colt coral dying?

[whitetiprs]

My colt coral was looking great until a few days ago when it began to look as if it was slumping over like a leather coral would do. I thought it was nothing until this morning when it had a "shed" comming off one of its branches. And it looks as if all the polyps on that branch are gone. I have not moved it from the spot it was in since i bought it about 2 months ago. the only thing new is that I bought a bunch of frag to add, none of which are near the colt. All water parameters are ok. So is my colt coral dying??

 

[steve-s]

Whenever new corals are added to a tank, be sure to use carbon for a while at least. Personally I use it 24/7. Corals emit chemicals to ward off other corals in their growing area. More noxious corals, like softies can actually affect the health of the whole tank. When stressed, these chemicals are put out 10 fold.

The leather can easily retract it's polyps so they are not gone, just dormant. The shedding is actually a normal part of their life cycle, especially in captive care. Every so often, they will go dormant, get a waxy "sheen" and then shed the other dermis. It is generally refered to as "sloughing" and means for the coral to rid itself of impurities.

Please post all the water parameters you have test kits for (actual numbers) and a pic if you can. How often do you do water changes and how much?

Cheers
Steve

 

[whitetiprs]

here are the water parameters:
46 gal w/ 15 gal sump/fuge
1 HQI coralife MH and 2 65 Watt acintic
salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.1- 8.2
NH4: 0 ppm
NO2: 0 ppm
NO3: 0 ppm
PO4 : 0 ppm
Alkalinity: 3-3.5 meg/l add tomorrow 9/13 (reef builder, seachem)
calcium: 380-390 added today 9/12 (reef advantage calcium, seachem)
Temp: 78.5-81.0

other corals: hammer coral, frogspawn, green nephridia, octo-coral, number of diff. zoos, green and brown star polyps, mushrooms, a few different acros sps, orange caps, xenia, galaxia, BTA, corea clam, maxima clam, rock anemonies this is the closest thing to the colt.

The colt is high in the tank with a moderate oscilating flow

 

[steve-s]

1 HQI coralife MH and 2 65 Watt acintic

The colt is high in the tank with a moderate oscilating flow

This could be part of your problem. Any changes in the bulb recently new/spectrum anything like that? It has always been up higher or just recently?

Alkalinity: 3-3.5 meg/l add tomorrow 9/13 (reef builder, seachem)

Skip it, you don't need a higher alk. Keep it at 3 mEq/l, it does not need to be any higher.

calcium: 380-390 added today 9/12 (reef advantage calcium, seachem)

Add some more of this. You want to get that upwards of 410-415 ppm. One teaspoon tomorrow and another a day later and you'll be good.

How often are you supplimenting?

other corals: hammer coral, frogspawn, green nephridia, octo-coral, number of diff. zoos, green and brown star polyps, mushrooms, a few different acros sps, orange caps, xenia, galaxia, BTA, corea clam, maxima clam, rock anemonies this is the closest thing to the colt.

With this coral load, you definately need carbon. I hope you have/will use it.

rock anemonies this is the closest thing to the colt

How close?

Cheers
Steve

 

[whitetiprs]

the lighting scheme has been the same since I have had the colt and no change of the bulb.

the coral has always been in the same spot and has not moved since introduced.

my regular supplement routine is calcium monday then alkalinity tuesday and wendsday iodine then skip a day and repete.

the rock anemonie is right underneath the small piece of rock the coral is on and it can touch it. however the coral and anemonie have been touching since I added it to my tank.

As for the carbon I thougth it was bad to run in a reef aquarium. doesn't strip out the trace elements and other element essential to the corals growth. If I were to use the carbon how long should I leave it in for 4-5 days at a time then replace or can I just run it periodicaly Like once or twice a month? And what brand of carbon do you reccomend? sorry one more, Can I just stick it in my overflow box inside of a filter bag?

 

[steve-s]

my regular supplement routine is calcium monday then alkalinity tuesday and wendsday iodine then skip a day and repete.

I would review your rate of depletion through a few days of testing without dosing once the chem is better balanced and closer to NSW based on your salinity values. The alk isn't an issue but your Ca is lagging. You seem to need an increase in that. I wouldn't suggest increasing the dosage used so much as the frequencey it's applied.

As for the iodine, I always ask why? Corals et al do not gain any real benefit from it through water sorbition but rather food consumption. You more often than not do much more damage than good. Great algae fuel though.

the rock anemonie is right underneath the small piece of rock the coral is on and it can touch it. however the coral and anemonie have been touching since I added it to my tank.

I would move one or the other. While a coral may not show it for some time, stressors of this nature eventually take their toll and the coral begins to decline. Often quite quickly.

As for the carbon I thougth it was bad to run in a reef aquarium. doesn't strip out the trace elements and other element essential to the corals growth.

It will remove some elements but not anywhere near enough to rob what's needed by the animals in the tank. Moreover if you are doing weekly water changes, the elements will always be replenished in their proper balance so no issue there. The benefits of it's use far outweigh any possible arguement to the contrary.

If I were to use the carbon how long should I leave it in for 4-5 days at a time then replace or can I just run it periodicaly Like once or twice a month?

You are better off running it 24/7. Casual use can sometimes cause shock to animals through improved light clarity, usually in an intensely lit tank. Replacing it weekly is best but no longer than two weeks at a time.

And what brand of carbon do you reccomend? sorry one more, Can I just stick it in my overflow box inside of a filter bag?

Seachem Matrix and not a very "Murphy's Law" safe means of using it. Place it in the sump where it will get good flow through it or better still in a DIY plastic basket (with mesh bag) under the skimmer output.

Cheers
Steve

 

[whitetiprs]

well I have got some carbon, the marineland stuff I think, so I can use that till I get some of the seachem carbon. How much should I add at a time?
I will place it in my sump ontop of the return pumps prefilter inside of a very fine micron filter bag that I have.

the reason I add the iodine is for the two shrimps I have In the tank. I do not add the full dosage suggested on the lable but half of that instead.

and I will be mending the amount of calcium added to the tank and when.

Thanks for the help

 

[steve-s]

well I have got some carbon, the marineland stuff I think, so I can use that till I get some of the seachem carbon. How much should I add at a time?

Marineland is a decent carbon, you'll only need about ½ a cup or so changed weekly.

the reason I add the iodine is for the two shrimps I have In the tank. I do not add the full dosage suggested on the lable but half of that instead.

Trust me they don't need it and your LFS doesn't need the money. The shrimp will gain much more usable iodine/iodate from the food they eat than from the water itself. Increased molting is actually a reaction to the poisonous effects of elevated iodine. Simple water changes will take care of those needs.

Cheers
Steve