Pearlberry show no PE, red bug?

[ReefBeta]

I have this pearlberry acro frag for about half a year now. The problem is, it never show any visible polyp extension. Recently I read that lack of PE can cause by red bug. But I never see red bug in person and am not sure what to look for. There seem to be some marks on the frag, but not so like the red bug pictures on the internet. I'm not sure if that's sign of pest damage, or just the hole of a polyp. It has always been this white and pale color, never show the dark/deep purple color around the holes of polyp.

So, does it look normal? Any obvious problem?

 

[nashorn]

I don't really see any. I had them years ago but what I remember a bright red. Kinda sparkles in the light.

It doesn't look happy. Should have encrusted more by now. If other sps looks good I would move it.

Sure that's a pearlberry? My frag looks different

 

[jda]

I do not see any evidence of red bugs on that piece.

Pearlberry is not an easy coral. Do you have other harder acropora that is doing well? If so, then don't sweat this one frag - sure, it would be awesome if it did something, but don't ever do anything for one frag.

 

[SuperDragon]

Check water parameters, then evaluate your flow. Consider changing your flow. Strong pulsing flow and laminar flow combo. Feed at night and observe when lights go out with a uv flashlight. That may help see polyps but don't stress too much.
If you find a bug then QT. HTH

 

[Centerline]

I have this pearlberry acro frag for about half a year now. The problem is, it never show any visible polyp extension. Recently I read that lack of PE can cause by red bug. But I never see red bug in person and am not sure what to look for. There seem to be some marks on the frag, but not so like the red bug pictures on the internet. I'm not sure if that's sign of pest damage, or just the hole of a polyp. It has always been this white and pale color, never show the dark/deep purple color around the holes of polyp.

So, does it look normal? Any obvious problem?

Might want to put a little superglue around the base - could be some algae or critter keeping it from encrusting.

 

[ReefBeta]

I do not see any evidence of red bugs on that piece.

Pearlberry is not an easy coral. Do you have other harder acropora that is doing well? If so, then don't sweat this one frag - sure, it would be awesome if it did something, but don't ever do anything for one frag.

The other frags are doing fine, some have great PE. It's like the smooth skin acro that don't have much PE, like this, another hawkins echinata, and red dragon. And they happen to my favorites, so I really want to get them going.

Check water parameters, then evaluate your flow. Consider changing your flow. Strong pulsing flow and laminar flow combo. Feed at night and observe when lights go out with a uv flashlight. That may help see polyps but don't stress too much.
If you find a bug then QT. HTH

Water parameters are fine I think. NO3 2.5~5, PO4 around 0.01, ALK 9.3, Ca 430.
I watched them at night, no change in PE either.
I do have lots of flow, sometimes I'm wondering if too much flow. It's a 30"x18"x18" tank, and I have two gyre xf130 on both end, doing various flow patterns through the day, ranging up to 60%. It was up to 70%, and I was suspecting if that would be too much and turn it down last week. My sand bed is still in place, so from what I read, that's not too much flow ... is it right? Will it actually be too much flow that hamper PE? The other frags do show a lot better PE during night when the gyres are only running up to 30%, but can't tell if that's the light or the flow. Oh, the light of it is about 240 PAR.

Might want to put a little superglue around the base - could be some algae or critter keeping it from encrusting.

There was algae around the base. I did a Fluconazole treatment last month and it's clear now. But it shows no grow since the treatment.

 

[TUSI]

Are you sure it's a Pearlbwrry cause it don't seem like one. Color on it is definitely different.

 

[Rakie]

The problem is it's not necessarily happy where it's at. This could be from so many possible little things it's nearly impossible to pinpoint. Could be lighting, flow, nutrients, trace elements, etc etc etc.

I've had corals thrive when placed only inches from where they were failing. I've got a little wild tort that loves everything middle of the road -- Light too high or too low, he gets unhappy, flow too high or too low -- unhappy. Each species is a little different

 

[SuperDragon]

I do have lots of flow, sometimes I'm wondering if too much flow. It's a 30"x18"x18" tank, and I have two gyre xf130 on both end, doing various flow patterns through the day, ranging up to 60%. It was up to 70%, and I was suspecting if that would be too much and turn it down last week. My sand bed is still in place, so from what I read, that's not too much flow ... is it right? Will it actually be too much flow that hamper PE? The other frags do show a lot better PE during night when the gyres are only running up to 30%, but can't tell if that's the light or the flow. Oh, the light of it is about 240 PAR.

