Plate coral losing tissue

[brainreefspine]

Hi all, I have this big green plate coral that’s been super happy for six months. All of a sudden it started to expose some of the skeleton in it’s mouth a few weeks ago. Then yesterday I noticed a little tear in the tissue on the side, and then today a substantial amount of the skeleton on the side was exposed. The rest of it looks healthy. Anyone have any thoughts? I’m dipping it now but I’m suspicious something is eating it. Is this how they normally die or does it look like something is eating it? Any common culprit for things that eat this? I have a 220g mixed reef tank with like 100 other corals that are happy.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all, I have this big green plate coral that’s been super happy for six months. All of a sudden it started to expose some of the skeleton in it’s mouth a few weeks ago. Then yesterday I noticed a little tear in the tissue on the side, and then today a substantial amount of the skeleton on the side was exposed. The rest of it looks healthy. Anyone have any thoughts? I’m dipping it now but I’m suspicious something is eating it. Is this how they normally die or does it look like something is eating it? Any common culprit for things that eat this? I have a 220g mixed reef tank with like 100 other corals that are happy.

Its recession of tissue and can be from irritation from sand, Elevated Phosphates, too much light , low salinity and Low calcium

 

[KrisReef]

Sometimes when plate corals die, the skeleton will sprout new plates on the "dead" plate. Don't toss it out too quickly, but it doesn't look good right now.

 

[VintageReefer]

I’m sorry to tell you this but compared to other corals, plate corals have a poor survival rate. I don’t think it’s that they are difficult to care for, it’s more that some are just bad at adapting to tank life

I had one, fed it regularly, had great parameters, and same thing happened. Just started deteriorating and wasted away. Some have success, many just have them die out of nowhere, usually in the 6-12 month period

 

[Katrina71]

Don't toss it. Leave it. It may very well drop babies.

 

[brainreefspine]

Its recession of tissue and can be from irritation from sand, Elevated Phosphates, too much light , low salinity and Low calcium

Good call. Nitrate and phosphate are crazy high. Weirdly, I have like no algae at all at the moment, so I didn’t suspect it. Thank you all!