Something eating my candy cane?

[Iafrate]

Is my candy cane dying or is something eating it?

 

[Idoc]

I think it's dying... the tissues are receding to show the skeleton. The rock in the background looks like a really new tank... how old is the system?

 

[Iafrate]

I think it's dying... the tissues are receding to show the skeleton. The rock in the background looks like a really new tank... how old is the system?

About 6 months. The rock behind it is only about 2-3 months. I’m never happy with my aquascape

 

[Iafrate]

I think it's dying... the tissues are receding to show the skeleton. The rock in the background looks like a really new tank... how old is the system?

My hammers and soft corals are all happy

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tissue loss and retention
Lights seem awfully bright. reduce white, increase blue, moderate water flow and feed 2z per week. These have minimum requirements.

 

[Iafrate]

Tissue loss and retention
Lights seem awfully bright. reduce white, increase blue, moderate water flow and feed 2z per week. These have minimum requirements.

The whites were just for the picture.

 

[Idoc]

About 6 months. The rock behind it is only about 2-3 months. I’m never happy with my aquascape

Lps and softies also like some nutrients...ie, nitrates and phosphates. I had trouble keeping LPS when i had trouble keeping nutrients in my tank at the beginning.

 

[Iafrate]

Lps and softies also like some nutrients...ie, nitrates and phosphates. I had trouble keeping LPS when i had trouble keeping nutrients in my tank at the beginning.

My nitrates have been around 7-5 phosphate .1-.25

 

[Idoc]

My nitrates have been around 7-5 phosphate .1-.25

Is the one remaining head still opening and extending feeding tentacles? I feed my trumpet coral every few days and its really responding and growing. Mine are extended in the mornings when the lights comes on.

 

[Iafrate]

Is the one remaining head still opening and extending feeding tentacles? I feed my trumpet coral every few days and its really responding and growing. Mine are extended in the mornings when the lights comes on.

They both were until recent but now it’s just the one that opens

 

[KHunter0622]

I’d cut that head off. Glue each one to new plugs. Sand bed them. Cut the bottom off a 20 oz or 2 litter and 2 times a week put it over them and shoot some food into the bottle. Keep them in the bed or on a frag rack till the tank is confident then try try again. Generally if anything is eating it would be it’s already on its way out. Other times a head got buried and not noticed soon enough. Could always try dipping the bad head in some Coral RX or other as a Hail Mary. Good luck on your candy canes. Once you get them going all of a sudden you’ll have 60+ heads.

 

[Idoc]

They both were until recent but now it’s just the one that opens

Well, sounds like you still might have a chance. They are very hardy.
@KHunter0622 has a good idea...a coral dip might help to make sure you don't have a pest involved. Maybe even after that dip, an iodine dip in case there's some damaged tissue present. I would definitely move the coral though... lighting or flow or something at that spot may be bothering it. I'm assuming the 2 heads were perfectly healthy prior?

Since you really only have one viable head, you can hand feed. I use a pipette and hand "push" a single mysis shrimp to each head every few days. I shut off flow when doing this. The funnel idea works too especially when there are a lot of heads to feed. But, if you can hand feed while it's hurt, then you'll know that head definitely received food while nursing it back.

 

[Iafrate]

Well, sounds like you still might have a chance. They are very hardy.
@KHunter0622 has a good idea...a coral dip might help to make sure you don't have a pest involved. Maybe even after that dip, an iodine dip in case there's some damaged tissue present. I would definitely move the coral though... lighting or flow or something at that spot may be bothering it. I'm assuming the 2 heads were perfectly healthy prior?

Since you really only have one viable head, you can hand feed. I use a pipette and hand "push" a single mysis shrimp to each head every few days. I shut off flow when doing this. The funnel idea works too especially when there are a lot of heads to feed. But, if you can hand feed while it's hurt, then you'll know that head definitely received food while nursing it back.

Yes they were both healthy before. But I’ll try what was suggested thank you everyone

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

About 6 months. The rock behind it is only about 2-3 months. I’m never happy with my aquascape

When you take rock out and replace with new you are really putting a big drain on your bacteria in the tank, rock is called "live" because that's where the bacteria live and bacteria is wheat keeps the tank stable to an extent.

 

[jsc]

Have you tried dipping it and moving it to lower light?