Lobo in trouble...need help- ASAP (If possible)

[Sir Patrick]

I got a lobo. Looked really nice. Tissue was great, no retraction, no recesion, bright and bushy! Heres a pic, from a week ago, and looked the same last night-

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/sirpatrick1/new%20cam%20fish/Picture121.jpg





I came home tonight to this-



http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/sirpatrick1/new%20cam%20fish/Picture-4.jpg


First- a little back ground on the tank-

34 gallon cube. 4 bulb t5ho light w/ 2 actinics, 1 10k and a purple bulb. The lobo was place in the lower 1/3 of the 18" tall tank, on a frag rack. My purple deaths ar about 3" higher in the tank and retain their color, so I beleive ther isnt too much light....but not sure enough to exclude that from the issue...

Flow is supplied by a mp10 on reefcrest mode- I would definitly say its in a very indirect flow area. It gets flow, but not anywhere near enough to wave its tenticles.


The system is low nutrient, but cant/wont call it ULNS. I dose MB7 and a bit of VC. It keeps the nitrates undetectable on my test kit, but enough po4 that my cheato algea survives- most likely due to heavy feedings, broadcast style, for corals and fish alike. I dont have a really reliable test kit for po4, just a general use (api).



There are a few things that have changed.....but all other corals and fish have shown no sighns of anything out of the ordinary.

Last night- the last time I saw this coral-

I topped off my tank. I added 1 1/2 gallon to the 34 gallon cube.

I have recently, in the past 3 days, started spot feeding my corals- palys, chalice, other lobos and variouse sps, and hope that the sps and zoas in my tank benefit from the leftoves in the water column.


I gave the tank a lights out period 11 days ago for 3 days, and then dosed some maracyn (erethromyacin) to the tank 8 days ago. i added this lobo 2 days after the dose....6 days ago.


Pretty much all thats changed in the past 15 days.



I have seen beneficial results in the past 5 days in all my corals....till yonight, and just in this lobo in the pic....

Anyone have any ideas??

[Sir Patrick]

Almost forgot to add.....

The open mouths, and the bad lookin side- they are pooping....or possibly expelling Zooxanthellae ???? I am not sure....Im ny experiance, expelling the brown in considered pooping, but if thing look bad during this, it could be a bad sighn....I could use some help here with this lobo.

I am fairly new to keeping these corals, and extreamly new to having issues with them. I could use some help, and dont want to loose this one, it cost me a fair chunk- and already in the past 6 days, I have grown attatched.


Anyone with experiance have any info/ideas??



Its going downhill fast....

2 hours later-


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/sirpatrick1/new%20cam%20fish/Picture125.jpg





All moths open, and the last ones, on the right are pooping/expelling...

I have moved it to a more shaded spot, but thats about all I know for sure to do??? O have had a suggestion to FW dip??



A little more just found out info....after the 3 days lights out, and all the power outages, and my work schedule- I just found out the lights have been on for 14 hrs/day for the last 6 days.....Oooops...

Is it bleaching??? Is that what its expelling out of its mouths?? Do these corals recover from bleaching?? Any info/advice is apreciated....

[MizTanks]

Awww Chris I wish I could help-my heart hurts for you-hope someone can help!!

[jimsflies]

You could try a melafix or coral Rx dip.

Also run some fresh carbon and do a water change.

I'd also move the piece to the lowest light area with medium-strong indirect flow.

[ReeferRob]

I feel your pain bro, I brought home a lobo that had been at the LFS for 2 weeks. After only 2 days in my system it slowly and painfully just withered away over a weeks time. I wish you luck.

[jimsflies]

I have found lobos like this very tough to keep. I had a yellow one that only lasted days, a pink one that lasted a couple months, and a green one that I kept for about 6 months. They all ended up looking the same color in the end...white skeleton. These lobos have become one of the corals I "try" to stay away from now.

[jolson10450]

don't know much about them but if you can feed them i would say give them some mysis and garlic. i had some candy canes that were receding and i gave them mysis everyday for about 1 week and they came back at full strength. i think the problem was when i got them they stressed and expelled the photosynthetic algae they have in their cells and were slowly starving so when i fed them it gave it nutrition to keep it alive and also helped them regenerate their lost algae cells that were expelled.

worth a shot! good luck!

[demonclownfish]

eh, i shoulda stuck around for that 2 hours later shot. it does appear to be shrinking/whithering away :(

[vittleking]

oh man that sux. Hope it pulls through.

[Sir Patrick]

Thx for the replies so far- much apreciated.

Alright...now i am really confused....:stars:

Looks very close to being back to normal now. A bit lighter in color, but poofed up and almost completely happy again.

I moved it last night to a shaded area, and left it alone all day. Lights are cut back to 8 hrs, gonna cut back to 7 in a few days.

This has me wondering- does it deflate really bad, right before it poops??? I have seen nems do this before they poop, and seen zoas close up for a few days before they do....anyone experiance this?

