Fungia plate skeleton showing

[JoJosReef]

Hi all,

I have a fungia plate that I've had in my tank for about a month. Lately, it has been showing a bit of skeleton at night. See pic in the AM right during ramp-up of lights:

After lights are up, it puffs up a bit and skeleton isn't visible:

Sorry, I don't have parameters just now and will try to post some tonight. Last check was about a week ago and NO3 was around 10-20 (Salifert), PO4 I don't remember, but likely in the 0.1-0.25 range. ALK has been running high at around 9.5dKh, but will get an update tonight. I did a 10% water change last night--I do infrequently, since I've been trying to get into an AFR dosing range, but will likely do more water changes.

PAR measurements have been done recently, and the fungia is currently getting around ~90 PAR, and I'm on a slow ramp up to getting ~125 PAR.

I feed it frequently, like I do with all of my corals. Basically little blast of Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast/ROE/Mysis feast diluted mixture, plus an NLS pellet or two--it's always seemed super happy to take a pellet or two. Maybe overfeeding?

Let me know if anyone has any thoughts. I'm especially keen to know if this looks like a slow decline and if it's something I can correct. Thanks!

 

[Saltyreef]

Usually this is normal for plates.

And remember if it ever receeds and looks dead, dont throw it out!

They are notorious for reproducing and regrowing from a complete skeleton.

 

[ebushrow]

Looks alright to me…..have you fed it? They take pellets and mysis easily

 

[JoJosReef]

Usually this is normal for plates.

And remember if it ever receeds and looks dead, dont throw it out!

They are notorious for reproducing and regrowing from a complete skeleton.

Go on, please. Is this part of their reproductive cycle? Shed tissue from skeleton and reproduce into 1 or more?

Looks alright to me…..have you fed it? They take pellets and mysis easily

I drop an NLS pellet or two onto it almost every night, along with the Reef Nutrition "soup" (oyster feast, ROE, mysis feast, dead phyto). Seems to like it. Always opens up and slowly moves the pellet(s) into it's mouth.

 

[JoJosReef]

Even more skeleton showing tonight. Not getting a good vibe on this.

Anyone know if fungia have a particularly low tolerance for NO3 and PO4? How about minimum/maximum PAR?

Thanks!

 

[Gatorpa]

Even more skeleton showing tonight. Not getting a good vibe on this.

Anyone know if fungia have a particularly low tolerance for NO3 and PO4? How about minimum/maximum PAR?

Thanks!

Years ago i tried a few of these. they always did great for months and then would just retract and die. Never tried direct feeding (what we didn’t know back then)..

 

[JoJosReef]

Latest parameters:
NO3: ~25ppm (Salifert), maybe a bit more
PO4: ran out of reagent (Salifert), but very visible blue, so probably 0.5ppm
ALK: 8.75dKh
CA: >500ppm

Did a water change and will probably reduce the amount of Oyster Feast/ROE/Mysis feast from 100mcL each to 75mcL each. Phyto was 75mcL so maybe drop to 50mcL to hopefully bring down NO3 and PO4 a bit.

Hope that the fungia can recover. Should I stop feeding it so much?

Maybe less NLS pellets to the clowns, too. They are looking at me right now and shaking their heads left and right in disagreement.

 

[Tcook]

They do well around 100 par. I would be worried about those acans. They are awfully close and can pack quite a punch.

 

[JoJosReef]

They do well around 100 par. I would be worried about those acans. They are awfully close and can pack quite a punch.

Tonight I nudged him over a bit to an area with slightly higher PAR and further from the rock. Slowly ramping up light power, but should be in 100 range in a couple of weeks. I could ramp up a bit faster, just worried the blasto won't like the rapid increase.

 

[Tcook]

Tonight I nudged him over a bit to an area with slightly higher PAR and further from the rock. Slowly ramping up light power, but should be in 100 range in a couple of weeks. I could ramp up a bit faster, just worried the blasto won't like the rapid increase.

No need to ramp up fast. Acans can have up to a 6" reach with their mesenteric filaments.

 

[JoJosReef]

Progress report:

The fungia worsened and was basically just the skeleton with a little bit if flesh between ribs and around the mouth.

I took it away from its area on the sand bed and put it in my ICU (small tupper with squares cut in each side for flow to go through). Put a little sand in the ICU for it to sit on. It is now getting lower flow and slightly lower PAR than where it was, mostly due to the ICU blocking high flow.

I'm encouraged and happy to share that it has grown some flesh and almost fully covers the skeleton in the AM during light rampup. Once lights hit daytime levels, it partially recedes showing skeleton, but there's still more flesh than previously. Attached photo--I don't have a before shot, but you can imagine a practically bare skeleton, none of the knobby polyps or anything.

I have not been feeding it except to squirt a small amount of oyster feast/phyto/ROE in the ICU every other day.

Also been doing more water changes for other reasons (cleaning up GHA on rocks, adjusting nutrients for koji wada, prepping for a new tux urchin).

I suspect that the fungia was getting irritating flow on one side of its body and may not have liked the NO3/PO4 levels or other stuff in the water. Possible that it was getting too much PAR in its previous spot?

Thanks!

 

[Sailaway]

Progress report:

The fungia worsened and was basically just the skeleton with a little bit if flesh between ribs and around the mouth.

I took it away from its area on the sand bed and put it in my ICU (small tupper with squares cut in each side for flow to go through). Put a little sand in the ICU for it to sit on. It is now getting lower flow and slightly lower PAR than where it was, mostly due to the ICU blocking high flow.

I'm encouraged and happy to share that it has grown some flesh and almost fully covers the skeleton in the AM during light rampup. Once lights hit daytime levels, it partially recedes showing skeleton, but there's still more flesh than previously. Attached photo--I don't have a before shot, but you can imagine a practically bare skeleton, none of the knobby polyps or anything.
View attachment 2905846

I have not been feeding it except to squirt a small amount of oyster feast/phyto/ROE in the ICU every other day.

Also been doing more water changes for other reasons (cleaning up GHA on rocks, adjusting nutrients for koji wada, prepping for a new tux urchin).

I suspect that the fungia was getting irritating flow on one side of its body and may not have liked the NO3/PO4 levels or other stuff in the water. Possible that it was getting too much PAR in its previous spot?

Thanks!

Glad that it recovered!

 

[Tcook]

They come back from the dead. Good that yours is doing well

 

[JoJosReef]

Glad that it recovered!

They come back from the dead. Good that yours is doing well

Here is what it looks like when lights at full blast. Recedes a bit showing the ribs, but still much more flesh than before, so hopefully recovering. Think its only getting about 90-100 PAR there though.

 

[Scooters Reef]

How is it doing now? I am trying to figure out why my plate coral is receding and trying to figure out if it's too much flow or from lighting issues.
I hope you made out well with your specimen!

 

[JoJosReef]

How is it doing now? I am trying to figure out why my plate coral is receding and trying to figure out if it's too much flow or from lighting issues.
I hope you made out well with your specimen!

It completely receded and by all appearances is dead. However, I know these corals have a reputation for pulling a Lazarus, so I'm keeping the skeleton for now and seeing what happens. Tank transfer happening over the next couple of weeks, so in the new tank I will work on giving it a more favorable environment to see if it comes back from the dead.