Colt Coral Shrunk To HALF Its Original Size

[reefinginBD]

Hey guys, so I got a colt coral a week back and I placed it on the sand with some rubble so that the base of the coral doesn't directly touch the sand. Over the course of 5 days it opened up really nicely, and then I saw that it kept hitting the rockwork behind it, so I moved the coral up on top of the rocks for about 24 hours, then I saw that he didn't like that place too much and was closing up, so yesterday I put him back to the original space, just a little more forward, and today in the evening I see that he has completely shrunk. I was told by someone that it might be shedding, but I don't think this is what colt corals look like when they shed. I've never seen any one of these shed before, so I'm also kind of confused.
I am sending all the pictures in detail one by one, in the next comments.

 

[reefinginBD]

This is what he looked like the day I added him:

 

[reefinginBD]

This is what he looked like when he was almost fully opened up:

 

[reefinginBD]

This is what he looked like once I moved him upto the rock the next day:

 

[reefinginBD]

He wasn’t happy and closed up so I put him back to his original place (yesterday night), only a little more forward; and this is what he looked like today evening:

 

[reefinginBD]

This is what he is looking like now (3 hours later):

 

[reefinginBD]

2The tank parameters are:

Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 26
pH: 8.2
Nitrate: 15
Phosphate: 0.05
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1200
Alkalinity: 7.5

My nitrate spiked to 25 and my phosphate to 1 when my skimmer broke down for about 2 weeks, but when I added the colt coral nitrate was at 15 and phosphate at 0.05 which it still is at. I’m getting the those levels up slowly along with calcium and magnesium. My all dropped to 5.5 in that two week period since I had a large amount of coralline growth, but now I’m slowly getting it up as well.

 

[exnisstech]

Just stop moving it around. Mine will close for days if I touch them.

Where to place my colt coral?

Hey guys, so I got a colt coral like 5 days back and I placed him on the sand bed with some stones, it was all good and he opened up nicely as well, but when it opened up fully i realised that it kept hiting the rock work and tried bring it a little forward but I just couldn't get the placement...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is what he looked like the day I added him:

Assure your phos level hasnt increased as well as salt level.
Any change in lighting and/or flow?

 

[reefinginBD]

Just stop moving it around. Mine will close for days if I touch them.

Where to place my colt coral?

Hey guys, so I got a colt coral like 5 days back and I placed him on the sand bed with some stones, it was all good and he opened up nicely as well, but when it opened up fully i realised that it kept hiting the rock work and tried bring it a little forward but I just couldn't get the placement...

www.reef2reef.com

Hey I’m so sorry we had a complete internet blackout here for the last few days, it actually started like literally 2 minutes after the post was uploaded.
Yeah I stopped moving it around and put it in its original space so it’s doing better now

Thanks!

 

[reefinginBD]

Assure your phos level hasnt increased as well as salt level.
Any change in lighting and/or flow?

My skimmer turned off for like 2 weeks and I was unable to find a replacement, the nitrate and phosphate spiked before I added the colt coral, but now as the levels are slowly getting back to normal the coral is doing better as well. Yeah I moved it around for a bit and when I put it back to its original space, after a few days it opened up slowly.

 

[Uncle99]

Each time you move that coral, it will sulk for &3-7 days.
Same for mostly all the leathers and tree type softies.

Do nothing.

 

[FUNGI]

^ what he said.

 

[Jeremy P]

I had a colt coral that sulked for months and shrank from 12” to 2” and it only started to recover after I reduced my nitrate concentrations from 15-20 ppm to ~1 ppm.

 

[reefinginBD]

I see thank you so much for the help guys! My target numbers are

Nitrates: 5
Phosphates: 0.01

That’s what I’ve had the best overall result with