Whats going on with this mushroom coral?

[carbon]

I just recently noticed that a few of my mushroom corals look really bad in the later part of the day for two days straight.. a couple of my other Kenya trees and green star polyp look a little rough too, I recently have had an outbreak of cyanobacteria in my refugium (lack of flow I think?) and in one part of my tank, I have Just removed 50 % of my bio balls (I think the bio ball removal may have stirred up a cyano bloom?) any Ideas of what may be happening I have noticed cyano has eaten the polyp that was in the refugium could this be the cause? and further more how can I control this cyanobacteria outbreak this week I have done 1X40 % h2o change and doing another 40% tonight, kind of stumped thanks for any advice..

49 gallon tank
ph 8.0 ~ 8.5
Gravity 1.024
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrates 5 ~ 10ppm
Phosphates 0.25 ~0.5ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
temp 75deg F
12 hr light cycle 50/50 antic/regular compact florescent

 

[pat8you]

Did you replace the bioballs you took out with something? My guess would be you took away part of your filtration and now its just taking a bit for the bacteria in other places to pick up the slack. That in combination with stirring up all your bioballs probably let loose a bunch of nasties into your water. Make sure when your doing a water change that large that you are matching your water parameters in your tank and letting your salt mix age. If your water change water has a different PH and temp it could make some of your corals a bit upset because of the swings. That would be my guess anyway.

 

[carbon]

Thanks for the reply, I always age my h20 at least 24 hrs, match exact grav, temp, and relative ph. However I have been slowly removing my bio balls over the last week er so because every one I have talked to has remarked that they cause a high nitrate situation, so I think you may be right that I may have stirred up some dormant sludge.. I'm just wondering if I am safely removing the balls or not, the coral seems to be doing some weird stuff..

 

[pat8you]

Corals will retract like that if there is something in the water they don't like. I would just try to be real careful when you remove the bioballs not to move around the portion your leaving in. Any maybe take them out in smaller portions. As far as the cyano goes i would just suck it out for right now when your doing your water changes and once things get back to normal after you have taking out all the bioballs then you can attack that problem. In general it is caused by low flow and excess nutrients so you can try aiming a power head in areas it seems to be growing the worst.

 

[melosu58]

Phosphates 0.25 ~0.5ppm
12 hr light cycle 50/50 antic/regular compact florescent

These two things here would be your problems for fueling your cyano. Find out where the phosphates are coming from and shorten your light cycle and you`ll put a big dent in the cyano.

 

[pat8you]

oops for sure. don't know how i missed that one melosu. Correct as always. That is a fairly high phosphate reading.

 

[carbon]

Thanks guys

 

[Innovator]

By chance are those Rhodactis mussoides, Elephant ears? Pic is blurry, but look like it

 

[carbon]

they sure are elephant ear coral

 

[Innovator]

Thought so, my fave mushroom of all time Here's a tip, if you place them on a ledge they tend to bud more and if they accept food they will also bud more