Urgent Sun coral dying :((

My sun coral is slowly dying. He started not eating throughout our move to our new home. When we got the tank settled we put him in right away under a cave with a slight flow. My fiance started feeding him like usual, but he just never came out like he use to. He then started to turn gray in certain areas and my fiance started to worry, it's her favorite piece of coral! So we took him to a fish store near by. They gave us a nutrients dip and she has to dip her coral once every 3 days, but the coral is now all gray. The polyps on the side look dead but inside the center ones are still yellow so hopefully he will pull through. Although I don't know what to do from here.. he won't come out to eat. Also when my fiance dips him or changes his water she says he ozzes like clear slime.. what is this? By the way he is quarantined in a plastic container right now.. what do we do now to bring him back?

Nitrate-0 ppm
Nitrite-0 ppm
Ammonia-0 ppm
pH- 8.3
Salt content- a little over 1.026 on the hydrometer

 

I have one of these with 3 heads. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've read they like medium to semi-strong flow as they're filter feeders for the most of it. I have mine place in the middle of the tank, on a semi-shaded area with medium flow and it's doing ok. Your parameters seem fine. Salinity is a little high, but nothing to really worry about. I would still do a water change with a little less saltier water and try to bring that down to 1.025.. but again, I don't think this is what's bothering him. Did you check ammonia?

Also, you mentioned having him in a plastic container. Does this container have any flow? is it inside your display tank?

I hope they pull through, bud. Sun corals are very nice looking specimen.

- Mag.

 

Hey man thanks. No he's not in the display tank, he's dying so he's on his own and ya he's got a flow.. but he won't filter feed. That's why he's dying and i checked ammonia it's 0 ppm. O ya and he smells pretty bad!

This was him before he started dying

 

Very pretty! I really hope he does pull through.

What's the temp on your tank? Mine seems like the tentacles come out more if the temp is between 77 and 80f. Gotta head out and give an estimate on a small job. Good luck!! I'll come back and see what other more experienced members have to contribute to this thread.

Best of lucks again!!!

- Mag.

 

Is it possible your hydrometer is not reading accurately and salinity is the issue? I'm still a rookie but have been told they are not the best to use as they read incorrectly at times. I have actually tested my water with my hydrometer a few times in a row before and got different readings. I was advised to buy a refractometer. Just a thought.

 

sun corals are not filter feeders. Need to feed each head with mysis and or brine shrimp.

 

My fiance is a freak about that trust me she does, she takes a syringe to each and every head filled with mysis shrimp. But he hasn't ate in 3 weeks he won't come out like he use to at the times of his feedings..

 

I wouldn't think so every time I measure it it's the same. Plus I make my own salt water and RO water so I wouldn't know how it would get off too much..

 

Here's what you do.

Go get a couple cubes of mysis. Put it in a cup (about 8 oz) of tank water, and let it defrost for about 1/2 hour.

Take a turkey baster, and suck the juice out of the cup. Don't grab the mysis; let them stay at the bottom. Squirt the juice all around the sun coral. Repeat while there's still juice.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Come back, see if it opened up. That's usually the best method for getting them to open. If it did, feed the mysis to the coral with the turkey baster; make sure to feed every head at least once.

If it didn't open up, your coral has a serious problem. By looking at that first picture closely, it looks like it's already pretty much dead.

 

+1 with above post