Losing my green trumpet coral...why?

[pcannone]

Two months ago I changed from PC lighting to T-5 lighting in my 55g. I didn't acclimate properly and my green trumpet coral shrunk and I lost it.

For alittle over a week now, I'm re-acclimating my T-5 lighting because some of my corals did not look good. A month ago I purchased another green trumpet coral from a local reefer and it look very healthly in his tank. I purchased a lot of frags from him and the others are doing fine. Now this trumpet is shrinking and no growth. I placed it at the bottom of the tank. My parameters are:

Sg: 1.025
Ca: 420
Alk: 10.6
Mag:1320
Temp: 78

Lighting is 10 inches off the water and 28 inches off the sand bed.

Any ideas on what is going on? These are suppose to be hardy corals and I'm going through 6 heads and no survivers.

[amonchak]

I have two seperate candy cane corals placed mid to top 1/3 of the tank with t5 lighting in my 55g and they are doing great. Since I added the candies both have developed several new mouths and are in the process of splitting.

Have you tried to feed them this may help some? I feed once a week or so at night ~1-2 hrs after the lights are off and the feeder tentacles are extended.

[amonchak]

Check out this website for care/feeding recommendations

http://www.asira.org/caulastrea

[pcannone]

Originally posted by amonchak
Check out this website for care/feeding recommendations

http://www.asira.org/caulastrea

Great. I'll try that. Thanks for your help

[ReefHotSpot]

Feeding will make tremendous difference. Anything meaty. it is usually best to strain frozen fish food when thawing to keep phosphates down.

[pcannone]

Originally posted by amonchak
I have two seperate candy cane corals placed mid to top 1/3 of the tank with t5 lighting in my 55g and they are doing great. Since I added the candies both have developed several new mouths and are in the process of splitting.

Have you tried to feed them this may help some? I feed once a week or so at night ~1-2 hrs after the lights are off and the feeder tentacles are extended.

Curious on what your water parameters are in your 55g and how far off the water are your T-5s?

[pcannone]

Originally posted by redrunblue
Feeding will make tremendous difference. Anything meaty. it is usually best to strain frozen fish food when thawing to keep phosphates down.

I assuming target feed for the first couple of days? The heads are now pretty small, can I still revive it? Do you think the tentacles will still be out even though the heads are small?

[mystery_reef]

i dont think not feeding them is what's killing them guys.
i have lots of candy cane that i never target feed and it grows fast, although the tank is fed heavily and they recieve some with general feeding.
any other ideas guys? there may be another issue here?

[amonchak]

Originally posted by pcannone
Curious on what your water parameters are in your 55g and how far off the water are your T-5s?

My parameters:

salinity: 1.024
pH: 8.0 - 8.2
calcium: 380
dKH: 7
Mag:?? need to get a test
Nitrates:<12.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites:0
Phosphates: Haven't checked for a while but were at 0.1 last checked

Lights 3" off water (4) 54watt t5's

Candies ~middle of height of tank 8"-10" or so below lights. I have had them higher and lower and that does not seem to bother mine.

Do you have a pic of what your look like? Could a crab or other critter be nipping at them?

When you turn off the lights can you see the feeder tentacles?
If so I would feed then even if the heads are not inflating fully during the day.

I feed frozen mysis and some times add rotifers to the mix.

Adam

[amonchak]

Originally posted by mystery_reef
i dont think not feeding them is what's killing them guys.
i have lots of candy cane that i never target feed and it grows fast, although the tank is fed heavily and they recieve some with general feeding.
any other ideas guys? there may be another issue here?

As you state they do get some food during your reg feedings.

I think that feeding them has shown great improvement in the over coral health for all my LPS including the candy cane corals.

I don't disagree that another factor may be at work here but feeding may help.

[amonchak]

pcannone

In reviewing the first comment you made the switch from pc to t5 without acclimation may have done it.

I would try to keep the coral where you have it (I assume it's still lower in the tank) for a few days maybe try feeding and see what happens. If all things look good then if you desire to move it higher in the tank I would do so after the coral seems to be "happy" for a week or so.

Let us know how it works out.

Good Luck!

[pcannone]

Originally posted by amonchak
pcannone

In reviewing the first comment you made the switch from pc to t5 without acclimation may have done it.

I would try to keep the coral where you have it (I assume it's still lower in the tank) for a few days maybe try feeding and see what happens. If all things look good then if you desire to move it higher in the tank I would do so after the coral seems to be "happy" for a week or so.

Let us know how it works out.

Good Luck!

I mis-typed the previous post. What I meant to say was the second round of Green Trumpet Corals came from a MH 125 g tank into my T-5 55g.

I did acclimate it and dripped it in revive.

Not sure if that makes a difference?