I have some large colonies in my tank (3-4 yrs old)that have grown well but the colours have not been great and one has a stripped branch at the back .In the past I have found that this tends to spread across the coral unless I remove it and take frags it will all die. I have noticed in the past that in cutting the coral there is a black mark in the centre of the stem were I think it starts to die from . What are the possible cause of this is it a natural event with sps being in a tank so long .All my params are ok as per icp test but I run uln with zero nitrate reading and phosphate 0.018 .I have tested corals with a dip and have found no pests. I am thinking of removing some colonies that I have had for a long time before it happens or should I just leave well alone.
How long do sps survive in a reef tank
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That blackish centre i think is a disease, I had a plana i grew to a nice colony that then decided to stn, I saved a couple of nub sized frags of it & grew it back but then it did the same again. Gave up on it now & will get another to try.
When i cut it up the 1st time the centre was blackish & mushy like it was dieing from the inside out.
I also think we have vibrio or pathogen that comes & goes in our tanks,that is the reason why with parameters all fine & other things ruled out there is still the unstoppable stn sometimes. More crowded tank seems to bring about more reasons for it i think.
Shaded out light/reduced flow area/touching etc. Open a stressor door & if that grabs a hold it can be hard to stop.
My thoughts anyway
When i cut it up the 1st time the centre was blackish & mushy like it was dieing from the inside out.
I also think we have vibrio or pathogen that comes & goes in our tanks,that is the reason why with parameters all fine & other things ruled out there is still the unstoppable stn sometimes. More crowded tank seems to bring about more reasons for it i think.
Shaded out light/reduced flow area/touching etc. Open a stressor door & if that grabs a hold it can be hard to stop.
My thoughts anyway
TexasTodd
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You have to increase your flow, and in new areas, as the tank grows out. I'm not sure that's causing your issue, but it's common to start losing some if enough additional flow isn't added as things fill in.
Softhammer
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Corals will recede naturally as they grow larger. As mentioned above your flow needs to ramp up as corals get bigger but they also shade themselves causing tissue loss. Having said that, a coral is theoretically immortal as long as conditions are suitable. They will not die simply from old age. I have a few pieces that have been with me for over 15 years and many in the wild are hundreds of years old.
panic
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I have a formosa that I have had for 12 years. I'm not sure if it is because of it's time being used to the conditions of my tank or the type of coral itself, but it is the heartiest of all the inhabitants in my tanks when any sort of traumatic event occurs to them.
I have never had a single colony start to die from the bottom up due to shade. This seems to be specific to point-source lighting issues. The corals in the ocean do not do this either. LEDs are notorious for this. Even colonies the size of dinner plates should have live bases and tissue on the underside.
A fresh cut should heal in a few days and then start to regrow in about 10 days if they coral is healthy and thriving.
I would look to address all of the issues that are leading to tissue loss and necrosis... this does not have to happen.
A fresh cut should heal in a few days and then start to regrow in about 10 days if they coral is healthy and thriving.
I would look to address all of the issues that are leading to tissue loss and necrosis... this does not have to happen.
OP
OP
maxwell
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Hi
having just removed several old colonies the black extends down to the rock /aquaroche in some cases these were frag grown and stuck down with miliput which the coral has based over .We recently experience extremely warm weather a month ago and it was a struggle to keep a stable temp im wondering if some 4 weeks later its a reaction to that or something being pulled out of the rock or bases they were mounted on (maricultured). I have checked the tank for pests and dipped a lot of acros without any pests changed heater and examined pumps ect for any signs of rust and done ICP tests all ok .This is not a full tank event but the older the corals I get the occasional one that does this and im struggling to find out why. I can frag the older colonies and they flourish . IT may not happen for a few years so that's why I asked the question about corals longevity and have just removed a few corals and rescaped the middle of the tank to increase the flow.
having just removed several old colonies the black extends down to the rock /aquaroche in some cases these were frag grown and stuck down with miliput which the coral has based over .We recently experience extremely warm weather a month ago and it was a struggle to keep a stable temp im wondering if some 4 weeks later its a reaction to that or something being pulled out of the rock or bases they were mounted on (maricultured). I have checked the tank for pests and dipped a lot of acros without any pests changed heater and examined pumps ect for any signs of rust and done ICP tests all ok .This is not a full tank event but the older the corals I get the occasional one that does this and im struggling to find out why. I can frag the older colonies and they flourish . IT may not happen for a few years so that's why I asked the question about corals longevity and have just removed a few corals and rescaped the middle of the tank to increase the flow.
