HELP! Flowerpot not opening?

[qwaz0101]

I purchased what I think is a flowerpot coral 3 weeks ago and it's been doing great but the last 2-3 days it's been closed. All other corals are doing well but I did a 25% water change yesterday anyway with Red Sea Coral Pro on top of the 15% I do weekly aswell. Tank is a Fluval M90 with Fluval Marine LED light.

Any ideas or suggestions?

3 weeks ago...

Today...

 

[mr_tap_water]

Hi there
If you haven't added anything to the water recently and it's only a water charge you've done it's probably just thrown out the chemistry for a short time being that you've done a large water challenge you may made a sudden swing in your status which would've caused it to withdraw specially if the Sg didn't match your tank water and going by that particular coral certainly looks like it's agitated.


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[SPR]

Some corals don't like high alkalinity and that's what you get with Red Sea Coral Pro amongst other higher parameters as it's designed to run with their accelerated growth program. If you look on the box it tells you the levels depending on the salinity you select but at 35ppm the Alk is around 12-12.6ppm etc. And if these parameters didn't match your existing water that may be the reason.

I only say this because I've dropped back of accelerated growth and many of the corals are doing much better as they are colouring up rather than trying to grow fast, but that's what accelerated growth is supposed to do. To be fair it's very good salt if your running those levels and it certainly works.

You may have just shocked it with the water change. Corals are very sensitive and if they don't like something you will soon find out.

 

[qwaz0101]

Thanks for the advice.

I went to my local fish shop and they asked me if I was feeding it and I haven't been. They sold me sold special food specific for this type of coral and recommended putting the top part of a coke bottle over the coral (without touching it) and using a turkey baster to squirt food in, then leave it for 15mins.

I have done this tonight so I will see if it makes any difference tomorrow....

 

[SPR]

Thanks for the advice.

I went to my local fish shop and they asked me if I was feeding it and I haven't been. They sold me sold special food specific for this type of coral and recommended putting the top part of a coke bottle over the coral (without touching it) and using a turkey baster to squirt food in, then leave it for 15mins.

I have done this tonight so I will see if it makes any difference tomorrow....

Yes you can try that but it's more likely to be water chemistry that's caused it with the quick reaction after the change you did.

Also look at one of the reef energy products as you just add them to the tank and then don't need to mess with turkey basters etc. I use Red Sea Reef energy A & B. There's also reef roids and many other coral foods.

 

[qwaz0101]

Update... so I went away for the weekend and when I got back it was still closed so I thought it was probably dead. However what I have noticed is that on a morning (under moonlights) the coral is partially open but when I get home from work it's closed.

Is it possible that it's struggling under the bright light? I have a Fluval M90 with the Fluval LED 2.0 light .

 

[DaveK]

It's not so much that the coral can not tolerate bright light. What they don't like it the transition from low light to much higher light. So, yes, this could be a problem for your coral.

For the time being, you can try placing translucent plastic, possibly a couple of layers to put the coral in the shade for awhile and see if it improves. If it does, you can slowly increase the light until you no longer have the coral in the shade.

If you have LED lighting that is fully adjustable, you can simply dim that down a lot. The same things apply.

This process is commonly done with many new corals, since corals at your LFS are often kept in dim light.