had my first real loss today.

chrismunn · 07/29/2009, 09:09 PM

welp, it happend... i came home from work today to find my green slimer RTN'ing. it got blasted by my GBTA sometime within the last two days and now its toast! of the two inch frag i was able to salvage one quarter inch of it, but i highly doubt it will make it?

this is my first REAL loss in my new SPS tank. i actually lost a couple of teal tort frags but i dont consider those a real loss becasue they were pretty much goners when i got them.

i recently traded off all of my soft corals to make way for an all new SPS set up and so far things arent going very well. the tanks not doing horribly, but it could deffinatly be doing much better! all the frags i have came out of tanks with with 800w's of MH, and all i have is a little 150w MH. naturally everything has browned out quite a bit, but im still getting good polyp extention and nothings bleaching. hopefully the RTN doesnt spread to anything else, im looking forward to watching my frags color back up!

Shane Hoffman · 07/29/2009, 09:16 PM

That should be plent of light if the tank they are in is your 14gal biocube.....your over 10 watts a gallon (not as important as par and light penetration) which is a loose way of determining sufficient light.....biocubes are not deep so I would say you have to have as much light or more than the tank they came from....

SPS have to be acclimated properly....also whenever possible I will get a water sample of tank they are coming out of (yes fish store thinks im crazy) I go in day before I buy coral and get 6 ounces of the water take it home and test it then go back next day and get coral...I do this to see how close their parameters are to mine....I only do this on tougher to keep corals....

Tswifty · 07/29/2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shane Hoffman
SPS have to be acclimated properly...

Eh... Corals are pretty tough when it comes to acclimation in my experience. I moved away from an in depth acclimation procedure a long time ago. Now it's temp acclimation only... then dip... then in the tank. Haven't lost any corals yet doing it that way.

Tswifty · 07/29/2009, 11:28 PM

Sorry to hear about your loss Chris. Anemones and SPS just don't mix. I've tried it in 2 different SPS set ups now, and regretted it both times. Slimer's are tough though, hopefully the frag will survive. As far as lighting goes... do you have any idea of what the PAR values are in your tank?

chrismunn · 07/30/2009, 06:03 PM

no clue what the PAR is? the light is a 150w HQI 14k bulb that came with the JBJ k-2 viper fixture. i actually added a 24w actinic PC but the old bulb burnt out the second day of use. im going to go pick up a new bulb this weekend.

im really regretting the anemone about now but its my wifes and i just cant get her to let it go. that was one of the only reasons i was able to set this tank up! (yes, i had to have permission!

) she says i can take it out if i get a new tank but im not prepared for another tank right now. i just dont feel like dealing with it.

as far as acclimating is concerned, i dont really. i floated the bag to reach the same temp, then let a little of the tank water into the bag. then a little more, and then i just pull the frag out and stick it where i want it.

if it were an acclimating issue i would have know it a long time ago. it was one of the corals in the first batch of five that went into the tank. its been 2 or 3 weeks. im positive it was the anemone.

what really stinks is that when i came home today, the frag i was trying to salvage was missing! i know it was that darned fish! she uses her mouth to pick up anything she can move, then throws it wherever she can get it thats away from the nem.

oh well, im sure i can pick up another piece from a club member for a good price.

07/29/2009, 09:09 PM	#1
chrismunn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 4,200	had my first real loss today. welp, it happend... i came home from work today to find my green slimer RTN'ing. it got blasted by my GBTA sometime within the last two days and now its toast! of the two inch frag i was able to salvage one quarter inch of it, but i highly doubt it will make it? this is my first REAL loss in my new SPS tank. i actually lost a couple of teal tort frags but i dont consider those a real loss becasue they were pretty much goners when i got them. i recently traded off all of my soft corals to make way for an all new SPS set up and so far things arent going very well. the tanks not doing horribly, but it could deffinatly be doing much better! all the frags i have came out of tanks with with 800w's of MH, and all i have is a little 150w MH. naturally everything has browned out quite a bit, but im still getting good polyp extention and nothings bleaching. hopefully the RTN doesnt spread to anything else, im looking forward to watching my frags color back up! __________________ Marine Aquarists Association of South Texas Austin Reef Club PBITAWA... Current Tank Info: 14g bio cube

07/29/2009, 09:16 PM	#2
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	That should be plent of light if the tank they are in is your 14gal biocube.....your over 10 watts a gallon (not as important as par and light penetration) which is a loose way of determining sufficient light.....biocubes are not deep so I would say you have to have as much light or more than the tank they came from.... SPS have to be acclimated properly....also whenever possible I will get a water sample of tank they are coming out of (yes fish store thinks im crazy) I go in day before I buy coral and get 6 ounces of the water take it home and test it then go back next day and get coral...I do this to see how close their parameters are to mine....I only do this on tougher to keep corals.... __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

07/29/2009, 11:28 PM	#4
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	Sorry to hear about your loss Chris. Anemones and SPS just don't mix. I've tried it in 2 different SPS set ups now, and regretted it both times. Slimer's are tough though, hopefully the frag will survive. As far as lighting goes... do you have any idea of what the PAR values are in your tank? __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

07/30/2009, 06:03 PM	#5
chrismunn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 4,200	no clue what the PAR is? the light is a 150w HQI 14k bulb that came with the JBJ k-2 viper fixture. i actually added a 24w actinic PC but the old bulb burnt out the second day of use. im going to go pick up a new bulb this weekend. im really regretting the anemone about now but its my wifes and i just cant get her to let it go. that was one of the only reasons i was able to set this tank up! (yes, i had to have permission! ) she says i can take it out if i get a new tank but im not prepared for another tank right now. i just dont feel like dealing with it. as far as acclimating is concerned, i dont really. i floated the bag to reach the same temp, then let a little of the tank water into the bag. then a little more, and then i just pull the frag out and stick it where i want it. if it were an acclimating issue i would have know it a long time ago. it was one of the corals in the first batch of five that went into the tank. its been 2 or 3 weeks. im positive it was the anemone. what really stinks is that when i came home today, the frag i was trying to salvage was missing! i know it was that darned fish! she uses her mouth to pick up anything she can move, then throws it wherever she can get it thats away from the nem. oh well, im sure i can pick up another piece from a club member for a good price. __________________ Marine Aquarists Association of South Texas Austin Reef Club PBITAWA... Current Tank Info: 14g bio cube