Help! My bubble coral seems to be dying!

[coralgazer]

Water parameters are great, numerous other corals doing just fine, including large hammer coral, ricordeas, zoas and palys, fox coral. I suspect The bubble was stung by the hammer coral, which was about 5 inches away, so I moved him. But alas! He looks pretty puny. [Please note that he lived 4 months net near the hammer coral, with no ill effects].

Is there anything I can do, or does this look hopeless? Below find my specs/parameters and 3 pictures showing the demise of this beautiful coral. Any help appreciated.

Latest parameters:
RODI water + Instant Ocean
T= 80F
SG= 1.024
pH=8.1
Ammonia= 0
Nitrates= 0
Nitrites= 0
Alkalinity= 11 dKh
Calcium= 460
Magnesium= 1320
Phosphates= 0

36 gallon bowfront with 15 gallon sump; Coralife lamp: (2) HO T5 10,000K + (2) Actinic Blue HO75; Total 124 watts; (2) Koralia 550 wavemakers; Bubble Magus NAC 3.5 skimmer, filter sock, PhosBan and activ carbon bags in sump

Livestock:
CUC turbo snails and hermit crabs
2 large feather dusters
1 large hammer coral
1 bubble coral
1 Kenya tree
1 Fox coral
1 very large rock with green mushrooms
3 Florida ricordeas
Several small frags with multiple zoas & palys
2 firefish, 1 royal gramma, 2 clownfish 1 pajama Cardinal (midas blenny in quarantine)

 

[Trentondrummer33]

Any changes recently?


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[Mike J.]

Number one problem with keeping bubble corals is they can't stand much flow, which is why I don't have one, too much flow. Number 2 problem is after a bubble is punctured they rarely recouperate.

 

[coralgazer]

Any changes recently?

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No changes, except I moved it only after it started looking so bad, further from the hammer, and actually less flow. Same lighting. Baffled

 

[Bubbles_B]

your water is way to clean for corals. Corals need a bit of Phosphate and Nitrates in the system. In nature it isn't as clean as your parameters. Do you feed regularly? Reason being I have a huge bubble coral that my honey bought for me 3 years ago. It was exactly the same size as your.

 

[coralgazer]

I'm jealous! I love my bubble coral, it thrived for months, this just happened recently and very suddenly. Any ideas on how to try to revive him?

 

[Bubbles_B]

In terms of reviving it you might have to consider that it will take a bunch of time and effort to get your tank stable enough for it to revive and thrive. I lost an ordinary hammer coral that began the same way yours is doing now. It ultimately ended up passing....sometimes you have to bite the bullet in this hobby...i'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news by the way the pic looks it may still be revived but it will take time and lots of it...

 

[shse666]

I have not seen one that looks like that make it, but then you may have amazing luck. I would feed the heck out of it if you can get it to latch onto anything.

i'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news by the way the pic looks it may still be revived but it will take time and lots of it...

 

[2dmax]

Sorry to hear about ur bubble.. i have mine for only 2mths...

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[mike007]

Mine did the same thing so i moved it where it would not get too much flow and i also put it in a shaded area . The coral started opening up and now it looks great.

 

[jbd]

