I have a 90 gallon reef tank that is about 7 months old. We have had the toadstool for about 2 months, and it was great until now.
We went on hollidays for about 2 weeks, and had a friend look after the tank. Things went well, except that one of our hermit crabs insisted on making a home out of our toadstool coral for the two weeks we were gone. Our friend said that he would take the crab out when he saw it in there, but it just kept coming back in. When we got back, we put the crab in the 30 gallon sump with some live rock, and since then, there have been no further crabs in the coral. Problem is, the coral is still not opening.
We have been back for about a week, and the coral will sometimes open up a little, with some of it's polyps extended, then lots of slime coming off. It then closes up again, and takes several hours before it will try again to extend some polyps.
It seems as though it is just really freaked out. Could it still just be upset about the crab living in it for 2 weeks? How long until it comes back to normal?
Water parameters:
salinity 1.023
Calcium 400
pH 7.8 (I know it is low, we had a major pH problem about 6 weeks ago, and it is slowly being resolved using a buffer)
nitrates trace
(we also had a cyano bacteria problem around the same time our pH dropped, but that issue is on the mend as well.)
Any advice on how to get it back to normal? Will it be ok? Thanks!!!
We went on hollidays for about 2 weeks, and had a friend look after the tank. Things went well, except that one of our hermit crabs insisted on making a home out of our toadstool coral for the two weeks we were gone. Our friend said that he would take the crab out when he saw it in there, but it just kept coming back in. When we got back, we put the crab in the 30 gallon sump with some live rock, and since then, there have been no further crabs in the coral. Problem is, the coral is still not opening.
We have been back for about a week, and the coral will sometimes open up a little, with some of it's polyps extended, then lots of slime coming off. It then closes up again, and takes several hours before it will try again to extend some polyps.
It seems as though it is just really freaked out. Could it still just be upset about the crab living in it for 2 weeks? How long until it comes back to normal?
Water parameters:
salinity 1.023
Calcium 400
pH 7.8 (I know it is low, we had a major pH problem about 6 weeks ago, and it is slowly being resolved using a buffer)
nitrates trace
(we also had a cyano bacteria problem around the same time our pH dropped, but that issue is on the mend as well.)
Any advice on how to get it back to normal? Will it be ok? Thanks!!!
