Bleached Cynaria

[JamesL]

I have a brown with green flecks cynaria which up to a few days agao was a deep rich brown. But a few days ago it bleached out a lot. It is eating fine, but the color radically shifted in a short time. I have not moved it, and nothing has changed in the tank. All of my other LPS (blasto and orange brain) near it are doing fine.

Any thoughts?

Before picture:

Current picture:

[cmanning]

Looks like bleaching - possible causes are:

-trying to rapidly adjust to your (different somehow - color, or intensity) lighting than it originally grew up under,

-trying to adjust to a different water chemistry than it originally grew up under,

I would try to put it in subdued lighting (shadier zone) until it adjusts to your color spectrum.

So long as it is eating, it's probably going to adjust OK. - Just give it some time-out from your new lights

for the 1st month or so until it colors back up.. then slowly move it little by little back out into the "sun"

(over a period of weeks).

Things to ask yourself when looking at bleaching events:

What color are your lights? -What color did it grow up under? (What was it used to before you got it).?

Alkalinity ? (what did the original grower keep the KH / PH at?)

IF other LPS are doing good in your tank (living for months and growing with good color - not just surviving...)

then this little guy will eventually be alright - looks like he's just having a reaction to a bad beach party..

[JimD]

I not sure I see the problem... It looks healthy enough, nice and plump, The pictures are totally different. One is blue and the other looks more natural. Doesnt look bleached to me...

[JamesL]

cmanning: I would agree with almost everything you mentioned if I had just added this coral to the tank. But it has been in the tank (heck, same spot) for probably 4 months. This bleaching happened just a few days ago.

But, you did bring up something I need to check. I started dosing calcium a few weeks back. This could be a cause. Need to pull out my calcium test kit.

JimD: Yes, it is very plump, and eats fine. But there has been a huge color shift. And I admit the pictures are off. The first one was take with no flash, and the second one was (quickly) taken with a flash. So I guess not the best to compare with.

[caferacermike]

It also does not look like a cynarina. It appears to be what is called a donut or also modern coral, sometimes very vaguely referred to as a button coral. SOme might even list it as a scolymia. Cynarinas are smooth with large bubbles, not little wart like bumps.

[JamesL]

It also does not look like a cynarina. It appears to be what is called a donut or also modern coral, sometimes very vaguely referred to as a button coral. SOme might even list it as a scolymia. Cynarinas are smooth with large bubbles, not little wart like bumps.

Hmm.. ok. I will go along with that

Well, I think I might have a clue on this. And it might just come down to me not being able to read. I think I have been dosing the calcium in too large of quantities. I mis-read the bottle and was instantly dosing at right around the max dose. Though my calcium test is reading only 300.

At least none of my other corals seem to be affected.