zoox Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 So I got one of these guys about 2 weeks ago now and put a post up about it only to hear from people that it's a very weak coral and probably a bad decision as it will most likely die. About a week ago a came home and found a piece of rock had dislodged and fallen down on it but it seemed to look okay. The very next day I was changing a light and a screw bounced off my hand and handed inside the corals mouth. After this happened I was fairly certain it was going to die (I removed the screw with a pair of tweezers). Over the past week I have been using a pipette to suck away dead tissue and occasionally shaking it off. Sometimes it looks like certain death and other times, like right now for instance, it looks as healthy as the day I got it. But, last night I almost took it out because it looked so bad. So I don't really know what to do. Overall it seems to be maintaining itself. Some of the tissue has died, its lost a few tentacles, but overall its kept it hasnt bleached or anything and still looks good. Any suggestions? Link to comment
OClownsandNanos Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 You still don't have any other corals in the tank, right? As long as that's the case, if I were you I'd try to continue caring for it as you have been. The concern with other corals is that if it starts getting brown jelly disease that could spread to your other corals very quickly as it's a bacterial issue that's highly contagious. Also, have you been feeding it? If not, you should do that at least once a week with vitamin-fortified mysis or other meaty foods. That would give it a much better chance, IMO, of recovering from its injuries. The more energy it can get, the better its chances. I've read of them recovering, they need excellent water conditions, supplemental feeding, and just doing what you've been doing with sucking up any junk from their infection sites. Link to comment
zoox Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 The guy at the LFS gave me some of this, have been using it twice a week. Its called marine snow. http://www.amazon.com/TWO-LITTLE-FISHIES-I...e/dp/B00025K166 Link to comment
OClownsandNanos Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Are you target feeding or broadcast feeding? If you are able to target feed with minimal waste, it's probably fine. If not, you really might want to consider maybe soaking some mysis in a little teeny bit of that, then target feeding the mysis. I have read that it has fouled other members' tanks and you need to be very mindful of keeping your water quality up right now. I've never used it myself, but my understanding is that it's really more for a tank full of corals and not for a tank that just has one. Link to comment
RayWhisperer Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Really? A plate coral hard to care for? I've never found them to be all that difficult. Maybe I've just been lucky, so I'll tell you how I've kept them. Low to medium flow on the sandbed. Moderate light (mine were under PC's). Target feed mysis or small pieces of clam or silversides once a week. Link to comment
Walking_Target Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 My Fungia plate had some RTN on the spines when I did my big tank cleanup after a phosphate induced crash - it's already 70% back after a few days. Heliofungias are a bit more tempermental, they like low, turbulent (random) flow. one of the big things people disregard is the need for a healthy undertow flow, bringing O2 to the animal. Link to comment
zoox Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 How am I going to know if I need to take this thing out? I got home today, same ol' thing. Theres some brownish dead tissue that needs to be removed, could possibly be brown jelly disease I suppose, not really sure. In the damaged area the skeleton is visible now, an area about the size of a nickle. I just don't want to F up my water chemistry. Heres a pic, This is a little over a week since the injury. Link to comment
matt frizz Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Ok so I have a baby plate coral that's been in my tank for around a year now. This thing has almost died on me a couple of months ago and does not look like it did before BUT I've found that placement makes a huge difference and so does supplemental feeding. Mine initially was revealing a pie slice shape of skeleton and it's almost healed up now. They take a while to heal back up. Link to comment
cjdevito Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Really? A plate coral hard to care for? I've never found them to be all that difficult. +1. Leave them on the sandbed where they belong, give them good light and they're pretty much good to go. A very 'set and forget' kind of coral. Link to comment
Tinytank Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 People in this thread not acknowledging the difference in LT and regular plates...read the thread title I had two of these, one pink one that I had for months so I picked up a green one that the LFS had. After bringing home the new one the larger pink one started deflating, brown jellied and was dead in 48 hours. I would keep yours in LOW flow and hope it can heal that spot before any infection forms. Link to comment
RayWhisperer Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 FWIW, I had a LT. I didn't know there was a difference in care. Link to comment
zoox Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 How bad would this thing dying in my tank be for the water quality provided I get it out soon thereafter. Link to comment
RayWhisperer Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I don't think it would ruin your tank. Provided you maintain a normal routine, You probably wouldn't notice much at all. Link to comment
zoox Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 My NH4 is getting a little high, should i just take it out? It looks pretty bad... Link to comment
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