Is my acro ok?

jason604 · #1 10-28-2013, 01:39 AM

I was fragging my acro colony today and notice that its base has turned brown. I believe it might be due to it not receiving direct light. Will the brown spread to the rest of my acro? Or will it slowly heal? I know I'm still a noob lol

Proteus · #2 10-28-2013, 02:08 AM

First answer would yes light. But possible po4 also.

Try switching to halides jk

typezero · #3 10-28-2013, 02:17 AM

Id say not getting direct light due to overshadows of the top growth. Not ganna spread unless your coral shadow spreads.

jason604 · #4 10-28-2013, 02:41 AM

Oops forgot to post a pic. Ya the colony bends at the base causing no direct light. Here's a pic of it out of the tank.

asylumdown · #5 10-28-2013, 03:36 AM

Are you referring to the very bottom portion of the coral, from the pic looks about the lowest half inch where it attaches to the rock?

If so, that's not brown, that's just dead. The tissue has receded up from the base. Is the coral growing at the tips? It's possible for it to recover, but tissue recession like that is usually caused by something that irritates the coral near where it attaches to the rock, which could be a) not enough light, though IME the tissue just gets really dark and doesn't recede like that for that reason alone b) something on the rock is annoying to coral. Certain kinds of algae can do that as well if they grow around the base. Aiptasia can do that to a coral as well.

Generally if the coral is in good health it should recover assuming you can isolate what is causing the tissue recession and remedy it.

What are you parameters?

asylumdown · #6 10-28-2013, 03:38 AM

I should add, have you ever checked for acropora eating flatworms? The one coral in my tank that was affected by them did exactly that at the base before I figured out what was going on.

Aquattro · #7 10-28-2013, 04:10 AM

Overall, that coral looks like it's in pretty rough shape. Got a pic of it in the water? Maybe it will look better, but the tips of most of the corallites look bad..

asylumdown · #8 10-29-2013, 04:25 AM

+1. Not sure why corals do this, but once the base has died they never seem to re-encrust over it. The second you cut them at living tissue and re-mount them... Plating explosion.

jason604 · #9 10-29-2013, 10:12 AM

I will frag off the base tomorrow and give the colony a revive dip before I epoxy it. Should I coral dip the that piece of live rock as well to get rid of w.e causing the recession?

Aquattro · #10 10-29-2013, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason604

Should I coral dip the that piece of live rock as well to get rid of w.e causing the recession?

No, not really a concern. It just receded at it's base, they do that sometimes.