orange plate coral

I have a couple of questions about my new orange plate coral.

1) I have been told they prefer to be on the sand, but also that they need moderate-strong lighting. Because I have a 24" tank with T5 lights, I was reluctant to put it on the sand. It is currently on a flat rock about midway up the tank. Is this ok, or better on the sand, further from the light?

2) When I bought it it was a bright orange. Since then, it has become much more pale, almost a light pink-ish, with areas almost white. However, the tentacles are still coming out and it appears to eat the mysis I feed it. Might this be an adjustment to the light, or is it bleaching (and if so, what can I do)?

Thanks

 

Bump. Anyone?

 

Any pics?

 

24" deep tank.. Maybe 3" sand.. so 21" from lights..
Your lights are T5 54Wx4, PC 65Wx4,.They do need to be on the sand..
I have the same light setup on a 60 gal.. 17" deep, 3" sand so 14" from bottom..
I have a Solar Orange ST Plate.. It's sort of change colors, whiteish mixed in with the orange, etc. But eats good, around 5 or 6 months old..

If your tank is 24" deep, with your lights....
IMHO I don't think it'll do good..... I would try to trade it..
Some people on here have them on rocks.. Even tho the people that sale them, say on the bottom..

I could be mistaken, There will be others that know better then I help you..

Good Luck, Larry

 

pics

Ok, pics - the first is of the plate coral 2 weeks ago (a few days after purchase) - note the bright orange colour. The second pic and third pics are today - light pink, almost white in some areas. Advice please!

Edit - the perceptive among you will notice a brown spot at the top of the coral that was not there in the first pic - this was due to an accident with Joe's Juice for an aiptasia that was right next to the plate coral - I accidentally got a bit on the plate, resulting in that brown spot. Stupid mistake, I know, but nothing I can do about that now.

 

It's slowly starving. What do you target feed it and how often?

www.asira.org - Fungiidae

 

uh oh i think its already on its way out. i have seen some at my lfs that look like that.

 

I think your lighting is fine. I've never kept plate coral but i imagine it to be like any other LPS and require target feeding.
Unfortunately im in the processing of killing a very pretty Lobo because i neglected to target feed it. It no longer acceptes feeding and is now slowly wasting away!

So in short keep target feeding everyday! and hopefully is should come back, as per inwalls link, meaty foods like chopped krill!

 

I have been feeding it about 2 times per week with frozen mysis. I can up that to every day? I also add live phytoplankton to the tank 2 times per week......any better suggestions? I will obviously do my best to rescue it...

 

Soak the mysis in selcon or other HUFA substances. I dunno if that works for corals but it works for fish