Fungia sensitive, but to what?

[Alveus]

So I've got a Biocube 29. Running successfully for a year. About four months ago I added an orange plate coral. His fins/ridges soon started turning ashen, and he stopped eating. Plus, the other inhabitants were stealing his food. So I cut a small plastic water bottle in half, and put it over him (and left it there) to keep thieves away during feeding time. Within a week, he sprang back to life, and was eating fine. So, figuring he was out of the woods, I removed the water bottle protection, and within a few days he started becoming ashen/white again and wouldn't eat. So I put it back, and he came back to life, as eating like a pig. He seems to only thrive with the water bottle cover is on him. The only difference I can see it making is a reduction in flow, and perhaps blocking a tiny bit of light (the bottle is clear). Are these guys super sensitive to water flow? What am I missing?

[VW_TDI_02]

I think you already may have referenced your issue. You said that others were eating the food for the plate. If others are eating the food they may also be picking at the plate as well. What else is in the tank?

 

[Edit]

Fungia like moderate to low flow but higher light.

[Clown79]

It may be inhabitants stealing the food, so i would cover it with the bottle when feeding it.

 

It could be the flow too, if its in high flow area that could be irritating its flesh

[Alveus]

Thanks for the input. I had only been considering the flow and light as factors, not that the others could have been irritating the plate when they would crawl over it to steal its food. It gets a good amount of light, and is in a fairly low flow area. I have removed the bottle, and will try only using it during feeding. Everybody usually leaves him alone unless I'm feeding him.

 

In the tank are two clowns, sixline wrasse, blue/yellow blenny, a skunk shrimp, and a bunch of hermit crabs of varying sizes, plus a few snails.

[Clown79]

My skunk shrimp is the food thief. He's all over any coral i feed.

 

Feeding with the bottle and leaving it there while the coral eats will prevent your shrimp from stealing

[Alveus]

OK, so I removed the bottle this morning. Plate was completely healthy looking, and all orange. Within nine hours (lights were on for 3 of those hours, and there was no feeding in that time), his fins/ridges are already bleaching.

 

I will keep the bottle on until he is totally healthy and completely orange again, and then remove the bottle and leave the lights off all day to rule them out as the culprit. If its not the lights, then it must be the flow (although he is in a fairly low flow area, I think). I don't think it is the other inhabitants, as they leave him alone outside of feeding time.

 

I am perplexed...

 

[Clown79]

Maybe its getting too much light. My chalice and favia did the same thing until i moved them to an indirect light area.

 

Everything i've read says this coral needs moderate light and low to moderate flow.

 

So if its in direct light thats most likely the reason for the issue

[Alveus]

I'm becoming more convinced it's the light. Once he's back to full health, I'll remove the bottle, and leave the lights off and see what happens

[markalot]

Can you take a video so we can see flow? I lost my plate corals to low nutrients but before that it was positional, too much flow would irritate the plate and cause some tearing of the skin. They did best on the edge of the tank because in the middle on the sandbed PAR is pretty high.

[Alveus]

He's almost back to full health, with bottle covering him. Tomorrow, I'll take the bottle off, and leave the lights off all day. If he still bleaches, then I'll know its the flow. I'll keep you posted, and will post a video if that's the case. I'm thinking markalot may be right about the PAR. The plate is in the middle of the Biocube, so probably getting too much light. Stay tuned...

[Clown79]

I think its the light. Flow on't cause bleaching but it will cause tearing.

 

Too much light which that coral doesn't need will lead to bleaching.

 

My chalice did the same thing under direct light. I simply moved it and within a day started coming back

[Alveus]

So, I removed the bottle this morning at around 8:00am, and kept the lights off. Already, by 10:00am, his ridges were turning white at the top. The only thing I can think of is the flow. Time to find him another location in the tank. It's a Biocube 29, so the options will be somewhat limited.

 

For flow, I have the stock Biocube return pump, plus a 425GPH Koralia powerhead mounted to the back wall in the upper right of the tank, pointed slightly up toward the surface of the water.

[Clown79]

I hear ya. I had a pain finding the right spots for the more delicate corals.