Toadstool rotting?

Tough call.  Part of me says increase the flow and wait.  Part of me says frag it up now.

Does sediment happen to land there often? The middle of corals like that often die due to sediment buildup. The whitish patch above.itlooks like nipping though. How's your water? I'd run carbon if you aren't already.

look closely and also look at night to see if there is anything munching away at it.. little worms or bugs maybe..

Has your tank experienced any changes due to the change in seasons?  Temperature fluctuations maybe?  In the last couple weeks my toadstool has also started rotting away and I can't pinpoint the reason either.  Mine is almost completely gone now, but I have several others that are doing fine.  As far as I can tell there have been no changes in my tank recently except that the heaters run an awful lot more and it's possible the temps are fluctuating a little more than they were in the spring, summer, fall.

I also agree with Adam, raise the water flow.  Try to keep the damaged area clean and there is a good chance you will not loose the entire coral.

Aloha Erik,

Thanks for the pics. They are very helpful.

How long has this Sarcophyton been in the tank? What coral was added last and how long ago was that?

I also believe the deterioration could have started because of a build up of detritus sitting there undisturbed for a while. Is that what happened or has the coral always been fairly clean on top?

Water flow across the top of the Sarco is important. Do I see two powerheads on the right side? The nicest way to improve flow would be to place those powerheads on opposite sides facing each other, or ideally to place them lower shooting up to meet in the middle center of the water surface. Where the water streams meet creates changing turbulence and water flowing away in slightly changing paths. Coral appreciate that. That would create good flow around the top of the Sarco.

How much and how often has AC been used? A large Sarco with a variety of other coral, means a cup of new AC every 2-4 weeks is very important.

I see some brown coloration in the tank like a soft brown algae, perhaps a diatom bloom because of the pollution brought about by the dieing part of the Sarco. Is there a way you could add some Macroalgae to eat up the pollution? I have some if you want to come by and pick it up.

Mahalo,
Mark
808-345-1049 call/text/visit


Edited by Mark Peterson - November 26 2013 at 9:52am