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-







I came home tonight to this-






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-








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....

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...