Need help with shrinking palythoas

kdr78 · 04/22/2018, 04:54 PM

Hi all, hoping for some help. I inherited a 30 gallon tank from my neighbor. It’s inhabitants include about a dozen hermit crabs, had a wrasse but rehomed it, a yellow tang, two clowns, three bubble top anemones, some mushrooms, a large leather, some pink palythoas, and I added some frags, zoos, another leather. Anyways some problems I’m having is my sand sifter Star has been shrinking over the last year, my pink palys are shrinking and not opening, and I’ve got a small patch of red slime about 2x4” that I tied using a chemical to get rid of but didn’t do anything and so I’m adding some scarlet reef hermit crabs to ty and attach the red slime/cyano. I swapped out about 6 months ago the lights to the Chinese WiFi lights and everything was going great, then about two months ago it started going downhill a bit. I know I lost power and lost the settings on the light. Is it possible I’ve got the lights up too much or for too long and that’s the issue? PH, Nitrates, Nitrites, and ammonia are all spot on. Help please! I was looking at some older pics and the leathers and mushrooms are doing great, but the plays are shrinking and growing algae on them/turning green, and the zoas I had before are gone.

mcgyvr · 04/23/2018, 04:59 AM

Please use actual numbers instead of "Spot on"..
and a 30 gallon tank is generally regarded as too small for a sand sifting star (it will likely starve).. Its also considered way too small for a yellow tang..
I'd suggest you take both back to a local fish store for credit and something better suited for your small tank.

The cyano (red slime) can likely be solved by siphoning it out during water changes and increasing water changes for a bit..

homer1475 · 04/23/2018, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Please use actual numbers instead of "Spot on"..
and a 30 gallon tank is generally regarded as too small for a sand sifting star (it will likely starve).. Its also considered way too small for a yellow tang..
I'd suggest you take both back to a local fish store for credit and something better suited for your small tank.

The cyano (red slime) can likely be solved by siphoning it out during water changes and increasing water changes for a bit..

+1
We need actual test numbers, not "spot on". What you think might be "spot on", may actually be far off.

The star is melting because it's starving(your tank is to small to provide it enough micro fauna it needs to eat). I won't go tang police on you, but please research fish for your size tank.

kdr78 · 04/23/2018, 06:01 PM

In my defense my neighbor gave me the tank, it came with a bubble tip anemone that has split twice to make three, the yellow tang, a wrasse (not sure on species) let’s jist call it hermit crab killing, and a dwarf angel. The dwarf angel died about 6 months ago. Disappeared actually. I’m looking for a 150-180 gallon tank to upgrade to. Looked at a few but just were scratched to hell and back so looks like I’m going to need to buy new. I’m leaning towards the 150 from SC Aquariums. Anyways my water parameters are as follows: salinity 1.025, ph 7.8, ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 0 ppm.

kdr78 · 04/23/2018, 06:04 PM

The chemical I tried using before for the red slime is chemiclean.

mcgyvr · 04/23/2018, 06:21 PM

Usually chemiclean works fairly well.. (some bad stories of issues and sometimes the cyano seems to build up an immunity to it if used often.. sometime switching brands can kick that... red slime remover is another).
A picture of said issue may help just in case the red slime is not cyano..
Either way though its pretty normal for tanks to have a bit of cyano trouble here/there..
Usually just siphoning it out with water changes is a good start and one of the best ways to take care of it..

You can also try to siphon it out then add a 3 day lights out then siphon out whats left right after..... All the tank inhabitants will be just fine for 3 days without light..

04/22/2018, 04:54 PM	#1
kdr78 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 10	Need help with shrinking palythoas Hi all, hoping for some help. I inherited a 30 gallon tank from my neighbor. It’s inhabitants include about a dozen hermit crabs, had a wrasse but rehomed it, a yellow tang, two clowns, three bubble top anemones, some mushrooms, a large leather, some pink palythoas, and I added some frags, zoos, another leather. Anyways some problems I’m having is my sand sifter Star has been shrinking over the last year, my pink palys are shrinking and not opening, and I’ve got a small patch of red slime about 2x4” that I tied using a chemical to get rid of but didn’t do anything and so I’m adding some scarlet reef hermit crabs to ty and attach the red slime/cyano. I swapped out about 6 months ago the lights to the Chinese WiFi lights and everything was going great, then about two months ago it started going downhill a bit. I know I lost power and lost the settings on the light. Is it possible I’ve got the lights up too much or for too long and that’s the issue? PH, Nitrates, Nitrites, and ammonia are all spot on. Help please! I was looking at some older pics and the leathers and mushrooms are doing great, but the plays are shrinking and growing algae on them/turning green, and the zoas I had before are gone.

04/23/2018, 04:59 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Please use actual numbers instead of "Spot on".. and a 30 gallon tank is generally regarded as too small for a sand sifting star (it will likely starve).. Its also considered way too small for a yellow tang.. I'd suggest you take both back to a local fish store for credit and something better suited for your small tank. The cyano (red slime) can likely be solved by siphoning it out during water changes and increasing water changes for a bit.. __________________ Who me?

04/23/2018, 06:21 PM	#6
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Usually chemiclean works fairly well.. (some bad stories of issues and sometimes the cyano seems to build up an immunity to it if used often.. sometime switching brands can kick that... red slime remover is another). A picture of said issue may help just in case the red slime is not cyano.. Either way though its pretty normal for tanks to have a bit of cyano trouble here/there.. Usually just siphoning it out with water changes is a good start and one of the best ways to take care of it.. You can also try to siphon it out then add a 3 day lights out then siphon out whats left right after..... All the tank inhabitants will be just fine for 3 days without light.. __________________ Who me?

04/23/2018, 06:01 PM	#4
kdr78 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 10	In my defense my neighbor gave me the tank, it came with a bubble tip anemone that has split twice to make three, the yellow tang, a wrasse (not sure on species) let’s jist call it hermit crab killing, and a dwarf angel. The dwarf angel died about 6 months ago. Disappeared actually. I’m looking for a 150-180 gallon tank to upgrade to. Looked at a few but just were scratched to hell and back so looks like I’m going to need to buy new. I’m leaning towards the 150 from SC Aquariums. Anyways my water parameters are as follows: salinity 1.025, ph 7.8, ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 0 ppm.

04/23/2018, 06:04 PM	#5
kdr78 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 10	The chemical I tried using before for the red slime is chemiclean.