Help with Colt Coral (Alcyonium sp.)

[XXX]

6_line,

I also have a colt about the size of yours that hosts two clowns. I have had mine a year also. Mine has deflated twice since I have had it. The second time was for unknown reasons and I just wrote it up as one of those things corals so sometimes. It lasted only two days and it never did completly deflate.

The first time the colt slowly went limp over a two or three day period and got to the point where it was actually laying flat on the rock. I was at a loss. One of the branches started melting so I pulled it out of the tank to trim it off. There was the problem! A mushroom had drifted in and settled behind the colt and was stinging it. I cut the branch, scraped the shroom off and the next day it was on the road to recovery.

The pic of yours doesn't look like a stinging problem to me but you should check to make sure. It's frustrating as you would theink your colt is the last thing you would have a problem with. And the clowns just go nuts. You really feel sorry for them. I think the colt would come back quicker if it wasn't for the clowns banging around in it. I had a five inch colt that I fragged and set it next to the sick colt so the clown could use it as temperary housing. They wanted nothing to do with it! Pretty interesting stuff.

So I guess after all of this babbling IMO check for bad guys and give it time. If you have overall problems I think you would see it other places before the colt. If I recall mine had some of the whitish marks also. I assumed (could be wrong) that it was the results of a large area contracting to a small area. Like your skin after swimming for a long time. When it expanded all was clear.

Good luck and let us know.

 

[6_line]

XXX,
Yes, I've looked for a stinging culprit before to no avail. I've even moved the coral to the middle of the tank trying to get it more flow (I'm desperate, here!)and there's no threats nearby.
I wish it had only been a couple days, but it's been a couple weeks. As I said, I'm at a complete loss--I believed these guys to be relatively hardy--and it was until this point....
Thanks...

 

[XXX]

As long as it doesn't start coming apart I say there is an excellent chance it will be OK.

 

[nala]

Hi Todd,
It's Teri

I'm so sorry about your beautiful coral

I know you've posted around about this to no avail...even from the "experts". If it was my coral...I would take it as a sign that something is different than it was before(this does not mean I know what it is

). Perhaps some trace element it uses has been depleted? I would just keep covering the basics. A series of small WC's...even 5g a day until you see some improvement. I would also run some carbon...just in case. Do you have a place for a Poly-filter? I find these useful as they turn colors to let me know if they are helping. Have you tested phosphates and silicates? Maybe some Phosguard could help? I know you're not asking about help with algae

These are the steps I take in my skimmerless system. I figure eventually what is out of whack will be fixed by all the TLC. I have an Alevapora I use as a "signal" coral. When it looks frumpy(technical term) I can change 15g(out of 120 volume)of water and it fluffs back up

I know this small amount isn't enough to dilute anything...but I figure there is some element that it uses up that NSW replaces. Sorry I don't have an answer

If the worst case scenario happens and it melts away...that frag you gave me is doing wonderfully and I will be happy to frag it for you

Good Luck

 

[6_line]

Hi all,
I've had this beautiful, relatively large Colt for about a year now; all of a sudden, beginning about two or three weeks ago, it took a turn for the worse. It hardly opens up, the polyps barely extend--it expands to maybe 1/2 the way it used to. It shuts down prematurely @ night and my Clowns, who use it as a host, are completely befuddled because they use to literally hide in it's feathery polyps that billowed in the current.
No more.
All other corals (mix including LPS and other soft corals) are fine.
Alk is 3.0 meg/ltr and CA is about 400.
The only noticeable difference in the coral is a white discoloration along the trunk. It semed to have originated at the base and proceeded upwards towards the branches. Aside from the white color, the marks are indifferent from the remainder of the tissue (no flaking or dissolving, so to speak).
Here's a pic

Today the coral hardly opened. It used to spread about 10inches, now it's a shrivelled mess (although no signs of melting away)
Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[6_line]

Hi,
Thanks all
Nala (Teri), the frag I gave you was from the Capnella, not the Colt. Oh, my Capnella and it's forest are doing fine as usual.It's the Colt, the huge coral my Clowns live in that's bad.
I have done a series of water changes--much more then I ever had, I might add.
I added some fresh carbon when the incident began. I'm not sure about the Poly filters and such; i have heard some soft corals are tempermental about using such things on the water, but I'm not for sure. I would hope that the silica and phosphates wouldn't be an issue considering I use RO/DI and have a decent skimmer.
It's been a long while since I've dosed iodine in my tank, so I did give it a capful.
All this seemingly to no avail. It seems as if the coral is opening even less, down from about 50% as much as it used to to about 25%.
Still no signs of melting away, however. I guess that's good news....

 

[jaydse]

hello this is by no means your fault i have been talking to people that have very awsome tanks & for no reason their colts are just dieing around a year to 3 years old.maybe their not as strong as we belive. ? mine went the same way as your is the trunk get rough looking .

 

[Powder Blue]

I have one a colt with a clown with it also. As for mine, it looked like it was melting when the temp spiked around 87, usually goes up to max 85, but when temp went back down, it came back and is still doing good, still making frags too. Also there is some type of small flat coral right next to the colts base with no harm.

 

[nala]

Doh! Sorry Todd

I was thinking about the Colt from someone else

(Man...I hate it when my mistakes are in print

) Just too many generous Reefers I guess

The Capnella is doing great as well

Good Luck

 

[Mike02]

Soft corals require medium to slightly high water flow. There are two reasons for this;

Leather corals tend to produce a occasional smooth mucous coating ( which aids in cleansing themselves ) that is shed after one to two weeks and flow helps them 'slough' this coating.

Soft corals ( Cladiella and Nephthea sps. corals in particular ) are very sensitive to their surrounding neighbors and when threatened will retract and produce heavy amounts of mucous for protection. This mucous if not swept away can encourage bacteria or protozoan infections that can cause the demise of the coral.

 

[Alex1]

I have a colt about a foot accross right now. It was near dear once and the culpret was nuribranches!!!. They left white marks onmy colt and it was falling apart when I finally saw NURIBRANCHESeating away at my poor coral. It was 4 inches accross when I got it reduced to less than 2 inches by nuribranches and has recovered to be over a foot accross all in 11 months!!

Hope you can solve the problem.

Alex

 

[6_line]

Thanks all for the comments.
I also wish my photot wasn't so huge, I hate going side to side to read the text

Anyhow, I have searched the coral for worms or nudibranchs or anything abnormal, and to no avail.
jaydse-The trunk is rough looking, but it seems more so due to it not expanding and it's more of a wrinkled appearence.
I will direct some more current upon the coral; today I gave it a good turkey baste and blasted it with the powerhead in an attempt to remove something..anything...that might be effecting it.
Thanks again