Reef Discussion

[Dean Lovett]

Over the past three weeks, I've seen a decline in the health of my cespituarlia... It's been looking limp, losing colour and just getting worse and worse.

Today, I noticed an ulcer/fissure of some sorts in its flesh - I decided that this decaying coral couldn't possibly be good for the nitrate issue in my tank and thus it has been removed :(

Sad day! It was one of my first!

 

[slin1977]

Iodine addition would have made it blossum into the stalk that jack climbed.

 

[Sam Parker]

Iodine addition would have made it blossum into the stalk that jack climbed.

Hmm yeah, it was worth a shot actually. My tank has a couple of leathers that one seemed to be completely dead (whilst the other thrived?) Looked completely dead for a good three months (so it obviously wasn't just a shed) until I started dosing iodine. Sprang back to life!

 

[Savage Henry]

Good that you got rid of it Dean.

Unless you have the time and resources to put into saving a coral, I feel it's best to throw it overboard early and concentrate on what's doing well. Even give it away with the proviso that the givee is made aware that the coral might be on the way out.

I think initially it's all about culling until you find what lives well in your tank at the time and eventually you'll get good enough that you will be able maintain almost anything. Start with bullet proof stuff until you get experience under your belt, then when you do have that experience, sell off excess corals and buy more exotic things to replace them.