What is going on with my coral?

[Haleyscales00167]

This happened in a matter of days. It started on the one coral and then went to the next coral it was touching and I’ve done dipped them, but need to figure out what it is so I can actually get it to stop. It started as a white spot then completely took over the one coral which I think is dead now but the other one it is on still has a piece that’s alive still so I want to try and save it.

 

[Sosuke]

What are your tank parameters?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like that before.

Is it soft or hard? How fast did it grow from a spot to cover the frag plug? What kind of coral is it? Any chance your camera has a macro or close up setting so you can get a better photo?

Lets get some extra help... #reefsquad

 

[NewGoby]

I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like that before.

Is it soft or hard? How fast did it grow from a spot to cover the frag plug? What kind of coral is it? Any chance your camera has a macro or close up setting so you can get a better photo?

Lets get some extra help... #reefsquad

Top one seems to be a goniopora - could be an invasive species of sponge - or perhaps new growth depending on if the tissue surrounding the polyps is hard or soft.

 

[Haleyscales00167]

I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like that before.

Is it soft or hard? How fast did it grow from a spot to cover the frag plug? What kind of coral is it? Any chance your camera has a macro or close up setting so you can get a better photo?

Lets get some extra help... #reefsquad

It’s a hard coral. It grew from a spot to cover the coral plus another in a matter of several days. All my parameters are good too so it’s weird.

 

[Sosuke]

It’s a hard coral. It grew from a spot to cover the coral plus another in a matter of several days. All my parameters are good too so it’s weird.

But what are your specific parameters?

 

[Haleyscales00167]

Top one seems to be a goniopora - could be an invasive species of sponge - or perhaps new growth depending on if the tissue surrounding the polyps is hard or soft.

Unfortunately it’s not new growth all that white used to be a nice dark red color. And the white is hard to the touch.

 

[NewGoby]

Unfortunately it’s not new growth all that white used to be a nice dark red color. And the white is hard to the touch.

Aww that sucks,

Can you give us the following parameters?

Alkalinity
Calcium
PO4
Nitrate
Magnesium
Salinity
Ammonia

& how's the flow in the tank & what type of lighting?

What do you dose?
Have you change anything in the tank or in your dosing pattern?

 

[Haleyscales00167]

But what are your specific parameters?

Salinity is at 1.027
Magnesium- 1410
Alkalinity -10.5
Calcium- 470

 

[Haleyscales00167]

Aww that sucks,

Can you give us the following parameters?

Alkalinity
Calcium
PO4
Nitrate
Magnesium
Salinity
Ammonia

& how's the flow in the tank & what type of lighting?

What do you dose?
Have you change anything in the tank or in your dosing pattern?

I haven’t changed anything in the tank. I’ll have to take some water to my local LFS today and see what the nitrate and ammonia levels are since I ran out of those tests.

 

[Haleyscales00167]

I haven’t changed anything in the tank. I’ll have to take some water to my local LFS today and see what the nitrate and ammonia levels are since I ran out of those tests.

I do but weekly water changes also.

 

[NewGoby]

Salinity is at 1.027
Magnesium- 1410
Alkalinity -10.5
Calcium- 470

Alkalinity is a tad high, and so is calcium

Alkalinity should be around 8.5 ish, calcium should be between 425 & 450
salinity is a tad high aswell, but nothing to worry about - but would lower it to 1.025 just incase you have a lot of evaporation one day & it won't shoot into the 1.029 ish range.

 

[Haleyscales00167]

Alkalinity is a tad high, and so is calcium

Alkalinity should be around 8.5 ish, calcium should be between 425 & 450
salinity is a tad high aswell, but nothing to worry about - but would lower it to 1.025 just incase you have a lot of evaporation one day & it won't shoot into the 1.029 ish range.

Yeah. I plan on getting it lowered some more. I gotta do a water change this week also. It’s how I keep my calcium and stuff down so it all should go back down to normal ranges once I do my water change.

 

[NewGoby]

Yeah. I plan on getting it lowered some more. I gotta do a water change this week also. It’s how I keep my calcium and stuff down so it all should go back down to normal ranges once I do my water change.

You do water changes to get your calcium down? That makes it sound like you're either:

1. dosing too much calcium
2. replacing evaporated water with water that contains calcium
3. something is leaking calcium into your tank

 

[Drew Halliday]

Did the white areas start where the corals were touching? It is a good idea to give corals lots of space between one another.

 

[Cell]

Is the hard white spots that seem to be growing actually a foreign growth or coral skeleton showing up as the coral is dying?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Is the hard white spots that seem to be growing actually a foreign growth or coral skeleton showing up as the coral is dying?

That is what I was thinking as well!