Cyphastrea Question

Agsellers04 · Aug 14, 2020

So I have a cyphastrea that started bleaching out a few days ago. I moved it into lower light. The polyps are still in there, but the flesh is dying. Anyone have much experience getting Cyphastreas to recover or is this one too far gone?

Ron Reefman · Aug 15, 2020

Not sure that was bleaching. How high was the PAR where you had it. It may recover, but I only give it a 25% chance. IMHO, once these corals start to deteriorate they are unlikely to recover.

Agsellers04 · Aug 15, 2020

I dont know the Par bu I have two 165W Marsaqua led lights and one 18w luxbird led over my 55g.

andrewkw · Aug 15, 2020

I don't see any cyphastrea? is it the yellow or the blue? A clearer picture would help. I keep quite a bunch of variety and while they do prefer lower light many can be acclimated to higher light. Are they still taking food? If you have even a few polyps in theory it can recover and grow over any die off.

Agsellers04 · Aug 15, 2020

here is a somewhat better image. I can still see at least 6 polyps still alive in there.

Agsellers04 · Aug 15, 2020

Update... I had to take the frag out to reglue it because the crabs knocked it down. I counted 12 polyps still alive. I fed and noticed the polyps retracted further so I assume they took at least a little of the food. Any chances for recvovery? Opinions?

Agsellers04 · Aug 26, 2020

Another update. I am confident my cyphastrea is going to make it. The polyps are at work growing more flesh.

sixline · Aug 26, 2020

Wow. Please keep us posted. I've been following this mini-drama since the series began with the OP.

I myself really love cyphastrea, but do not have much experience with it. I have two frags, about the size of yours. They both seem healthy, but have not started to spread off the frag plugs yet.

Softhammer · Aug 27, 2020

It can recover, assuming whatever caused its demise has been corrected. Cyphastrea are pretty durable. This one was literally a quarter inch smudge on a piece of epoxy. Zero polyps.

Softhammer · Aug 27, 2020

double post

sixline · Aug 27, 2020

Agsellers04 said:
Another update. I am confident my cyphastrea is going to make it. The polyps are at work growing more flesh.

I'm going to bump this thread in six months for a photo of it covering half your aquarium.

Agsellers04 · Aug 27, 2020

sixline said:
I'm going to bump this thread in six months for a photo of it covering half your aquarium.

We can only hope. Lol.

Agsellers04 · Aug 27, 2020

Softhammer said:
It can recover, assuming whatever caused its demise has been corrected. Cyphastrea are pretty durable. This one was literally a quarter inch smudge on a piece of epoxy. Zero polyps.

Dang. That is crazy. Mine was a simple lighting issue.

Agsellers04 · Oct 5, 2020

Well the Chyphastrea is still kickin but still looks awful. I thought it was dead for sure I didn't see polyps for days then it got knocked off its spot and I moved it. I swear this coral is a warrior it just will not die! All the polyps look great but the flesh looks terrible. Maybe it will perk up now and grow.