Dieing LPS What Is to be Expected?

[Noober]

Ok I've got one unknown LPS, a favaties, or brain coral, one flowerpot coral aka gonipora, however you spell it... On these coral, The unknown which looks a bit like zoanthids and the favaties, were both in a tank at the lfs with a pufferfish, i saw him eating the corals with my own eyes, and they both have their skeleton showing on a couple of polyps where they were eaten away, they corals look like they are enjoying my tank better and I was wondering if they will regrow their skin back over the skeleton and regrow into thoes polyps? My flowerpot coral started declining and having skeleton showing once i introduced a new clown fish into my tank that has taken it as a host, it is losing polyps fairly quickly as it was very colorful and had no dead polyps before for nearly 6 months... Im not gonna take the clown out so I'm just considering that one dead... but i would like to know if there was anything I can do for the other two corals that arnt getting picked on to help them regrow their polyps and for them to continue to grow in the tank, Or are they just going to decline slowly and die? I do also have a LPS hammer coral. It is just one shoot of polyps and i was wondering if any of you could tell me how long it takes it to start branching off and growing more shoots, and if there is anything i need to be feeding it? Thanks a ton for all your advice!

[CoryDude]

If you tank's pretty stable and everything's else is growing fine, then your favia should be ok. I've had them lose part of their tissue and regrow it with no problems. The gonipora is another story. IMO, I've never seen one grow back after declining.

To help matters, you may want to feed the favia at night when it's sweeper tentacles are out. Once a week should suffice.

[Noober]

thanks a lot dude, all i have access too in these parts is pretty much brine shrimp, bloodworms, and krill. I make my own for the most part though from the seafood section of the grocery store. With shrimp, dried seaweed, scallops, a small portion of a couple other marine animals. I would just use mixed seafood but its already been cooked. I also add brine shrimp, and some flake food for marine veggie eaters. I hope thats balenced out enough for all my fish. If i put it in the blender again, will it chop it up fine enough for my brain coral to eat it? Or do I need to get a different product?

[Submariner]

Flower pots often die in tanks that otherwise are in perfect condition. They usually starve to death actually. They are used to being well fed in their naturally conditions. You can actually spot feed them by using a 2 liter soda bottle and cutting off the bottom. You place it over the flower pot and then feed DT live and let it sit awhile to let it get all it wants. This is easy in a nano, but it a deeper tank you have to attach tubing to the top of the soda bottle.

[BigKGlen]

Live food is best for Gonipora. We have sponsors, one in San Antonio, that sells live feed.

[sharkboy]

it is also a good idea to purchase healthy corals...i wouldn't try to "save" the corals or fish from the lfs...they should know better...jmo

[Submariner]

Live food is best for Gonipora. We have sponsors, one in San Antonio, that sells live feed.

Very true and he's a darn nice guy.

[Noober]

thanks a lot guys, your help is really appricated. I have one sub par lfs to go to here unless i get the cash and have the need to drive 2 hours one way to austin. So that sucks because the lfs people here are more noobs than I am. I am just about 6-7 months into the hobby. Anyway, Thank you all greatly and I will start ordering live food overnight from online vendors for my coral! happy reefing

[CoryDude]

it is also a good idea to purchase healthy corals...i wouldn't try to "save" the corals or fish from the lfs...they should know better...jmo

Amen to that brother!