I would do one Gyre for strong pulsing flow/alternating flow and the other for laminar flow. Flow does not hamper PE sps can handle it, pulsing flow is for nutrient transport, oxygen transport, nutrient removal, and removing mucus... etc. With laminar flow nutrients should circulate through the tank to the overflow. Drop some food in and see where it goes, it should not settle on the bottom. Should go to the sump.
Check out Jason Fox at 20:05 What do you think?

 

[ritter6788]

Looks like you might have vermitid snails around the base. Try to cut them off (out of the tank) or superglue their tubes shut. They can put off a net of mucus that can irritate corals

 

[ReefBeta]

Are you sure it's a Pearlbwrry cause it don't seem like one. Color on it is definitely different.

I'm pretty sure it is Pearlberry. I got it from a friend's tank, fresh cut from his big colony. His looked just like pictures from the internet. The color of it right now is definitively a lot different from when it's cut though

 

[ReefBeta]

Looks like you might have vermitid snails around the base. Try to cut them off (out of the tank) or superglue their tubes shut. They can put off a net of mucus that can irritate corals

I do have decent amount of vermitid snail in the tank. What's the best way to remove them? Cutting off usually don't work too well cause the ones that close to corals are covered by the coral, and appear to be pretty deep down the hole. Does superglue work well?

 

[ReefBeta]

I would do one Gyre for strong pulsing flow/alternating flow and the other for laminar flow. Flow does not hamper PE sps can handle it, pulsing flow is for nutrient transport, oxygen transport, nutrient removal, and removing mucus... etc. With laminar flow nutrients should circulate through the tank to the overflow. Drop some food in and see where it goes, it should not settle on the bottom. Should go to the sump.
Check out Jason Fox at 20:05 What do you think?

I am doing one pump direct pulse, and the other reverse, for couple hours, then turn to strong laminar for half an hour, then reverse two pumps' direction and so on.

 

[Greg79]

Pearlberry is not the easiest piece to keep ime, that's why there is not too many nice colored colonys,it like a lot of light and flow, yours looks ticked off,it may eventually come back, give it some time, doesn't seem like Red bug problem

 

[ReefBeta]

The problem is it's not necessarily happy where it's at. This could be from so many possible little things it's nearly impossible to pinpoint. Could be lighting, flow, nutrients, trace elements, etc etc etc.

I've had corals thrive when placed only inches from where they were failing. I've got a little wild tort that loves everything middle of the road -- Light too high or too low, he gets unhappy, flow too high or too low -- unhappy. Each species is a little different

how will you try out what place it better for it? I only have one frag, so I'm kind of afraid to move it that might make it more unhappy and just die on me. I'm also not sure how to pick a new location if I were to move it. Trial and error is not really an option as if error, it would be gone ...

 

[ritter6788]

I do have decent amount of vermitid snail in the tank. What's the best way to remove them? Cutting off usually don't work too well cause the ones that close to corals are covered by the coral, and appear to be pretty deep down the hole. Does superglue work well?

I've never seen anyone be able to rid a tank full of them. If you can manage the ones close to your corals you can get by. If you can come up with a way to get rid of them all you'll win the equivalent of the reef keeping Nobel peace prize.

 

[Rakie]

how will you try out what place it better for it? I only have one frag, so I'm kind of afraid to move it that might make it more unhappy and just die on me. I'm also not sure how to pick a new location if I were to move it. Trial and error is not really an option as if error, it would be gone ...

Personally, I like to keep the frag on a frag plug and move it around. You can securely glue the plug in one place, and pretty easily pop it off and move it around.

If you've had it stuck to the rock for a year, and it's barely grown -- I would say not to worry too much, and just snip it off the rock, put it on a new plug and start moving it around.

Make sure to leave it somewhere for 2-3 weeks unless it starts getting really unhappy quickly

 

[ritter6788]

Looks to me like it could be a wild/maricultured frag someone called a pearlberry. If that's the case you may not be doing anything wrong, they can take years to grow/color up.

 

[Ibn]

Do you have any pics of the mother colony that you can post up?

 

[BoomCorals]

PE on red dragon and Hawkins is hard to see. Macro photo can show it more clearly. But even then they might not show much PE during lights on even though they are happy. Where is the pearlberry placed? IME pearlberry frags only do very well under 400+ PAR.