BrendanH
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hi Folks,
I put this guy in my tank about 12 days ago and he started deteriorating a few days later. At first he looked great (see final picture) but then slowly started shrinking and it seemed like pits were forming on the surface and then the flesh would fold over the pits, like the whole thing was shrivelling up. Sorry I can't describe it better than that.
First off he was on the sand bottom in a reasonable calm water flow area - there was some movement but not much. Just yesterday I called by a good LFS near me and he told me he has found that his plates do much better on the rock a little higher in the tank. I know that is contrary to what everyone says should be done with these guys but the store owner did have 6 plates in his tanks, the 2 on the substrate did not look good but the 4 up higher on the rocks looked fantastic. So I figured it was worth a shot and moved mine. I may be imagining things but I think it MAY be beginning to look a little better but I could use some good advice. This morning I noticed what appeared to be strings of a slimy substance coming off it but that has now stopped mostly - you can still a small suggestion of that in the later pics below.
My water chems are pretty good :
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite : 0
Nitrate : 0
PH : 8.3
Temp : 80
Ca : 335 (Not good I know - I'm trying to raise it)
Alk : 9.3
SG : 1.025
Lighting : CSL 48" PowerCompact Moonlight Hood
2x65W Ultra-Actinic , 2x65W 10,000K
All advice greatly appreciated !!
Piccies :
I put this guy in my tank about 12 days ago and he started deteriorating a few days later. At first he looked great (see final picture) but then slowly started shrinking and it seemed like pits were forming on the surface and then the flesh would fold over the pits, like the whole thing was shrivelling up. Sorry I can't describe it better than that.
First off he was on the sand bottom in a reasonable calm water flow area - there was some movement but not much. Just yesterday I called by a good LFS near me and he told me he has found that his plates do much better on the rock a little higher in the tank. I know that is contrary to what everyone says should be done with these guys but the store owner did have 6 plates in his tanks, the 2 on the substrate did not look good but the 4 up higher on the rocks looked fantastic. So I figured it was worth a shot and moved mine. I may be imagining things but I think it MAY be beginning to look a little better but I could use some good advice. This morning I noticed what appeared to be strings of a slimy substance coming off it but that has now stopped mostly - you can still a small suggestion of that in the later pics below.
My water chems are pretty good :
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite : 0
Nitrate : 0
PH : 8.3
Temp : 80
Ca : 335 (Not good I know - I'm trying to raise it)
Alk : 9.3
SG : 1.025
Lighting : CSL 48" PowerCompact Moonlight Hood
2x65W Ultra-Actinic , 2x65W 10,000K
All advice greatly appreciated !!
Piccies :