HELP, heliofungia dying

DJM32189 · 08/10/2006, 06:12 AM

Hi,

I purchased a long tentacled heliofungia plate coral three days ago. I acclimated it using the drip method until all parameters were okay. It never really extended its' tentacles at all, and now it is showing more skeleton on the top of it everyday. It has also lost some of its' green color. What can I do to help it??!!!

Now, before you ask, I will tell.

It is on the bottom of the tank on sand, and it is not near any other corals that could sting it.

Water parameters:

0 nitrates, nitrites, ammonia
8.3 pH
1.025 salinity
? calcium/alkalinity (test kit coming soon)

20 (high) gallont tank with 65 watt Powercompact lighting (a little weak, but I figures that I would feed it a lot of meaty foods)

I fear that it is a gonner though....

IndyMatt · 08/10/2006, 07:18 AM

I have tried to save one that was damaged at my LFS. These corals are hard to keep even under metal halide lighting let alone PC.

Check this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=897212

I would say feed it at least once a day with a piece of shrimp. I have been feeding mine a piece of shrimp soaked in fish oil, garlic, and recently selcon. It is still day to day, stability seems to be the key. It deflates a little when I do my weekly water changes.

My feeling is that you do not have near the amount of light needed to keep these difficult corals. You still might be able to save it but it will take some time and a lot of patience.

Good Luck!

DJM32189 · 08/10/2006, 07:26 AM

I now noticed that on one side of it, the tissue is beginning to melt away- what should I do???

Rossini · 08/10/2006, 09:44 AM

Did you really expect it to survive under that lighting?

There hard enought to look after at the best of times.....

DJM32189 · 08/10/2006, 11:50 AM

Well, my torch coral, frogspawn, red open brain, leather corals, xenia, and more have survived fine. They have tripled to quadrupled their size, are very vibrant and overall very healthy. SO to answer your question, yes, I do believe that I could have kept it alive under this lighting system. Unfortunately, I did not even receive a chance to try. I will leave the skeleton in the tank to see if it will bud off daughter colonies when and if it does officially lose all of its' tissue.

mg426 · 08/10/2006, 12:38 PM

I had one do the same thing, Just like you all my frogspawn,bubbles,Brains did fine and still. They are a hard one to keep alive.

DJM32189 · 08/10/2006, 02:34 PM

They certainly are. It is dissapointing as the LFS owner offered me the choice between short tentacled or long, as I knew, the long was more work. When I asked him about he replied, "yes, they are a little more work in terms of feeding, but nothing else". Well, obviously it is more than feeding. I really wish that the aquarium hobby would stop importing corals that are not fit for captivity. I know that many fish stores have tanks full of goniopora corals. It really is too bad.

mg426 · 08/10/2006, 03:47 PM

I think that spreading the word around through RC and among ourselves, sharing what each of us has learned(sometimes the hard way ) can only help all of us and the hobby in genereal.

ROCK ON

jhorricks · 08/10/2006, 05:01 PM

I have also had very limited success with a couple of them. Short tentacles thrive but the long tentacles just start receeding slowly over time. Will not be purchasing anymore in the future.

TKByrnes · 08/10/2006, 05:45 PM

I had one that was fine for 6 months and then one day just started going down hill. when he lost almost half of his flesh overnight my fiance pulled him out. as soon as her hand hit the water she said she felt lile she was being stung by a jellyfish. we got it out and threw it in the trash. then we looked at her arm and it was blood red and swolen up. just be careful when they die they will sting the whole tank. my gsp is just now fully recovering from it and it happened about 4 months ago. all im saying is if you can see the bare ribs on the base get it out!

