At what point do I call this coral dead?

[MadTownFess]

It's a meteor shower cyphastrea... it's been going downhill since introducing it to the tank. I believe I had the lights on too bright... I turned them down to 50% two weeks ago hoping it would help but things continue to get worse. Is it dead? Should I take it out?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

It ain't over till it's totally white. And even then sometimes they will come back to life. I thought for sure I killed off my favorite acro, my purple chronic a year and a half ago during a crash, but a few months back I found it growing out of a crack in my liverock. Amazing! For your meteor shower, if you think it's high light, try lowering it. It's clear from the picture that it's not on the sand bed.

 

[MadTownFess]

It ain't over till it's totally white. And even then sometimes they will come back to life. I thought for sure I killed off my favorite acro, my purple chronic a year and a half ago during a crash, but a few months back I found it growing out of a crack in my liverock. Amazing! For your meteor shower, if you think it's high light, try lowering it. It's clear from the picture that it's not on the sand bed.

Its on a rock that on the sand bed, so its only 3 inches off the sand bed. Its the rock I want to to encrust. I am hoping the fact I reduced all lighting by 50% two weeks ago would of helped it out.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Lighting is of course one aspect. How old is the tank, what kind of flow, what are your parameters: salinity, temp, Cal, Alk, mag, phos, Nitrate?

 

[MadTownFess]

Lighting is of course one aspect. How old is the tank, what kind of flow, what are your parameters: salinity, temp, Cal, Alk, mag, phos, Nitrate?

3 months old. Very good flow, it's a MaxE170 so return provides good flow and have an MP10 running Reef Crest at 80%...one thought was that it has too much flow. Parameters: 1.025, 78, 410, 8.2, 1400, 0, 4

 

[vetteguy53081]

It hasn’t bleached yet. Place it in path of moderate water flow. How is calcium levey? They need calcium, amino acids and iodiy for tissue and skeletal health

 

[RandyC]

For corals with skeletons, I usually make the call once algae starts growing on it. As long as there is some color and a single polyp it can make a recovery.

 

[MadTownFess]

It hasn’t bleached yet. Place it in path of moderate water flow. How is calcium levey? They need calcium, amino acids and iodiy for tissue and skeletal health

Calcium is at 410, I am assuming you meant calcium level? If not what is calcium levey? I am dosing Acropower for amino acid. I am using a combo of RedSea Pro and the regular RedSea salt, so I would assume it has proper iodine

 

[MadTownFess]

For corals with skeletons, I usually make the call once algae starts growing on it. As long as there is some color and a single polyp it can make a recovery.

Well its currently a combo of both, as you can see in the picture it has "polyps", although they are looking bad....and it has algae growing on it.

 

[scchase]

I have had Cyphastreas arise from the dead up to 2 years after I though I lost them, I don't ever pull them anymore

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Your tank is very new, so while it’s possible to keep corals alive it may be tricky. The good news is I’ve found it almost impossible to kill Meteor Shower. I can attest to them liking very little flow. I only grow it in my sump where there is super low flow. Your parameters all look good except Phos. You want to get something registering there. Acropower is good on a new tank. How often are you doing water changes? If you are changing once a week, you shouldn’t have to worry about most elements such as Iodine.

 

[MadTownFess]

Your tank is very new, so while it’s possible to keep corals alive it may be tricky. The good news is I’ve found it almost impossible to kill Meteor Shower. I can attest to them liking very little flow. I only grow it in my sump where there is super low flow. Your parameters all look good except Phos. You want to get something registering there. Acropower is good on a new tank. How often are you doing water changes? If you are changing once a week, you shouldn’t have to worry about most elements such as Iodine.

Yea I took GFO offline about 4 weeks ago, so hopefully phosphate starts building from feedings. I am doing a 4 gallon water change once a week (45 gallon tank, although probably less than 40 gallons of actual water volume).

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Yea I took GFO offline about 4 weeks ago, so hopefully phosphate starts building from feedings. I am doing a 4 gallon water change once a week (45 gallon tank, although probably less than 40 gallons of actual water volume).

Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. Now for the thing we all have trouble with, patience.

 

[MadTownFess]

Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. Now for the thing we all have trouble with, patience.

#truth