Dying corals

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 12:19 AM

Hello, this is my 2nd post, i have recently got a tank 24g 250w hqi for about 5 months now. i have a few chormis, cleaner shrimp, false lemon peal angel, 1 clown, and a goby. i have a hammer head coral branching, 3 anomene's originally 1 but it split 2x, a few mushrooms. and my zoos and xenias. and a cleaner crew of emeralds (which have spawnd) hermits and snails.)

everything is separated, since they were all frags and thus very small. i am having the problem with my zoos and xenias. the zoos well they have died compltly now for about a month, they shirviled up and died, and now the xenias are doing the same thing. anything with pylops are dieing. all my parameters are good, and lighting is on a timer, and i have plenty of water flow, an in tank pump fan thing, and the duel split return from the aquapod filtration system.

i was wondering if the angel could be eating them? (i haven't seen him do that and i have been watching closely.) could the hammer be effecting them from across the tank? or could the hermits be eating them? i see them on top of the xenias.

currently the xenias are placed at the bottom of the tank and have good water flow at their current location, but they are dieing fast.

any help in this matter would be most helpful. i am getting discouraged since i'm a noobie and everything is dieing even though the water upkeep is regular and is maintained properly.

tmz · 05/27/2008, 12:22 AM

Angel would be my fist guess.

Toddrtrex · 05/27/2008, 12:31 AM

I agree with Tom about the angel.

But, what are the actual numbers from your water tests, including Cal. and Alk. Seems like a higher bio-load for a 24 gallon tank.

maikoa02 · 05/27/2008, 01:07 AM

agree about the angel. other things to consider is the sweeper tentacles of the hammer and also the anemones if they moved. this has happened to me in the past in my 24g nano. once the xenias die the complete colony goes down fast too. if possible cut any healthy xenia heads and move to another location on another rock.

kau_cinta_ku · 05/27/2008, 01:39 AM

as much as I would like to agree that the angel is the problem. I can't as your saying they are basically melting away. so I am guessing something is wrong with your parameters.

please list:
ammonia, nitrate, pH, temp, sg, cal, alk, mag.

also having an anemone split 2 times in a 5 month old tank could also be a sign that something is wrong. but it could be a sign that he is doing well also.

tmz · 05/27/2008, 10:11 AM

Sam, you may be right and I would check parameters but since it's only the xenia and zoanthus that are disappearing my eye would be on the angel. It would also be helpful to know what type of angel it is.

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 11:54 AM

i just woke up and did my tests.
amon - 0
ph - 8
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 15
temp - 78
(i dont own any more testers, they didnt come with the kit.) but i buy my water pre made from the fish store with di water

the angel is a false lemon peal.(pigmy angel)

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 11:56 AM

ohh the hammer and the anemones have not moved. they stay at the top of the tank back part of the tank, while the xenias are up front bottom.

Toddrtrex · 05/27/2008, 11:59 AM

What is your salinity at?

Chibils · 05/27/2008, 12:02 PM

The hammer's tentacles still spread to [up to] a foot at night. After the lights have been out for a while, take a flashlight to the hammer and check his tentacles.

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 12:11 PM

i dont have a testing device for salinity, since i buy my water from the store, premixed, im assuming the shop has the right levels since they use the same water in their tanks. (exotic aquarium Sacramento)

Tswifty · 05/27/2008, 12:16 PM

I would recommend you pick one up soon... a member recently posted a frantic thread that his fish and coral were dying.

Turned out the LFS accidently gave him RO/DI water instead of salt water.

Toddrtrex · 05/27/2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ddcengineering
i dont have a testing device for salinity, since i buy my water from the store, premixed, im assuming the shop has the right levels since they use the same water in their tanks. (exotic aquarium Sacramento)

I highly suggest getting something to test that with -- what are you doing about top offs -- from evaporation. They may be a great LFS, but I would never assume that the water that you are getting there is at 1.025/1.026.

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 12:40 PM

i use filtered water to top off, the tank is also closed top so i don't loose too much water, and the ph isnt off from it..

so what do you think the problem is? angel, hammer, water?

ddcengineering · 05/27/2008, 12:40 PM

ohh and thank you for all the help so far

tmz · 05/27/2008, 10:34 PM

Variable salinity is a parameter that many invertebrates and fish are very sensitive too. Xenia in particular do not do well in lower slainities. Actually if I had to test only three things, I think they would be temperature,salinity and ammonia.

demonsp · 05/27/2008, 10:53 PM

What type of food is added to your tank and or what do you feed the coral?

MRN · 05/27/2008, 11:02 PM

Pygmy angels are different then dwarf angels and are known to pick at polyps. I believe that it is your angel...

