Trumpet suddenly not opening, some heads with skeleton showing

Lovemyreef2015 · Oct 22, 2017

ArtsyAxolotl said:
Oh! I thought I did post a pic.

feel like this has gone beyond lighting. It had lots of phosphates, a bta sting it and then it got knocked down. I only turned the lights down by an hour, not by any intensity.

All my parameters are the same as in the original post, except that my nitrates and phosphates are 0 now.

Some nitrates and phosphates are good for corals. Maybe stripping the nutrients too fast in your tank upset the coral.

DSC reef · Oct 22, 2017

I agree with stripping water of nutrients too fast. A lot of changes have happened in a short time. The coral doesn't look terrible, it looks like it's trying to acclimate itself to the current conditions. No more big changes, stay in a routine to keep things stable as far as alk and calcium then just enjoy the tank.

ArtsyAxolotl · Oct 27, 2017

I also agree. I knew doing so many water changes wasn't good, but there was just sooo much filter media loose. There wasn't a way to leave it. I suppose in hind sight I could have saved some old water before doing my frantic water changes, instead of just skimming off the top of what I was taking out.

Update for you guys though... the trumpet is trying it's best. A for effort. A good chunk ignoring the heads are getting their fluffiness back, but they aren't quite at the point of their full potential. I have not seen feeding tentacles yet. One of the bigger heads at the top has lost almost all its skin, which I'm sad about but at least the coral is doing better in other areas.

I'll take pictures tomorrow evening. But I was checking my emails and realized I missed the last comment on this and figured I should update!

ArtsyAxolotl · Oct 28, 2017

I'm conflicted. Some of the heads are puffy. Some are completely dead. And a couple have some sort of algae growing out of them..

I kinda feel like I should pitch it? I don't know.. it hasn't had its tentacles out at all.. I'm going to keep being patient and trying not to bother it, but those little tufts of wispy algae make me nervous.

Jerry Smith · Oct 28, 2017

Mine did this two months ago and just now came back to 100%. Stop trying to change things. If your not having an issues just let it go. Mine was because I fragged it and moved it so I had room for some sps I got, and it was ticked. Moved it back and it came back. Fyi I'm not telling you what to do by any means it's just if you ask anyone in the hobby for more than a year, they all tell you to keep things the same and any changes need to happen really slow. My candy cane now

Jerry Smith · Oct 28, 2017

ArtsyAxolotl said:
I'm conflicted. Some of the heads are puffy. Some are completely dead. And a couple have some sort of algae growing out of them..

I kinda feel like I should pitch it? I don't know.. it hasn't had its tentacles out at all.. I'm going to keep being patient and trying not to bother it, but those little tufts of wispy algae make me nervous.

If it's still green it will come back. Move it up into a high light and med. flow

ArtsyAxolotl · Oct 29, 2017

It's already as high up in light as it's been. But I see your point. I guess I'll leave it in there a bit longer and continue my messing with it.

I was just worried about the wispy stuff growing on the bare skeleton, cuz it looks like hair algae and I've had trouble with that in the past.

Jerry Smith · Oct 29, 2017

you mean like this.

ArtsyAxolotl · Oct 29, 2017

I assume you're referring to the wisps at the top of your coral against the black? Yea it kinda looks like that. The strands have fuzzies in them, like feathers.

Jerry Smith · Oct 29, 2017

Yea I'm not sure what it is. I have zero algae in my DT. I assumed it was it's feeding tentacles but they haven't gone away yet and all the polyps have recovered

ArtsyAxolotl · Oct 29, 2017

Gotcha. I'll just keep an eye on it and hope it doesn't spread. Do you think the heads that have no flesh on them at all will get the skin back? Or are those done? I guess yours must have.