Is this normal?

[stresco]

I have a small frogspawn that i got a week ago wednsday and i was wondering if it was normal for a frogspawn to lose its color? It is a small frag, about 3" when it is opened, and was a dark burgundy color until two days ago. I had it in the bottom center of the tank, with the stem portion burried in the sand, so the head would stick out facing the front of the tank. I was looking good. Then the guy at my LFS told me that i should take it out of the sand and prop it between some rocks. I moved it to the lower center of the tank between some rocks, and now it looks like it is bleaching out. Is this normal? I dont have very bright lights, only about 2w per gal.

 

[ReefLady]

What kind of lighting did it come from? You want to mimic that as closely as possible.

I find that one of the most common mistakes ppl make when acquiring new corals is moving them around several times trying to find the best spot for them. The coral is stressed to begin with by being introduced to a new enviroment. Each time you move it, it needs to adjust to new lighting, water flow, etc.. The coral will expend a considerable amount of energy trying to re-acclimate itself each time it is moved.

Have you tried feeding the coral a small piece of raw seafood (soaked in vitamins if possible)? If the coral is starting to lose it's symbiotic algae, it may need some supplemental feedings to help it recover.

HTH ~ & good luck!

 

[stresco]

Its still under the same lighting, just a little higher in the tank, and out of the sand. I target fed it on Wed. with DT's.

 

[ReefLady]

Its still under the same lighting, just a little higher in the tank, and out of the sand.

Sorry, I wasn't clear in what I was asking. What I meant was, what type of lighting was it under at the LFS? If it's coming from VHO lighting, and your placing under MH's (just an example), that's a big difference.
Also, not to be picky, but if you're moving it up higher, it is now under more intense lighting. It sounds like you didn't move it a lot higher, so it probably isn't a big deal. If you were to change it from the bottom of the tank to half-way up, then that is a significant lighting difference.

I target fed it on Wed. with DT's.

DT's won't directly benefit most corals. Live phyto. is directly consumed by mostly sponges, gorgonians, bivalves, and a few softies. This coral will appreciate small pieces of raw scallops, shrimp, oysters, krill, etc.

HTH,

 

[stresco]

was it under at the LFS? If it's coming from VHO lighting, and your placing under MH's (just an example), that's a big difference.

I ordered it from SeaCrop. I assume that they are using MH lighting. I have 110WPC and 100W NO T8s.

DT's won't directly benefit most corals. Live phyto. is directly consumed by mostly sponges, gorgonians, bivalves, and a few softies. This coral will appreciate small pieces of raw scallops, shrimp, oysters, krill, etc.

8O

This i did not know. I will try feeding it directly with some oysters.

I also have a Chili, Fox, Capnella, Gorg, Zoos, and a couple of unidentified shrooms. Should i direct feed any of them the same way?

 

[HoopsGuru]

Take the oysters or any other raw seafood and try to blend it into a mush. The foods should ideally be in small pieces, less than a 1/4" for sure to be of the greatest use for the coral.

 

[glstine]

What's wrong with putting the stem in the sand. I got a frogspawn last week and buried it's stem in the sand. It's color was off at first but is coming back. Do I need to take it out of the sand? Also what is DT's?

 

[stresco]

What's wrong with putting the stem in the sand. I got a frogspawn last week and buried it's stem in the sand. It's color was off at first but is coming back. Do I need to take it out of the sand? Also what is DT's?

To be honest with you, i dont know. All i know is that i was instructed to place it in the rocks and it will do better.

Take the oysters or any other raw seafood and try to blend it into a mush. The foods should ideally be in small pieces, less than a 1/4" for sure to be of the greatest use for the coral.

I found a link for sombody's fishfood recipe here on AA, http://home.comcast.net/~76fxe/food.htm I dont remember who posted it, but i was going to try it. How often should i be feeding with it? I was told once a week by some people and every other day, by others. Who is right?

 

[ReefLady]

I found a link for sombody's fishfood recipe here on AA, http://home.comcast.net/~76fxe/food.htm I dont remember who posted it, but i was going to try it. How often should i be feeding with it? I was told once a week by some people and every other day, by others. Who is right?

That's me. 8)

We feed every day, and that's pretty much all we use for food (except for some supplemental seaweed for the Tangs). It depends a lot on what & how much you have in your tank. We don't feed any prepared foods, just the mush. You can adjust the ingredients (and the amount you feed at a time) to what you're keeping in your tank.

Smaller feedings, more often, are usually better.

 

[stresco]

Thanks for the link Reeflady! Forgot that it was you that added it to thread you replied to and i liked the recipe. I will be making some soon, if i can get the wife to leave for a while so she doesnt see me using the blender. How important is the Zoe? Can i use DT's in the recipe. My Purple Tang eats meat, he is not too fond of seaweed, so he should like this too.

Also what is DT's?

DT's is a brand of coral food that is Live Phytoplankton.

 

[ReefLady]

How important is the Zoe? Can i use DT's in the recipe.

Yes you can use DT's. Zoe is just the marine vitamin I prefer, you can use Selco or Selcon, or anything comparable. It's not essential that you use a marine vitamin, it just adds more nutrients. If you don't have any, and need to thin out the mix, just add some tank water.

My Purple Tang eats meat, he is not too fond of seaweed, so he should like this too.

Make sure you get some Nori and or Spirulina flake (some sort of veg.) in there for him. Although the fish may seem to prefer "meaty" foods (our Tangs love it), they are still primarily grazers/vegetable eaters, and seaweed is an extremely important part of their diet.

Good luck with it, and get out the scented candles!

 

[reefrunner69]

Good luck with it, and get out the scented candles!

I'm concerned about your lighting...what size tank do you have?

 

[stresco]

55gal

 

[reefrunner69]

I dont have very bright lights, only about 2w per gal.

I have 110WPC and 100W NO T8s.

55gal

The first quote is what had me concerned, at 210 total W, that's slightly less than 4 WPG, rather than two This should be enough to keep a frogspawn.

 

[HoopsGuru]

What's wrong with putting the stem in the sand. I got a frogspawn last week and buried it's stem in the sand.

I would imagine the problem would be that sand isn't a very good base, as the coral grows it may get a bit top heavy for the stem with just sand supporting it. I also would venture a less likely guess that being on the sandbed, sand could easily get kicked up onto it which would potentially irritate the coral from opening fully.

 

[stresco]

I made some blender mush tonight. I wanted to use the stuff i already had in the house, so here is what i put in. Defrosted some shrimp, sqid and chopped clams, that i had had bought last week fresh from the local monger for my eel. I added Formula One Plellets, and Formula Two Flakes, with some Garlic Guard and a quarter of a sheet of Sally's Seaweed Salad. I blended it all up adding a little at a time into the blender to vary the consistancy. It didnt smell all that bad. I added some to the tank and all the fish seemed to enjoy it. The eel came out when he smelled the seafood in the tank, but when i tried to feed him, he didnt eat.