Trumpet Coral

[jeasko]

Just thought id see if there was anything more I can do to save my trumpet coral as the skeleton is showing through on most heads, which i take it is not normal, am currently feeding tank daily with a coral food and maintaining a good water quality, but am guessing its just keep fingers crossed and hope for the best?

is it worth target feeding?

 

[SkiFletch]

No, stop feeding. That's the last stress a troubled coral needs. Make sure salinity alkalinity, flowrate, lighting, calcium, and phosphate are how they should be (in that order) and verify all your own readings with your LFS' kits, or a friends kits to rule out faulty measuring devices. ESPECIALLY for salinity and alk. Trumpet corals are very hardy so I suspect a chemistry problem here.

Also, what are the other tankmates (corals, inverts, fish)?

 

[jeasko]

So far I have
CUC
2x fire shrimpo
2x cleaner shrimp
1x large blue leg hermit
2 x sand sifting stars
1x sally lightfoot crab
6ish sand sifting cerith snails
12ish turbos (different sizes)

FISH
2 perc clown
1 royal gramma
2 humbug damsels
1 true bi colour blenny

CORAL
kenya bush
3x zoa colony
1 blue mushroom
1 green fury mushroom
2 pussey coral
1 leather finger coral
1 metalic xenia
1 trumpet
1 derasa clam
1 brain
1 LPS plate


and
2 tube worms
15kg LR


the closest thing to it is the xenia which is about 7-8 inches away and higher up and a lps plate coral about 6inches away lower down. the trumpet is about half way up in the tank

one thing i am doing at the mo is upping the lighting times slowly as have recently gone over to Mh lighting and is currently about 6hr which im goin to increase to 7 as this was one thing i did think could be wrong.

salinity = 1.026 (just about to topup so probably 1.025)
phosphate = 0
flowrate medium
calcium a little low 380-400
lighting 1x 250w Mh 2 x 39w t5 marine blue
PH = 8
KH = 10

everything else in the tank is fine and healthy

oh and the tank is 44g and is 39 x 18 x18

 

[jeasko]

some pics for you
please ignor the air bubbles as i had just taken the powerhead out to clean and didnt realise it was creating a vortex above and sucking air in then showering tank with air bubbles

 

[SkiFletch]

Hummm, very very strange. Everything else checks out. No obvious predators, no aggression, chemistry is good. I'd actually be concerned that you might have too much lighting. When switching over to a more high-powered light, sometimes you can "burn" corals (like a sunburn). I'd actually stop raising the light times and keep your fingers crossed. And while you're doing that, take a water sample to your LFS just to verify your readings. If that doesn't help or turn something up, I'm at a loss

 

[Musho3210]

whatever you do, dont touch it, dont try and move it around (unless necessary) , dropping it here and there, when my candy cane was dying it just got worse when it fell or was touched by be since it tried to retract, causing more damage to itself.

 

[nanocubeking]

Just keep it in a spot and leave it. That is what happend to my favia. Get it in a spot and leave it. The best thing you could do is just that.

 

[jeasko]

cheers guys looks like I will be leaving it where it is for a while, was unsure about moving it as this would have stressd it further, im going to get topup system going in next few days to stop any fluctuation in sg which may help, but as you can see from the pics it doesnt look to healthy so im just keeping fingers crossed

also should i continue to feed corals as im sure my clam wouldnt be to happy not being fed for a while.

 

[Musho3210]

cheers guys looks like I will be leaving it where it is for a while, was unsure about moving it as this would have stressd it further, im going to get topup system going in next few days to stop any fluctuation in sg which may help, but as you can see from the pics it doesnt look to healthy so im just keeping fingers crossed

also should i continue to feed corals as im sure my clam wouldnt be to happy not being fed for a while.

the clam will be perfectly fine, if its a crocea or maxima, get it off that sand bed and put it on some rock....

 

[jeasko]

musho its a derasa which ive been told by loads of people prefer to be on the substrate

 

[Musho3210]

k, dereasas are fine either way... just making sure

 

[jeasko]

no problem its so easy to make mistakes that its good that others are looking out for you.

Just another point how long should I not feed corals/clam for as am away monday for a week and am thinking this is to long to leave without dosing?

 

[Musho3210]

you could probably go without feeding it at all.... Might have slower growth though.

 

[jeasko]

I was always led to believe i needed to feed the clam daily to ensure it survived so am guessing the info i got given was somewhat incorrect?

 

[SkiFletch]

I was always led to believe i needed to feed the clam daily to ensure it survived so am guessing the info i got given was somewhat incorrect?

If the clam is smaller (less than 3" shell length), then yes, you'll need to suppliment it's feedings. Young clams do not have their vasculature system developed enough to support enough zooxanthellae to live off their photosynthesis. As they age and their vasculature develops, they get more zooxanthellae and can then support themselves fully with light.