New SPS, bleaching or recovering?

Ktran350 · Sep 4, 2018

Hello all,

Got a new Coral a few days ago and I’m not sure if a few of the branches were injured during transport or if the coral is bleaching? All the polps
are extended and I can see it moving with the current.

Parameters:

0 Ammonia (API)
0 Nitrite (API)
0 Nitrate (API)
8 PH (API)
420 Calcium (Salifert)
8.3 Alkalinity (Salifert)
1260 Magnesium (Salifert) (Dosing To up level)
0 Phosphates (Salifert)
1.024 Salinity
Temp: 78-79 degrees

What’s your opinion?

jda · Sep 4, 2018

It is good that the polyps are out. I would just wait this one out. Look for any changes to the detriment. That looks like a Stylophora, which are pretty hardy.

You are sure to get some posts about zero nitrate and phosphate. Before you go and chase either of these, remember that ATI for Nitrate and Salifert for Phosphate are not precise enough to tell you anything. There are no test kits are are good enough for nitrate. Hannah does make a really good (IMO) phosphorous checker that reads low levels.

aros · Sep 4, 2018

Hard to tell in the picture but do the polyps look like they’re missing from the affected area? Is that area just bare skeleton? It looks to me like it could be a green or gatorade birdnest. I’ve had something like that happen to me on birdnests and stylos and come to find out it was a hungry sexy anemone shrimp. If all your parameters check out I’d be willing to bet you’ve got some hungry shrimp in your tank. FYI all my sps that have been munched on have recovered just fine.

Flexin · Sep 4, 2018

Unfortunately all you can do is wait and see. Some bounce back and others don't which makes SPS hard and unforgiving.

Ktran350 · Sep 4, 2018

Thanks for the replies. Figured I would have to wait and see.

I just introduced a cleaner shrimp yesterday, so I doubt it’s the shrimp.

Polps isn’t missing I think it’s the flow that’s moving the polps back to the left.