05/27/2008, 12:19 AM	#1
ddcengineering Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	Dying corals Hello, this is my 2nd post, i have recently got a tank 24g 250w hqi for about 5 months now. i have a few chormis, cleaner shrimp, false lemon peal angel, 1 clown, and a goby. i have a hammer head coral branching, 3 anomene's originally 1 but it split 2x, a few mushrooms. and my zoos and xenias. and a cleaner crew of emeralds (which have spawnd) hermits and snails.) everything is separated, since they were all frags and thus very small. i am having the problem with my zoos and xenias. the zoos well they have died compltly now for about a month, they shirviled up and died, and now the xenias are doing the same thing. anything with pylops are dieing. all my parameters are good, and lighting is on a timer, and i have plenty of water flow, an in tank pump fan thing, and the duel split return from the aquapod filtration system. i was wondering if the angel could be eating them? (i haven't seen him do that and i have been watching closely.) could the hammer be effecting them from across the tank? or could the hermits be eating them? i see them on top of the xenias. currently the xenias are placed at the bottom of the tank and have good water flow at their current location, but they are dieing fast. any help in this matter would be most helpful. i am getting discouraged since i'm a noobie and everything is dieing even though the water upkeep is regular and is maintained properly.

05/27/2008, 12:22 AM	#2
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Angel would be my fist guess. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

05/27/2008, 12:31 AM	#3
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	I agree with Tom about the angel. But, what are the actual numbers from your water tests, including Cal. and Alk. Seems like a higher bio-load for a 24 gallon tank. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

05/27/2008, 10:11 AM	#6
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Sam, you may be right and I would check parameters but since it's only the xenia and zoanthus that are disappearing my eye would be on the angel. It would also be helpful to know what type of angel it is. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

05/27/2008, 11:59 AM	#9
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	What is your salinity at? __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

05/27/2008, 01:07 AM	#4
maikoa02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: RSM Posts: 456	agree about the angel. other things to consider is the sweeper tentacles of the hammer and also the anemones if they moved. this has happened to me in the past in my 24g nano. once the xenias die the complete colony goes down fast too. if possible cut any healthy xenia heads and move to another location on another rock.

05/27/2008, 01:39 AM	#5
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	as much as I would like to agree that the angel is the problem. I can't as your saying they are basically melting away. so I am guessing something is wrong with your parameters. please list: ammonia, nitrate, pH, temp, sg, cal, alk, mag. also having an anemone split 2 times in a 5 month old tank could also be a sign that something is wrong. but it could be a sign that he is doing well also.

05/27/2008, 11:54 AM	#7
ddcengineering Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	i just woke up and did my tests. amon - 0 ph - 8 nitrite - 0 nitrate - 15 temp - 78 (i dont own any more testers, they didnt come with the kit.) but i buy my water pre made from the fish store with di water the angel is a false lemon peal.(pigmy angel)

05/27/2008, 11:56 AM	#8
ddcengineering Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	ohh the hammer and the anemones have not moved. they stay at the top of the tank back part of the tank, while the xenias are up front bottom.

05/27/2008, 12:02 PM	#10
Chibils halide loyalist Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sugar Hill, GA Posts: 2,213	The hammer's tentacles still spread to [up to] a foot at night. After the lights have been out for a while, take a flashlight to the hammer and check his tentacles. __________________ always learning Current Tank Info: 75G new world cichlid, 25G reef in planning

05/27/2008, 12:11 PM	#11
ddcengineering Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	i dont have a testing device for salinity, since i buy my water from the store, premixed, im assuming the shop has the right levels since they use the same water in their tanks. (exotic aquarium Sacramento)

05/27/2008, 12:16 PM	#12
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	I would recommend you pick one up soon... a member recently posted a frantic thread that his fish and coral were dying. Turned out the LFS accidently gave him RO/DI water instead of salt water. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

05/27/2008, 12:40 PM	#14
ddcengineering Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	i use filtered water to top off, the tank is also closed top so i don't loose too much water, and the ph isnt off from it.. so what do you think the problem is? angel, hammer, water?

05/27/2008, 10:34 PM	#16
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Variable salinity is a parameter that many invertebrates and fish are very sensitive too. Xenia in particular do not do well in lower slainities. Actually if I had to test only three things, I think they would be temperature,salinity and ammonia. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

05/27/2008, 10:53 PM	#17
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	What type of food is added to your tank and or what do you feed the coral?

05/27/2008, 11:02 PM	#18
MRN Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: California Girl Posts: 29	Pygmy angels are different then dwarf angels and are known to pick at polyps. I believe that it is your angel... __________________ Michelle N. ~~~^~@ Current Tank Info: 55 Gallon FOWLR, 125 gallon Reef