Can cup coral "sting" Kenyan tree?

Steve Jones · Jun 4, 2016

Just came home from dinner to find this - see photo. The Kenyan tree is shriveled to less than 1/2 the size it was before. Did the cup coral "sting" it? Is the Kenyan tree a goner or will it recover? I broke away the strands connecting the two.

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1465096319.667063.jpg

Haleygirl · Jun 4, 2016

I used to have a tree. That thing survived EVERYTHING I threw at it when I was just starting my tank years ago. I have since gotten rid of it, but in my experience it is one of the hardiest coral, so much so it was a nuisance, it kept throwing babies everywhere.

Steve Jones · Jun 5, 2016

Haleygirl said:
I used to have a tree. That thing survived EVERYTHING I threw at it when I was just starting my tank years ago. I have since gotten rid of it, but in my experience it is one of the hardiest coral, so much so it was a nuisance, it kept throwing babies everywhere.

My tank is about 6 months old. This was the 1st coral I purchased as the LFS said it was hardy and a quick grower and good for a newbie. A few days after I put it in my tank it shriveled down to about 1/3 the size of when I got it (even smaller than in this photo). All my parameters were fine. It barely grew at all over several months. Then I had a Brooks outbreak 5 weeks ago in my tank and all the fish have been moved into the hospital tank for those 5 weeks. It started really growing then - I guess someone was nipping at it. It quadrupled in size. But now it's shriveled back again.

Diesel · Jun 5, 2016

I assume it can be the bioload/nutrient issue.
When had fish it shriveled and when not it grew for you now it shriveled again............ did you put the fish back in the system yet?
Trees are sensitive for high No3 and Po4 but also for large swings in ALK, CAL as most corals.
What are you parameter test you took and what test kits you used?
In the pic it's clearly a coral war going on, move one of the corals as they can't bother each other again.

Naiad · Jun 5, 2016

Move the tree. If there is no other issues it will likely recover. Look into what diesel suggested but I don't put too much into the ways of a tree. It will shrivel if just about anything changes even slightly. Such as a fish touching it . As long as it rebounds in a week or so you should be fine.