Coral trouble

Skfoley4 · Dec 15, 2023

I have had this for a while now...has always been full and fluffy....had 1 episode of saline being too high but was quickly corrected, other than that water parameters have been as usual. Now it has been this shrunk and not so full looking...any suggestions on what it could be??

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

What are your complete current parameters including tank age and par for the coral?

Rick's Reviews · Dec 15, 2023

Candy cane, green, trumpet?

Skfoley4 · Dec 15, 2023

Yes candy cane green trumpet.
Had tank 1 1/2 years...this coral about a year. Parameters: salinity 1.026, ph 8.0, Kh 9.9, calcium 450, magnesium 1350, phosphate 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0...saline went up to 1.028 for a week or so before back to current state

Rick's Reviews · Dec 15, 2023

Check base/ stalk that nothing is growing on it, sponges, vermited or anything that may be annoying it, especially algae, other then that it looks ok with pictures provided :/

TX_REEF · Dec 15, 2023

You could stand to get nitrate up a bit. Any recent changes to flow or lighting? Candycanes are my favorite, and I know from experience that suddenly increased flow or lighting will tick them off.

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

Skfoley4 said:
Yes candy cane green trumpet.
Had tank 1 1/2 years...this coral about a year. Parameters: salinity 1.026, ph 8.0, Kh 9.9, calcium 450, magnesium 1350, phosphate 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0...saline went up to 1.028 for a week or so before back to current state

if your phosphate and nitrate are 0 then the coral is starving to death. you need nitrates at 10 to 15 for LPS and phosphate .05 to .1ppm.

Skfoley4 · Dec 15, 2023

I did get new powerhead as my old one broke...how do I get nitrates up?.

TX_REEF · Dec 15, 2023

If the new powerhead is more powerful (and it may be simply because it's newer, even if it's the same kind) you want to make sure it's not hitting the candycane with direct flow, which will cause the polyp to recede. getting nitrates up, you can feed more, skim less, turn down photoperiod on your ATS if you have one, and if all those still fail I've heard of folks dosing it.