Why the @$&% is my chalice bleaching?

Zoaelite · #1 12-14-2010, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

Pathogen is my guess as well. I had something similar hit my candycanes back in the summer and I had no idea what. They still haven't fully recovered even. Should I leave this guy in really low light under the overhang and hope it pulls through or should I pull it out a bit to get a bit more light?

My chalice is, I believe, an oxypora? It's the same species as the ATL masterpiece chalice but has different colouring. I'll try to see if I can get it to eat. I've never used the zeovit LPS supp. Is it just for health or will it encourage a feeding response as well? The lack of a feeding response has always bothered me. Any suggestions on this?

I'll see if I can get home sometime in the next couple of days when the lights are on so I can get a pic of ol' bleachy (gonna be tough though with 18 hour work days for the remainder of the week :s ).

If it's the same growth form as the ATL masterpiece its certainly an oxypora sp, would love to see some photos. The supplement will help with regrowth of lost tissue, will make the chalice look plumper and it personally caused all my chalices to develop almost a pink sunscreen pigment. Hard to explain with words so these photos should help:

The prime chalice used to be completely blue:

Same with this one aside from the green eyes:

whatcaneyedo · #2 12-15-2010, 12:40 AM

Are you using any biopellets? One of my chalice (and several other LPS and soft coral) began to bleach this summer when I tried out the Vertex pellets for a month.

ScubaSteve · #3 12-15-2010, 12:48 AM

No, I'm not. I'm actually quite convinced that they're not the best thing for reef systems... maybe in time once they're better understood but right now I'm hearing waaaaay too many horror stories about them.

I also don't use them as I try to not keep my nitrates at exactly zero. My personal belief is that there should be some nitrates around (greater than 0 ppm but less than 5 ppm) the help facilitate growth and maintain coral health. I feel ULNS are too unstable as the corals are basically operating on a very lean diet... the littlest thing can just wipe them out.