Why is my platygyra turning a redish-brown color?

[Stelioshah]

Hey guys, I have had this platygyra frag for about 2 months already. It has a neon green color, but one of its corners have turned into a redish-brown color as you can see in the pictures below. Could this be from too much light? From up close it looks like algae but it won't come off with brushing, which leads me to believe that it is not algae. Since my phosphates are low, the algae in my tank generally is weak and comes off easily.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Looks like it could be from lighting where was it located in your tank? Should be located low to moderate lighting and lower flow. Anything around it with sweeper tentacles?

 

[Stelioshah]

Looks like it could be from lighting where was it located in your tank? Should be located low to moderate lighting and lower flow. Anything around it with sweeper tentacles?

It is located on the sand bed next to an acan frag, so no sweepers there. While my acan has its feeder tentacles extended all day long I have never seen the platygyra extend its feeders. Its mouths open and catch food whenever I feed liquid rotifers but it will never actively extends feeder tentacles, which leads me to believe that it phosynthesis too much.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

is there any shading or shadowing in that area of the tank you could utilize for the time being so it doesnt have direct light. What about depth how deep is your tank and how high is your light placement?

 

[DeniseAndy]

My platys have always liked shaded areas. Brown may be it gathering algae and losing flesh.

 

[Stelioshah]

is there any shading or shadowing in that area of the tank you could utilize for the time being so it doesnt have direct light. What about depth how deep is your tank and how high is your light placement?

Yes there is an overhang right next to it. Would you put it in total shadowness or just in a partially shadowy place?

 

[DeniseAndy]

I would place it in the shadow. Mine sit in my LPS tank under a rack so full shade. This is where they do best for me actually.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Put the end that is showing lighter pink in shadowing and the other maybe not if it starts to get pinkish on the other side you know its light issues. Or you can go straight shadow to not chance anymore harm and see how things go. As @DeniseAndy stated theres love shadowy areas....remember flow as well when placing...

 

[Stelioshah]

My platys have always liked shaded areas. Brown may be it gathering algae and losing flesh.

I cannot really understand what it likes or not tbh I have seen it "puff" a few times but not for very long...

 

[Stelioshah]

Okay guys, thank you very much. I will put it under the overhang and see how it goes.

 

[DeniseAndy]

What fish or cuc are in the tank? Sometimes shrimp bother these corals and take food as they are slow to eat. Lots of fish will nip them too.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

If it was turning a dull brown it would be due to not enough lighting but since it is a pinkish (lighting up in color) it really makes me think it is a lighting problem. As in too much light. I hope everything works out keep us posted...

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

I didnt think about that @DeniseAndy good call could be from irritation from cuc and fish.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

mine is on a rock on the sandbed just beside an acan colony, under MH lights, and grows like crazy and almost covered the whole rock.

In my opinion, medium light medium flow, and feed reef roids once a week.

 

[DeniseAndy]

It will depend on light intensities you run. Mine are 24" down in tank, under rack and I run 4x 39w T5s on the system that are maybe 3" off surface. Sorry, no LEDs for me on my larger tanks.

I do feed the tank New Life Spectrum Cell and Reef food and my corals have been loving it.

 

[Stelioshah]

What fish or cuc are in the tank? Sometimes shrimp bother these corals and take food as they are slow to eat. Lots of fish will nip them too.

I have a scooter blenny, 2 clowns, a lawnmower blenny and a fireshrimp. The scooter blenny ignores the rotifers and the clowns hand out on the top. The fireshrimp stays in its cave all day long, never comes out.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Thats why i was asking light placement and height. As well could be his placement is lower towards the tank creating a higher par reading on his bed.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Try the slight shadows and see how it goes. Wont know til you try. If it continues to lighten give us all an update and we can go from there.

 

[DeniseAndy]

The fire shrimp may be coming out at night and irritating it a bit. The lawnmower will start bothering it if it gets any algae on it. Can be irritating. None of this is an issue if it is a healthy coral, but yours is currently in need of healing, so be aware of those possible irritations.
If it is not healing, try making a net around it to keep the shrimp and blenny off it. Just a thought.

 

[Stelioshah]

The tank is about 22 inches tall and the lights are about 4-6 inches above it. I use the maxpect razor LEDS and they peak at 40% white and 75% blue