Refractometers and Scoly's

[orcafood]

I recently purchased my first refractometer and it looks like it works great! My only concern is that when you look at the prism there appears to be a brown smudge mark under it. When you try to read the line where the salinity mark is on the graph, it kind of fades together instead of a strait line, even under many different lights. It is a pretty dark line, but where the blue ends, there is a strip of white, then blue, then it goes white.

IS this normal?

Also my Scoly seems to have been devestated from a low salinity for a few days while my swing hang hydrometer was malfunctioning. Now the salinity is up to par at 35ppt (or pretty close). The skeleton is exposed and there is algae growing on the skeleton.
What would you guys reccomend I do to bring him back?
It is about 2 in diameter "Red modern Coral".

Salinity = 35 ppt
ph = 8.1
amonia nitrate and nitrite = 0 (yeah)
temp = 78F
alk = 8-10
calcium = 350-400

[tmz]

I don't think a smudge is normal. I get a clear line on mine.

For the scolymia,unless the damage is progressing leave it alone. If it appears to be infected you can try an iodide dip with lugols or tmpc.

[Achilles1208]

where is ur scolymia located within ur tank? what kind of lights do u have?

flow?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by orcafood
I recently purchased my first refractometer and it looks like it works great! My only concern is that when you look at the prism there appears to be a brown smudge mark under it. When you try to read the line where the salinity mark is on the graph, it kind of fades together instead of a strait line, even under many different lights. It is a pretty dark line, but where the blue ends, there is a strip of white, then blue, then it goes white.

IS this normal?

Also my Scoly seems to have been devestated from a low salinity for a few days while my swing hang hydrometer was malfunctioning. Now the salinity is up to par at 35ppt (or pretty close). The skeleton is exposed and there is algae growing on the skeleton.
What would you guys reccomend I do to bring him back?
It is about 2 in diameter "Red modern Coral".

Salinity = 35 ppt
ph = 8.1
amonia nitrate and nitrite = 0 (yeah)
temp = 78F
alk = 8-10
calcium = 350-400

that's not right--take it back--don't use it

[orcafood]

I will return the refractometer to foster and smiths, thanks.

The scoly is under two 175 watt 10,000K Metal Halide and two 110 watt Super Actinic VHOs. My flow is around 25,000 gallons per hour due to return and two moded maxijet 900s.
The scoly is located on a rock about 4in above the 4in sand bed, so he is about 16in below the lights.
It is not in a high flow area, it is in a medium to low flow area.
What should I do?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by orcafood
I will return the refractometer to foster and smiths, thanks.

The scoly is under two 175 watt 10,000K Metal Halide and two 110 watt Super Actinic VHOs. My flow is around 25,000 gallons per hour due to return and two moded maxijet 900s.
The scoly is located on a rock about 4in above the 4in sand bed, so he is about 16in below the lights.
It is not in a high flow area, it is in a medium to low flow area.
What should I do?

25000 gph I am assuming a typo error? two moded maxijets should be delivering 3200 gph between the two of them

can you post of pic of your tank showing the postion of tghe maxijets and the scoly

[tmz]

Does the Scolymia open fully?
If not it could be photo inhibited and a little shad in a low flow area might help it .

[orcafood]

Well, here is a couple pics of the scoly.
I think I may move him down to the ground?





And here is a full tank shot if it helps at all?



EDIT
I meant 2,500 gph

[orcafood]

WOW, sorry for the double post, but I do believe that the coral is not a scoly, but a Cynarina lacrymalis.

[tmz]

I think it was a cynarina lacrymalis.Idon't believe that coral can be saved.

[Aquarist007]

Nice tank shot---but you seem to have alot of nuisance algae etc which usually means excess phosphates

you have good flow and it is aimed well

try feeding less at one time and make sure you wash all frozen food with r/0 water before using
I would take a turkey baster to your rock and substrate and lightly baste--get all that debris back in the water column where it can be filtered off
consider running phosban and carbon in phosban reactors--do wonders for eliminating algae
hows your flow through the sump--are you matching the skimmers out put--flow can be as low as 5 times the water column in gph if the skimmer is skimming 100 per cent of the water that goes by it

[Aquarist007]

...don't move the coral down to the ground until that algae is in check--it will cover it and cause further problems

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by tmz
I think it was a cynarina lacrymalis.Idon't believe that coral can be saved.

I respect your expertise Tom, but why do think it can't be saved?

[orcafood]

My tank is actually losing algae. I recently added a 20 gallon refugium and that picture is what it looks like after a week. A week before, nitrates were 20 (now 0) and every rock was covered in cyano bacteria. Today there is about 50% less algae then yesterday, And a very happy lawnmower blenny (so fat he almost looks pregnant)

Also the cynarina lacrymalis accepts food once a week. I just put it on his mouth and somehow he manevuers it down into his mouth.

With this new info what do you guys think I should do?

EDIT: I am using Calurpa and chaeto

[Aquarist007]

that's good to hear--IMO get rid of the caulerpa while you can--if it gets in your tank it will take it over. If you leave the light on too long for the fuge it can go sexual on you--crash your tank in less then a day

[Aquarist007]

-------besides when the chaeto gets thick enough it acts like a detrius magnet besides consuming phosphates and nitrates from the tank.
You do have to harvest the chaeto when it starts to die off--in order to completely remove the nitrates and phosphates it has absorbed from the water column.

[orcafood]

Thanks, but for now the chaeto is being completely out competed by the calurpa. I know it can go sexual but I also know a lot of very experienced reefer who use it, in there main tank, without 24 hour lights.

Back on topic what should I do with this Red Modern Coral?

[Aquarist007]

Not much I don't think==just leave it be and hope for the best

I had an open brain like that--moved it to a frag tank--it started to come back but still looked like hec so it never really made it back in the main tank

[tmz]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
I respect your expertise Tom, but why do think it can't be saved?

Maybe it's the way I'm seeing the picture. It looked like it ahd damage and the center was deteriorating .Perhaps it's just the color.Hope I was wrong.

[orcafood]

No, it pretty much looks as if it were in transport, deflated.
It is still pink and half way blows up some times.
Thanks for your help.

[Aquarist007]

Yeah unfortunately when they die off like that it is really hard to bring them back--I had that happen with open brain and with bubble coral--I still have the bubble coral in my other tank but it looks half dead---never recovered enough that I want it back in my main tank.
sorry to be so pessimistic orcafood, if you can find another tank or the back corner of the main one put it there and see what happens to it==who knows

[Aquarist007]

oh there is one other thing you can do===repost in the pics in the lps coral and softies forum
Sometimes the real coral experts don't have time to be searching non specific forums like the new to the hobby and the reef discussion forums

[tmz]

I've had several do that over the years. In one case it was a "reef safe angel" a japanese swallow tail. In another it was flaoting stingers from a euphylia.The cyanobacteria may indicate further necrotic tilssue.