Long Tentacle Plate Coral is sick

[zenn]

So my LTPC is not doing so well IMO. I had a nitrate reading of 2.5 the other day, which i blamed on my rearrangement of my fuge(took a lot of red hair algae out and since then i haven't gotten my chaeto to really grow like it use to). So i did a 40 % wc about 3 days ago and it just seems to be getting worse.

Everything else is doing really well. Shrooms, poyps, BTA, fish, snails and hermits. It just seems like this thing is dying and i'm not so sure the nitrate reading i got is to blame. Does anyone have any experience with these and have some advice for me?

 

[steve-s]

What exactly are the nitrates?

The substrate is rather coarse for this particular species, they do much better on a soft sand substrate. I do not see obvious signs of stress other than mabye too much or rather sustained water flow on the coral. What leads you to believe there is a problem?

Do you feed the coral and are you suing carbon/how often? What are the chemistry numbers?

Cheers
Steve

 

[zenn]

What exactly are the nitrates?

The substrate is rather coarse for this particular species, they do much better on a soft sand substrate. I do not see obvious signs of stress other than mabye too much or rather sustained water flow on the coral. What leads you to believe there is a problem?

Do you feed the coral and are you suing carbon/how often? What are the chemistry numbers?

Cheers
Steve

well, believe it or not, i have a fine grain aragonite sand(argamax). But for some reason, over time i've gotten these large chucks of rocks on the ground. I don't know where they come from but i suppose it's just parts falling off the LR. In that particular spot, there seems to have been a rather large accumulation of the 'grunge' if you will.

I started getting worried that it was the water flow as well, so i turned down the flow using a ball value that i have in the return plumbing. But maybe it's still too much.

I've fed it mysis before and it seemed to have eaten some of that. I do not run GAC. The reason i think it's dying is because it use to look like this:

Also, it looks like the first photo all the time...it never gets to what it looks like here.

NH3=0
NO3=1.75
NO2=0
CA=400
PH=8.2
Temp=79 degrees F
SG=1.0125

So i've still got a Nitrate reading. I know how to work on that(reduce feedings, PWC, etc.) I really need to get my fuge running well again. I don't know why my chaeto isn't growing well...maybe a crab in there is eating all of it:shrug:?

 

[steve-s]

SG= 1.0125 is a typo, yes?

Other than that, I see a few corrections needed but you'd be suprised how minor issues can turn into larger problems.

I would start off with cleaning the area underneath and around the coral to remove the large debris. This is an irritant and can cause stress to the coral. Second, put a water break near the coral on the left side. You can see where the coral skelaton is extruding, pushing significantly on the flesh of the coral. Third, step up the feedings to few times a week with meaty minced raw seafoods, mysis will do fine . Soak overnight in Selcon for added punch. Lastly please start using carbon. You have no idea how much this will help especially with these kind of animals.

FWIW, 1.075 NO3 is of absolutely no consequence.

Cheers
Steve

 

[zenn]

yes, i'm sorry. The SG is 1.025. I always want to put a one before the 2 for some reason.

I will do as you suggest. I guess i thought most of the people that have reef setups on here do not run any GAC....so i never considered it.

 

[steve-s]

Please do consider it. What it can do would amaze people if they just gave it a chance. It's one of those "hobbyist myth" areas where people believe it's a bad thing. It isn't, no different than a skimmer really when you think about it, just on a much smaller scale.

Cheers
Steve