What's going on with this stylo?

[Bthomas]

Can anyone tell me what would cause this coral to turn white on the inside and not have any polyps extending?
Sorry for the blue photo my phone won't filter it out.
Been battling high nitrates.. Currently around 25 all other params seem stable. Didn't know if this means it's dieing or if I shouldn't worry? It's been this way for a couple months now

 

[Flippers4pups]

Looks good to me.

 

[Bthomas]

The second photo shows it better then the first but it is kinda hard to see. The inside of the "bush" or at the base of the coral the branches are all white with no polyps

 

[JCOLE]

I agree. Looks good to me also.

 

[Krissreef]

It might not be getting good light inside, which is normal for stylos

 

[Bthomas]

Is it normal for then to have some areas of solid white or are you guys not seeing it in photos?
Maybe it's nothing and I'm being paranoid..
I'll try and get a better photo tomorrow

 

[DMG Reef]

Agree that it's normal to not get enough light and flow in the center. My stylo is 6 years old and you can see the lower branches and center are discolored.

Yours looks healthy to me. They are pretty bullet-proof in good conditions.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

I can zoom in and see what you mean. It looks like it’s just due to shading because everything else is growing well. It might also be calcium. I had something similar happen where the base was fading and it was because my calcium was too low. Looking at yours though I don’t think that’s the case.

 

[JCOLE]

Is it normal for then to have some areas of solid white or are you guys not seeing it in photos?
Maybe it's nothing and I'm being paranoid..
I'll try and get a better photo tomorrow

Yes. Mine is white near the base as well. Just needs lighting.

 

[Softhammer]

I don’t think you have a Stylophora at all. Looks like a completely 100% normal, healthy poccillopora.

 

[Bthomas]

Ok thanks guys. I'll quit worrying.

 

[malacoda]

Shading. Sometimes if the flow is good or there is a enough reflective light hitting the underside (or inside), they'll keep their color and have polyp extension in the very shaded areas. Most of the time though, the flesh in the shaded areas turns white ... or even just disappears altogether leaving raw skeleton.

It's normal.

If the flesh isn't 'earning its keep' by contributing energy and nutrition ... which it can't do if it's significantly shaded ... the coral will shut down that area of flesh and put its energy into growing up top where it does get light/nutrition.

 

[Krissreef]

btw I might be mistaking but that looks like a pocillopora

 

[Bthomas]

Could be I wouldn't know the difference. Was sold as a stylo

 

[Krissreef]

yea do some research on it because it is good to know that pocillopora, if ur tank is not doing good they spawn polyps in your tank and all the sudden u have that coral everywhere. The bad part about it, they sting everything they touch.

 

[Greg P]

I was thinking the same thing. It looks more like a pocci, not a stylo.
Regardless, it could be shading itself during growth causing some die-off, but I doubt that ...

What I DO see looks like aiptasia in your rocks ticking it off

 

[Greg P]

Pocci in your tank and being upset by another coral is not a good mix.
Get the pocci out before it spreads.
Then deal with what I think you have .... aiptasia !!!

I hope I'm wrong !!

 

[Greg P]

Don't get me wrong .. pocci corals can be nice, I just hate them

 

[Bthomas]

Pocci in your tank and being upset by another coral is not a good mix.
Get the pocci out before it spreads.
Then deal with what I think you have .... aiptasia !!!

I hope I'm wrong !!

OH yeah I definitely have aiptasia. Been working on that

 

[C. Eymann]

I don’t think you have a Stylophora at all. Looks like a completely 100% normal, healthy poccillopora.

Bingo^^^^ Agree

OP, I believe you have Poccilopora damicornis, and it looks like it's doing well, the species is incredibly hardy