What is wrong with my coral?

[RedTheReefer]

Hey. So overnight this coral is looking worse and I was wondering what could be wrong with it? It looks to me like some algae is growing on it as well as some white areas are on it. I also noticed that it's tissue has regressed a little bit. Here are some photos.

 

Also, can anyone ID this coral for me?

 

Thanks.

[MainelyReefer]

It’s one pissed off acan.  In order to help basic water parameter info(salinity, Calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, nitrates, etc.) will be requested as well as some simple info about the tank and the coral.  Did you just buy this coral? Is the tank well established? Do you have other coral, if so what is their condition? Location within the tank? Flow, light intensity, etc. once all that info is provided someone might have a shot at helping you.  IMO it looks like a freshly cut frag that will have a hard time adjusting to a new tank, it should have been allowed to grow out more before being offered for sale.  Perhaps be weary of the seller as they may operate like a chop shop and that acan could be from a colony that isn’t necessarily well adjusted to captive life.

[MainelyReefer]

The rockwork in the background is pure white so I’m also going to guess this tank is young, any info on your acclimation process would be helpful too, did you dip it in anything?

[RedTheReefer]

The tank is about 3 months old. I've had this coral for over a month so I don't think acclimation has anything to do with it. However, I floated the bag in the tank to acclimate the temperature and then drip acclimated. It just started to show some bad signs this week. I did not dip this coral because I didn't have any at the time but I do have some CoralRx now.

[RedTheReefer]

I have other coral including a bird'snest, two other acans, a zoa, and a ricordea mushroom. All seem to be doing well. I'll get the water parameters once I get home. It was doing really well up until this week. I don't understand. 😞

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

I would inspect it for some kinda bug, bc if everything else is looking ok, I would definitely make sure that nothing is going after this acan. I see that you have it on a frag rack, I don’t know if I could be right here, but could it be getting too much light bc of being high up on the rack?

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

What’s your parameters? Like granite Reefer said?

[RedTheReefer]

pH: 8.0

Salinity: 34ppt

Temperature: 78.1

Calcium: 460ppm

Nitrate: 0 ppm

Alkalinity: 10 kdH

Phosphate: 0 ppm

[seabass]

17 hours ago, RedTheReefer said:

Nitrate: 0 ppm... Phosphate: 0 ppm

I question these results a little.  0.0ppm nitrate and 0.00ppm of phosphate would be unusual (as well as unhealthy).  I take it that you aren't purposely running an ULNS.  Plus, super low nutrients with high-ish alkalinity could be a potential issue.

 

However, if the other corals are doing alright, and it's just this one, then it could be a pest or infection (or maybe just a constant irritation).

[RedTheReefer]

I decided to pull the coral from the tank. When i got home, half of its skeleton was exposed and didn't want to risk my other corals with whatever was wrong with it. I don't know if that was the right choice but I want to play it safe. I have no idea why my phosphates and nitrates are at 0 ppm.  So, I decided to remove my Chemi-Pure Blue in my media basket to see if that will give me some phosphates and increase feeding my corals for nitrates.

[mcarroll]

@RedTheReefer How's it going now?

 

Nutrients were definitely the problem, BTW.

 

And in the future, don't automatically pull a coral because it's receding...sometimes they even come back from absolutely dead-looking.