Stylophora with a Black Patch post-algae. Suggestions?

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I got this gorgeous coral from a LFS yesterday. Guy said it was a Stylophora. Anyway, got the coral home, and as I was prepping to acclimate it, I noticed that the plug it came on was absolutely coated in a coarse, reddish brown, grass-like algae. What really got me worried was that there was also a patch of bright green algae that looked suspiciously like bubble algae, so I decided it was best to just remove the coral from the plug and just avoid getting that junk in my tank.

 

So as I'm trying to get the coral off the plug, I noticed that the brownish algae was growing up the back side of the coral. The tank setup at the lfs didn't really allow me to see the back and I wish it had, because I definitely didn't see this. So I carefully scrapped the algae off, and to my dismay the coral was a sooty grey/black color under the algae. There's also a little patch on the top of the branch that was turning black that is also looking a bit greyish. The opposite branches look fine.

 

I'm still a newbie to the reefing hobby, so I've never seen anything like this before. Is my coral ok? Or is it dying? I know coral turning white is bad, but what about the opposite? Any tips would be amazing. It took food just fine last night, but I'm just worried that black will spread or get worse.

 

 

 

 

 

Also, have a bonus pic of my pep helping me take pictures of the coral before I glue it down.

[coralfreakcr]

When introducing a new colony to a tank, it is best to pre-dip the coral for 10-15 minutes in a mixture of 5-10 drops of Lugol's iodine solution per liter of tank water, or to simply follow the directions on commercially available iodine-based coral dips. The dip should be performed in an isolated bath with an airstone to provide some water motion. The coral can then be given a quick rinse with tank water to minimize introduction of the dip chemicals into the tank. Ideally, newly acquired specimens should also be quarantined in a separate and isolated system until they are well adapted to tank conditions. Ideally corals should be left in quarantine for 3 months. During the quarantine time you should view the coral on a daily basis and watch for any anomalies.

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I'll keep that in mind for next time I get a coral. I posted this question in another forum and someone told me the black part is the dead skeleton, choked out by the algae. The algae didn't grow back and the skin of the coral is starting to grow over the blackened skeleton. It also has awesome polyp extension so it must be happy. I'll definitely keep your suggestion in mind if I have another questionable coral, though! Thanks~