It is very disheartening to have a tank crash and calls for some serious introspection about staying in the hobby. For me, the loss has been like the loss of a pet. Here's a bit of a postmortem that might be informative:
My bubble began its decline when I switched from Brightwell Alkalin8.3 liquid to Brightwell Alkalin8.3-P powder. In fact, my whole 80 gal tank took a dive. Everything else died as well except for the mushrooms, a small colony of pulsing Xenia and a toadstool that just hasn't made up its mind yet. Tons of coraline algae survives which I thought was one sign of a healthy tank. Frogspawns, Hammers, Torches, Acans, Blastos, Yumas and Recordias, a large Duncan colony and a Leather all dead. Followed instructions on Brightwell label to the letter. I teach science and have a working knowledge of solutions and titration so I don't think I screwed up. The stock solution called for on the label is less concentrated than the liquid so I figured I would have more fine control, but I guess that is not important. Funny thing is my little 30 gal is still ok and I follow the same protocol. That tank has Recordia, Fungi, Lobos, mushrooms, Meteor Shower, and a vivid green striped sps that I cannot identify (Neon Green Leptoseris??) The bubble began its stay with me as a starter way back in 2016 in this small tank. No new lifestock has been added to either tank in the last several years except replacement cleaner shrimp and a few snails for housekeeping. Haven't changed water sources, Ca and Mg stay within range, nitrates are very low, no phosphates detected. 10% water change weekly, salinity maintained at 1.025, try to keep alk in the 8 to 9 dKh range because I'm not interested in rapid growth. Attached are Feb. 2018 and today, Dec 2019 pics. And yes, that is what is left of the hugh bubble over there on the far left. As far as staying in the hobby, not sure yet. but I have lost many pets and I always get a new one.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ouch - serious tissue loss !
Reduce white light and increase Blue. Raise salinity to 1.026 and water almost too clean. Mine likes Moderate flow.
Have salinity rechecked. If too high, this will happen.

 

[Wolf89]

Why are we bumping a nearly 7 year old thread

 

[jbd]

Why are we bumping a nearly 7 year old thread

Forgive my ignorance. I didn't notice the date as I was looking, once again, for some help with my tank problem. Digital media shelters any emotional aspect of communication, so I will take your comment as informational rather than hostile.

 

[Wolf89]

Forgive my ignorance. I didn't notice the date as I was looking, once again, for some help with my tank problem. Digital media shelters any emotional aspect of communication, so I will take your comment as informational rather than hostile.

No problem I was just a bit confused haha

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Ouch - serious tissue loss !
Reduce white light and increase Blue. Raise salinity to 1.026 and water almost too clean. Mine likes Moderate flow.
Have salinity rechecked. If too high, this will happen.

I am GLAD you commented on this thread! Because you helped ME! My bubble was looking amazing yesterday, and was hungry last night so I fed it. This morning he looked great.... but I've been busy. Just looked at him and he looks HORRID! I'm so disappointed in myself. Looking up articles and any info I could find on what could be wrong..... THIS COMMENT! I turned my lights on earlier than normal to check on a couple things. Also, the water level dropped more than normal and my salinity was higher! I turned the lights to blues, and added fresh ro water.... he is already looking better. Crossing my fingers that his recovery continues. I'm newer to reading, and I have wanted a bubble coral for a long time.

Posting on an old thread, is alright in my book - we are always learning. And what someone else knew, may have just saved my coral, when I went looking for an answer, reading an old thread.....

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am GLAD you commented on this thread! Because you helped ME! My bubble was looking amazing yesterday, and was hungry last night so I fed it. This morning he looked great.... but I've been busy. Just looked at him and he looks HORRID! I'm so disappointed in myself. Looking up articles and any info I could find on what could be wrong..... THIS COMMENT! I turned my lights on earlier than normal to check on a couple things. Also, the water level dropped more than normal and my salinity was higher! I turned the lights to blues, and added fresh ro water.... he is already looking better. Crossing my fingers that his recovery continues. I'm newer to reading, and I have wanted a bubble coral for a long time.

Posting on an old thread, is alright in my book - we are always learning. And what someone else knew, may have just saved my coral, when I went looking for an answer, reading an old thread.....

So happy to hear and that's we are here for and whats makes R2R the source for resources !!!

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

So happy to hear and that's we are here for and whats makes R2R the source for resources !!!

I want to show you -and anyone who might need this- pictures of when I noticed, and went looking for answers (found this thread) , and now. Just a few hours later.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I want to show you -and anyone who might need this- pictures of when I noticed, and went looking for answers (found this thread) , and now. Just a few hours later.

Thats more like it

 

[62518161]

Why are we bumping a nearly 7 year old thread

Why not? Couldn’t help myself.