Watermelon Enchino Challice- wasting away.....

[jschottenfeld]

I've had a Watermelon Chalice for a couple of years and it has slowly grown and done fairly well. All of a sudden the flesh is starting to pull back from the skeleton. I've tested alk, ph, Ca, everything is in normal reef ranges. Nothing has changed in my tank...but my guy is not doing too well.

Would I be best off cutting him into frags so that the area where he isn't pulling back will remain intact? Second question is if this is the answer, what is the best way to frag him. I have a dremel but not sure which cutoff wheel to use?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[bubbles4]

not saying fragging is your best answer (although if it is receding quickly it may be your best bet) but the diamond cutting wheel has worked well for me, anything else is a thicker cut and not as tough or quick.

 

[rickytsui]

u might have meltting pot do u see any lil tiny black stuff by the skeleton

 

[jschottenfeld]

No little black things...just the flesh receding.

 

[SevTT]

I've had a Watermelon Chalice for a couple of years and it has slowly grown and done fairly well. All of a sudden the flesh is starting to pull back from the skeleton. I've tested alk, ph, Ca, everything is in normal reef ranges. Nothing has changed in my tank...but my guy is not doing too well.

Maybe it needs some spot-feeding love?

 

[jschottenfeld]

I could always try that. In the two years that I've had it, I have never seen it trap food particles. Are all challices incredibly slow growers? When I bought it, it was probably 3/8" x 3/8". Now it measures approx 2" x 2"....well I should say it used to....LOL not!

 

[ZANYMASTER]

All chalices grow differently but the Tyree types are the slowest.Might of been a hybrid of his.

 

[skimmerman100]

what is the temp in the tank? i have had success with keeping the tamp at 75. and the chalices on the center or bottom. i do spot feed at night too

 

[jschottenfeld]

I have never spot fed, it's too difficult because my fish usually pick the mysis off of the corals. My tank ranges between 77-78 during the night and 79-80 during the day. My MH lights do a good job of cooking the water. To keep the temperature any lower would have my chiller going nonstop.

Challices are kept on the very bottom and I run 3 x 250 MH across my 125 gal