DJM32189 · 08/10/2006, 07:10 PM

THANK YOU, I will get it out as soon as possible as I can see the base

08/10/2006, 06:12 AM	#1
DJM32189 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 150	HELP, heliofungia dying Hi, I purchased a long tentacled heliofungia plate coral three days ago. I acclimated it using the drip method until all parameters were okay. It never really extended its' tentacles at all, and now it is showing more skeleton on the top of it everyday. It has also lost some of its' green color. What can I do to help it??!!! Now, before you ask, I will tell. It is on the bottom of the tank on sand, and it is not near any other corals that could sting it. Water parameters: 0 nitrates, nitrites, ammonia 8.3 pH 1.025 salinity ? calcium/alkalinity (test kit coming soon) 20 (high) gallont tank with 65 watt Powercompact lighting (a little weak, but I figures that I would feed it a lot of meaty foods) I fear that it is a gonner though....

08/10/2006, 12:38 PM	#6
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I had one do the same thing, Just like you all my frogspawn,bubbles,Brains did fine and still. They are a hard one to keep alive. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

08/10/2006, 03:47 PM	#8
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I think that spreading the word around through RC and among ourselves, sharing what each of us has learned(sometimes the hard way ) can only help all of us and the hobby in genereal. ROCK ON __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

08/10/2006, 05:45 PM	#10
TKByrnes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fairfield, PA Posts: 1,331	I had one that was fine for 6 months and then one day just started going down hill. when he lost almost half of his flesh overnight my fiance pulled him out. as soon as her hand hit the water she said she felt lile she was being stung by a jellyfish. we got it out and threw it in the trash. then we looked at her arm and it was blood red and swolen up. just be careful when they die they will sting the whole tank. my gsp is just now fully recovering from it and it happened about 4 months ago. all im saying is if you can see the bare ribs on the base get it out! __________________ Baby it was on sale half price I PROMISE!!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gal mixed reef-55 gal sump-mag 9.5 return pump-10 gal frag tank 15 gal refugium. 2x 150 watt HQI outer orbit 4x pc actinic

08/10/2006, 07:18 AM	#2
IndyMatt Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Indy Posts: 568	I have tried to save one that was damaged at my LFS. These corals are hard to keep even under metal halide lighting let alone PC. Check this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=897212 I would say feed it at least once a day with a piece of shrimp. I have been feeding mine a piece of shrimp soaked in fish oil, garlic, and recently selcon. It is still day to day, stability seems to be the key. It deflates a little when I do my weekly water changes. My feeling is that you do not have near the amount of light needed to keep these difficult corals. You still might be able to save it but it will take some time and a lot of patience. Good Luck!

08/10/2006, 07:26 AM	#3
DJM32189 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 150	I now noticed that on one side of it, the tissue is beginning to melt away- what should I do???

08/10/2006, 09:44 AM	#4
Rossini Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: UK Posts: 494	Did you really expect it to survive under that lighting? There hard enought to look after at the best of times.....

08/10/2006, 11:50 AM	#5
DJM32189 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 150	Well, my torch coral, frogspawn, red open brain, leather corals, xenia, and more have survived fine. They have tripled to quadrupled their size, are very vibrant and overall very healthy. SO to answer your question, yes, I do believe that I could have kept it alive under this lighting system. Unfortunately, I did not even receive a chance to try. I will leave the skeleton in the tank to see if it will bud off daughter colonies when and if it does officially lose all of its' tissue.

08/10/2006, 02:34 PM	#7
DJM32189 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 150	They certainly are. It is dissapointing as the LFS owner offered me the choice between short tentacled or long, as I knew, the long was more work. When I asked him about he replied, "yes, they are a little more work in terms of feeding, but nothing else". Well, obviously it is more than feeding. I really wish that the aquarium hobby would stop importing corals that are not fit for captivity. I know that many fish stores have tanks full of goniopora corals. It really is too bad.

08/10/2006, 05:01 PM	#9
jhorricks Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 346	I have also had very limited success with a couple of them. Short tentacles thrive but the long tentacles just start receeding slowly over time. Will not be purchasing anymore in the future.

08/10/2006, 07:10 PM	#11
DJM32189 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 150	THANK YOU, I will get it out as soon as possible as I can see the base