize in the tank. They tend to grow in dark areas of the tank under rocks and such.

I think you're correct in calling it a Symphyllia as opposed to a Lobophyllia. My understanding is that Symphyllias tend towards having one outside ridge and a convoluted shape to the corallite, whereas, Lobophyllia are more rounded in shape and are generally a clustering of multiple corallites as opposed to one long one. This becomes more apparent as the colony gets larger.

 

[Susan Edwards]

thanks @Labridaedicted That is what I thought after researching yesterday. Was told by lfs it was a lobo. Love both the lobos and symphs and plan to add more if this one does well. I may be hooked....

 

[Susan Edwards]

okay, so now there is the trachyphillia. So is this a trachy or symphillia

 

[Labridaedicted]

okay, so now there is the trachyphillia. So is this a trachy or symphillia

Definitely not a trach. They're much much fleshier and typically not that convoluted in shape

 

[Susan Edwards]

Definitely not a trach. They're much much fleshier and typically not that convoluted in shape

thanks again @Labridaedicted

 

[JaaxReef]

Hey there... Reviving a dead thread! Did yours ever recover or go back to looking healthy?

Having a similar experience with my small colony. Just not as puffed up as when I got it and I can see the edges of the toothy skeleton through the flesh. Not poking through, but it is definitely retracted a bit. Thinking it may be light stress too? It is in medium flow and on the sandbed. Recently turned down my lights to see if it might help. Parameters have been steady and all other corals are doing well.

Calcium 400
Alk 8.4
Magnesium 1500
Nitrate 2.0ppm
Phosphate close to 0...

 

[ARGYGANG]

Hey there... Reviving a dead thread! Did yours ever recover or go back to looking healthy?

Having a similar experience with my small colony. Just not as puffed up as when I got it and I can see the edges of the toothy skeleton through the flesh. Not poking through, but it is definitely retracted a bit. Thinking it may be light stress too? It is in medium flow and on the sandbed. Recently turned down my lights to see if it might help. Parameters have been steady and all other corals are doing well.

Calcium 400
Alk 8.4
Magnesium 1500
Nitrate 2.0ppm
Phosphate close to 0...

What happened with your colony?

 

[thamnasteroid]

Okay, this could be a symphillia not a lobophyllia.

It’s not a Symphyllia; the genus Symphyllia was reclassified to Lobophyllia in 2016.

 

[JaaxReef]

What happened with your colony?

Didn’t make it. Just kept retracting. Think it was some sort of bacterial issue when the tank was young, but not sure.