Dendrophyllia help

[reefersinceteen]

I have doing pretty good with a species of dendrophyllia for the last couple of years. It started off with just one polyp and had reproduced into a coral head of about 25 polyps.
A month or so ago, I noticed one of the polyps seeming to "pour" out of its individual corallite cup. Not knowing what was going on, I let it go thinking it might be a form or reproducing. In another day or so, the polyp was dead and the corallite cup that it had occupied left empty. Then, the next day I noticed another polyp not extending as fully as it did before. Within a couple of days, the inside of the polyp (mesenteries, etc.) was mysteriously gone and all that remained was the polyp tissue (oral disc and mouth) surrounding the opening of the cup which subsequently released from the skeleton again leaving an empty cup.
Since then, I have tried dipping the entire head in iodine baths, melafix baths, freshwater dips, using Flatworm Exit (suspecting flatworms)- the kitchen sink! With the death of each subsequent polyp, I used sharp scissors to cut off the empty cup thinking that perhaps whatever the bug or disease that had killed that polyp would be cut out. A few weeks ago, I thought that everything was under control as no more polyps died and the ones left alive opened up, ate and even started budding small polyps.
Then yesterday, another polyp died and it seemed that everything is starting to go south again.
Any advice? Help? I would appreciate anyone's insights as I am at this point stymied of what to do next. Thanks!!

 

[BigAl07]

Hello and welcome to RS!

I assume this will sound silly but.. what are your CURRENT water test results?

This could be a form of "polyp bail out". Occurs due to some strong "stresser" in the tank. could be:

• a) Water Parameter Issue
• b) Coral chemical war-fate
• c) too much flow

or some other variable . . .


It could also be something is preying on your coral. Keep a close eye (and again after dark) for some type of pest in there.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

 

[reefersinceteen]

Thanks BigA107,

I don't think it is a water parameter issue (Nitrate, Phosphate, Specific Gravity, Temperature, etc. are in very good shape and have been stable throughout the entire traumatic experience).

Don't think it is a water flow issue either since the coral has occupied the same spot for a couple of years and I have not changed or added any powerheads, etc.

That leaves me with your suggestion of a coral predator or coral chemical warfare. If it is the latter, then only the Dendrophyllia is affected of all the corals in the tank (I have in the tank Dendronephthea, Scleronepthea, Xenia, microdendrophyllia, scolymia, micromussa, Australian acan and a big leather coral). Because the microdendrophyllia is unaffected (as well as all of the other corals), I tend to rule out that there is coral warfare going on.

So now on to the coral pest/predator. The one event which coincided with the start of the demise of my dendrophyllia was the addition of a yellow gonipora. The gonipora lasted about a week and then started deteriorating from the base. I eventually got it out of the tank but now am wondering whether I had imported something bad on the goniopora which now is affecting my dendrophyllia. Thus I tried the various dip treatments to see if I could kill the unknown "bug"/bacteria/virus. I also purchased a mystery wrasse and a psychedelic mandarin as I understand they provide biologic control for bugs like flatworms and parasitic snails. So far, I have not viewed any bugs with very close inspections.
I have not tried looking after dark for what is going on. I will try this over the next few days. But if this is unsuccessful, do you have any other suggestions with this added information I have provided?

 

[cindyp]

are you feeding it regular?

 

[reefersinceteen]

used to feed it once a day. now I have been feeding it twice a day. PE mysis, rods food, phytofeast, rotofeast, oyster feast, and selcon.