I have been feeding alot. Can it be overfed?? Think I recall some LPS can be overfed...

[demonclownfish]

yes LPS can be overfed i learned that the hard way with my dendro. and i told you not to worry too much :). just if it starts expelling white strings then it IS sick.

[Sir Patrick]

Heres a current pic, moths are all closed, and lookin pretty well-


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/sirpatrick1/new%20cam%20fish/Picture126.jpg

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Glad to see that its looking better.

Never had a Lobo but based on my experience with other LPS, the brown strings were zooxanthellae being expelled. The stress of acclimating to a new water conditions and lighting (spectrum, intensity, photoperiod, ect.) can cause this (the 14 hour photoperiod probably didn't help). If a strain of zooxanthellae are not well suited to the conditions in the tank the coral will get rid of them. The coral should color back up, but may have slightly different coloration due to a different blend of algae.


HTH,
Tom

[MizTanks]

Happy happy joy joy! Good for you Chris and the Lobo too.

[Sir Patrick]

Thx miz.

Thx for the info Tom. Apreciate it.

[MizTanks]

Glad to see that its looking better.

Never had a Lobo but based on my experience with other LPS, the brown strings were zooxanthellae being expelled. The stress of acclimating to a new water conditions and lighting (spectrum, intensity, photoperiod, ect.) can cause this (the 14 hour photoperiod probably didn't help). If a strain of zooxanthellae are not well suited to the conditions in the tank the coral will get rid of them. The coral should color back up, but may have slightly different coloration due to a different blend of algae.


HTH,
Tom

Tom, You are a well of info! I learn something new from you every day! Thanks for sharing!

[youngtimothy]

my lobo does this as well, I've learned never panic wait a while to see what happens most of the time things work out themselves. I hardly ever feed my lobo and it grown alot. maybe once a month I give it some rods food, all my corals eat whatever is in the water colum with fish poop and un eaten fish food they get plenty.
glad to see its doing well, nice piece!

[vittleking]

glad it's doing better SP!!!

[Sir Patrick]

Thx for the ino youngtimothy. I am going to no longer spot feed it any heavy foods. I broadcast feed too, and am thinking that food will be plenty. I will also not freak out so bad next time around....I did freak a bit this last time, lol!

Lobos still lookin pretty good!

[youngtimothy]

it happens to the best of us, my wife has to keep reminding me not to freek out over my tank to quickly. I've had Acros take 8-9 months befor they do any thing then really take off.

[Frank143]

My lobo that is very similar to yours except it is orange and purple, goes through the same experience. I find that when it is bothered or moved around it does what you have described but always bounces back. I keep mine at the bottom of a 24" tank under the 6 bulb ATI Sunpower with moderate to low flow and minimal feeding. Awesome shape and color by the way.

[Sir Patrick]

Its still hanging on, but just barely.....its got about 2" on the end still alive....:thumbs_down:


I havnt bothered it, or moved it, just waiting, watching, and seeing if it bounces back.

[Mouthstofeed]

I'm having a similar problem now with my 2 lobo's. They are not puffing up. Nor are they receding any. They just stay retracted all the time. First noticed a couple of weeks ago. Thought they may just be going through a "change" but now getting a little concerned for them. Odd that this is happening to both of them. Both placed in the bottom of the tank. Previously healthy and growing for quite some time. Nothing has really changed in the tank. Parameters are good. Do you know what you did to get yours to expand again?

[slapshot]

I have found lobos like this very tough to keep. I had a yellow one that only lasted days, a pink one that lasted a couple months, and a green one that I kept for about 6 months. They all ended up looking the same color in the end...white skeleton. These lobos have become one of the corals I "try" to stay away from now.

I'm with Jim on this. I can't seem to keep them. Not sure why, I have seen some nice ones in people's tanks but for me they all end up dying.

[Sir Patrick]

Mine didnt make it....it died shortly after my last post.

[slapshot]

Ugh sorry Chris. So frustrating those are. They are suppose to be easy, never have been for me.

[Sir Patrick]

Ugh sorry Chris. So frustrating those are. They are suppose to be easy, never have been for me.

I have found, as a few have pointed out, there are easy ones out ther....but others are close to impossible.

This one is one of the immposible ones. Sems to be, in my research, a variety that just doesnt do well, long term, in captivity.

[binford4000]

I have found that Lobos are very light sensative.The wifes tank has three in it which she's kept for sevral years and she refuses to move them once she found the right level.It looks to me like your experienceing alittle light shock.They do very well in low flow and almost a shaded area.Feeding it mysis will give it a lipids boost and won't hurt it.If you have Oyster feast try target feeding it and keep it in low light,I would also add some iodine to the frag tank over doing an aggressive dip.Just my .02 Loguls iodine will do wonders !!

[Sir Patrick]

Lugols iodine-

Dip it, or dose the tank with it?

I am guessing dose it, as a sunscreen, but not sure.

[binford4000]

doase it,just a few drops,