Bleaching In Some Spots On Lr

[nanoMama86]

This is my 29 gallon standard tank with come to find out, NOT bubbles, but Euphpyllia parancora, and they seem to have "spawned" in my tank as I have two baby colonies on two surfaces further down my LR face. On my last water change I added some super buffer DKH as my PH was sitting a little low at 7.9 and 2 drops of iodine and my usual 4 drops of coral vite in my 5 gallon water change bucket.


When I woke up the following morning, I found a clouded tank and one of my scarlet cleaner shrimp dead. I am supposing he didn't survive a molt. My tank quickly cycled thru the resultant ammo spike, in about 2 hours, but now I am seeing white patches on my LR. Most of my LR is a base color of red as it is a farmed variety, so is it some sort of algae? Also some of my good purple coralline algae is white spotted as well. However, I still have new patches of the purple algae appearing, and my corals are super happy. The remaining scarlet is truly scarlet, and is eating like a horse and seems prepared to molt again, as I can again see the split on top of his head. My thrice-cursed hair algae is unfazed and my calcium and all other levels are checking out fine. I use wal-mart distilled water for mixing salt and evap replacement, and I only add super buffer to 8.2 and coral vite cuz I use instant ocean. I don't add anything else cuase I don't test for anything else on a regular basis.


Please advise.


P.s.
I should add that I added the extra iodine cuz the scarlet that died had been trying to molt for about 3 days and my LFS said it would help him. It helped him molt, but he was already too exhausted, and I think my bigger scarlet murdered him

 

[nanoMama86]

Here are some pics:

 

[lljdma06]

My guess, and I could totally be wrong, is that the spike triggered the white spots.

 

[nanoMama86]

Anybody know what the brown filter feeders are on the top in the second pic? Also, it is preety obvious the algae problem I am have atm. I think it is becuase of several things. One, no protein skimmer, two, not large enough water changes, as this tank is currently getting 5 gallons a week; and three, inadequate light.

The first I am saving to buy a good skimmer. Second, next friday I am going to buy a ten gallon trash can to mix salt in and start doing ten gallon changes from here on in. Thirdly, I have ordered a zoo med t5 ho dual 36 inch fixture and have already received the two 10k bulbs for it! I should be getting the fixture on Monday.


What is the thick purple-red matt of stuff in the last pic? It has ever sooo slowly been growing. On a side note, the little brown filter feeders? Yeah, they sting the HECK out of me if I go anywhere near them.


The big purple disks with green mouths, are they Duncans or a form of paly? And I have modded my Ac70, lljdma06, though the refugium chamber is empty as I STILL can't find any chaeto or even caulerpa. If you could please id as many things as you see that would be great!

 

[nanoMama86]

A little more response would be greatly appreciated! I wish I knew how to add that I had put pics in. I know this isn't the busiest part of the forum, but please, I really want to what I have so I know what I can get to avoid coral war.

 

[lljdma06]

A little more response would be greatly appreciated! I wish I knew how to add that I had put pics in. I know this isn't the busiest part of the forum, but please, I really want to what I have so I know what I can get to avoid coral war.

I don't want to be harsh, nanomama, but I take the time to read about what I want to put into my tank prior to putting it into my tank. If you really want to know about corals, you invest in Borneman's Corals. Best $60 you'll spend in the hobby, hands down.

Purple disc with green mouth looks like a paly to me. The purple mat looks like coraline algae to me, looks nice too. The colonial organism that stings you, I don't know, never seen it before. I've seen colonial hydroids that look similar, but mine don't sting. It's big too, so looks maybe like a pipe organ coral. Corals would sting.

Well, it's seems to me that your tank is dominated by softies and lps (large polyp stony corals), from what I see in your pictures. Softies will do the whole chemical warfare thing. They secrete toxins if they feel threatened. Mushrooms can kill some things on contact. LPS will employ stinging tenticles, sweeper tentacles are the name, this can damage a coral if it comes into contact with it. If it strikes a mushroom or a paly, this'll cause the softie to secret the "I am threatened" toxin. Not much you can do except give them space, and do regular water changes to minimize the chemical effect. I've got lps mixed with softies and also sps corals, but I also am mindful of the habits of the corals I keep and tend to not keep anything with long sweepers. I don't keep, for example, hammers, frogspawns, and torches. But I keep very small systems and such expansive corals would be detrimental to the health of my reef.

Again, this is about knowing the habits of the animals that you are keeping, and I strongly suggest you invest in Borneman if you are serious about keeping corals.

Sorry my response was delayed, I do work you know. And I was getting more corals. Check out my 8g Yuma Zoanthid journal, so you can see some details on coral warfare. I chronicle some of the incidents that I've experienced.

L

 

[nanoMama86]

Thanks for replying! I know you work, and I was not directing anything at YOU certainly! I respect you certainly very highly! I was GIVEN all of these organisms, and am struggling to cope with the steep learning curve.



I am wanting to add a really big leather coral and a large mushroom of some type, do you think this is okay?

