Tissue Errosion After Carbon Replacement?

[lpslover]

Something very odd happened yesterday. The new colony of sun polyps I've had for about two weeks suddenly began disintegrating. I've kept sun polyps successfully before, and these had begun to open and feed a couple days prior. The disintegration wasn't there the night before when I replaced the carbon (ROX .8 from BRS, same container I've used for months), it was in the morning. All the other corals in the tank are fine, and all the chemistry parameters are where they have been for weeks.

The only thing I can think of is the carbon replacement. The tissue disintegration looks very similar to what happens with fish suffering from HLLE, and I have heard people link carbon use to HLLE. I pulled the carbon this morning after thinking it could be related. They look slightly better tonight, but still pretty sad, and they refuse to come out and eat.

Anyone ever seen something like this happen? Any ideas on how to fix it other than crossing fingers and giving it time?

 

[revsgirl]

:bump2:

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I have heard of some corals not being happy in a system with carbon. Could the carbon been exposed to anything (air, contaminants)? I would do a water change and consider running a poly fiber pad.

 

[tampasnooker]

I had a similar experience the first time I used ROX - it is powerful for sure. It seems that if your nutrient levels are low, it can harm corals. Most of my LPS corals responded the same way as yours did and recovered with the removal of carbon and increase in feeding. You get a double whammy of starvation from nutrients that the carbon takes out combined with light shock from sudden water clarity. I think that tissue that was expanded to feed from dissolved nutrients gets singed when it is expanded. Pigments that shade the zooxanthellae not as dense in the tissue when a LPS is inflated as it is when the tissue is deflated. On top of that, you have a relatively new coral that is still adapting to conditions in your tank.

I would remove the carbon for a while or at least cut quantity to 1/4-1/2 of what you were using if you need the carbon. Also, move the coral to an area that isn't as bright for a while with gentle flow. Try target feeding it. you can make feeding contraptions easily that will keep the food around the coral. A clear plastic cup with a hole in the bottom will let you squirt some food on it and keep it contained around the coral. Good luck

 

[lpslover]

Update: The sun polyps were moved to a 2.5 gallon by themselves about a week after the original post. The rest of the tank continues to do great. No carbon in the 2.5 and I can better manage food density and water quality with frequent large volume water changes. Still a few bare patches that haven't filled back in, but the colony is on its way back.

Interestingly, about a week ago I got irritated with the yellow water and put some carbon laced pad in the little HOB filter to try to pull it out. 12 hours later the water was still very yellow, but the sun polyps had closed up tight. So maybe sun polyps and carbon just don't mix. Pulled the carbon pad and it was back out the next day. I still don't understand why past specimens never had a problem with carbon, but this one sure does.

 

[Dumnorix]

Moving th Sun Polyps out was the best thing you could do for them - are you skimming the 2.5 gallon?

 

[lpslover]

No. Just a little HOB empty at night to circulate food and aminos. In the morning I do a 1qt water change and put a piece of phosphate removing floss in the HOB for the day. Seems to be working thus far.