 

[lljdma06]

Thanks for replying! I know you work, and I was not directing anything at YOU certainly! I respect you certainly very highly! I was GIVEN all of these organisms, and am struggling to cope with the steep learning curve.

I know, I still say invest in the Borneman. May be not the best thing to accept gifts from other hobbyist. Or sit yourself down and have a good general read. Nice Saturday morning with some cocoa and a nice, comfy chair...

I am wanting to add a really big leather coral and a large mushroom of some type, do you think this is okay?

The problem is that your tank is a nano, a really big anything is going to compete for space with things that are smaller than it. I'd hold off on it until you see how the others react to the situation you currently have.

L

 

[nanoMama86]

These guys are my original ones. I just finally got the hubs to post pics for me. I got him to download Basic Coral Care for me and it was an intense read! I am wanting another 40 gallon tank, but am not sure which one is 36 inches long, but not the breeder? 40 gallons is as big as I can afford to keep in salt and chemicals. The pipe organ coral has got a NASTY sting that leaves behind barbs under my skin that are utterly impossible to get out and itch and are sore for upwards of a week.


I am still experiencing these weird patches of random white on my LR, and am totally stumped. My purple algae has recovered and has lost the white speckling in almost all places. What are your thoughts on a total system water change? I.E I buy pre-mixed water from PETCO and warm it up and pump it in from one end and pump out old from the other? After,of course, matching all params. Over about 2 or so hours, maybe? That is what seems like the best idea to me, as clean water never fails to at least buy me some time to figure things out and sometimes fixes the problem completely .

 

[lljdma06]

What are your params?

L

 

[nanoMama86]

Ammo-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-High at 25, Calcium- High at 600, Ph- 7.9. I drooped my water level as I had a really nasty thick scum on the surface of my water this morning, and things seemed to perk up. I am just waiting for my hubs to get paid on FRI so I can buy the salt and water to do the massive water change I know I desperately need, I am feeding but only two veg flakes for my scopas, and one for my yellow tailed damsel every other day til I do the water change. Obviously 5 gallons a week is nowhere near enough and so from here on in i am going to up it to ten, and maybe fifteen if you suggest that is better.



I am getting my new light fixture today and am wondering what the best way to acclimate my tank to it is? I have read and heard that a sudden light intensification can burn your corals and cause them to bleach. I have everything right up under my crappy t8 bulbs right now, and I know the hammer can handle the light, but paly's are listed as medium to low, and shrooms the same. I thought maybe starting out hanging the light a foot off the tank the first day and slowly lowering it over the course of a week or so would be the best course of action. What do you think?

 

[lljdma06]

I'd do as you say until your corals adjust to the light. the distance is a good plan. What's the new fixture?

10g is fine for now. I change about 10g weekly in my 36g nano. It does a world of good, but I also have much less corals than you. pH is low.

What salt are you using?

L

 

[SaltNoob]

BAH! Petco mixing water. Id be careful, cuz i'm sure it is not the same person mixing it every day and there could be changes. Is it RO DI then mixed? Do they change their filters? etc etc.

I also have a 29g and I do 7Gal water changes weekly, when I have fish again I will do 9-10. I also do not have a protein skimmer... from what I have read and experienced, water changes take care of it in this small of an environment. I never supplement things, and I do not have as many softies like you.

The purple disc guys with green mouths are most likely a paly, not a duncan at all. I also plan to get a leather like a toadstool, but I am going to buy a small one, they grow fast. It will also have LOTS of space where I am placing it =)

Do you know your SG (salinity) and do you monitor it and use R/O to balance? Oh and im stealing this next advice from llj, when you get your lights... break them in to the tank slowly. Don't FRY everything by having big new powerful lights on. U might have to move a few bits of rock with coral on em lower for a bit.

Just my two pennies =)

-Tyler

 

[nanoMama86]

Thanks and double thanks! I use Instant ocean. How does having a lot of coral affect my amount of water that needs to be changed? And certainly, NO FRYING , lol!


And L, it's a Zoo Med T5 HO dual lamp 36 inch 39 watt 34 inch bulb fixture, which I know is too large for my current tank, but that is why the Q on what tank is a forty gallon that is 36 inches long but not the breeder? If any of that makes any sense at all !

I am planning on moving everything but the hammers down. My poor hammies have been soo starved for light I am expecting a huge growth spurt, though I a must be doing SOMETHING right as they have made "babies" in my tank. They are literally like an inch and a half under my 50/50 t8.


Oh and my Sg is 1.025 which i measure with a swing arm hydrometer, which I know is as crappy as test strips, and it is on my list of replacements. Where should it fall? Before or after a good skimmer?

 

[lljdma06]

Meh! Swing arm, get a good refractometer before you get a skimmer! Or I send my NY reefing friends out to get you!

You're only keeping lps & softies, try upping your water changes before you go the skimmer route. I don't skim in any of my picos and I'm keeping some sps.

L