What the heck is this

Spiker101 · 11/30/2010, 07:59 PM

So I left home about 2 hours ago. My duncan was fully expanded with some head over 2 inchs in diameter from tip to tip. When I came all the duncans are retracted (nothing else are affected). And there is a huge mucus looking string over one of the corner...??

I havent changed water in a while like 2 weeks (final week). I have 0 0 for ammonium and nitrite and less than 10ppm nitrate. pH 8. Temp 79-80.

Sk8r · 11/30/2010, 10:05 PM

CHeck your alkalinity. Should be 8.3 to 9.3. Check calcium: if that's started to fall from 420, then check your magnesium.
You don't have any leather coral in the tank, do you? They can cause a snit.

(As a general rule, when things go wonky, check temperature, check alk, and fall back on old, old habits and check ammonia strips, as you did; then if no answer, run carbon, and do a 20% water change as soon as you can.)

Spiker101 · 11/30/2010, 11:07 PM

What the heck is snit??? btw I think the coral is back to normal? (and I dont have ca mg or alk test kit) Maybe they all took a dump together?

Sk8r · 11/30/2010, 11:16 PM

Snit: a small temper tantrum.

If you're keeping any stony coral, you should run those 3 tests once a week to be sure your water is supplying the calcium your corals need, and good readings for them are in my sig. Start testing alkalinity and calcium, and if those are too low, you'll need the matching supplements, or do some large (20%) water changes, as a temporary measure until you can get the supplements. Also, be sure you're using a high-calcium salt: I use Oceanic, and for supplements I use the Kent buffer (alkalinity) and Kent Turbo Calcium, and Kent Tech-m Magnesium supplement. It's very pricey to supplement a whole reef by little doses, so if you get to where your corals are really growing fast, and you're having to dose calcium by daily spoonfuls, that would be expensive---so there's a cheap alternative when you get to that stage---it's called kalk, and 5.00 worth will keep your tank happy for quite a while. Ask me when you get to that stage and I'll explain it further. For right now, you need those tests to be sure those corals get fed enough calcium.

Bloodritual · 11/30/2010, 11:25 PM

I forgot the names of those animals but there are tube worms and snails (vermitid snails I think) that secrete mucous to capture floating particles to eat. That might be what those things are. That secretion, it is not really toxic to the corals but can irritate the corals if they are way too close that they retract, and if it keeps irritating them it might cause the coral to stay retracted and pretty much starve.

Spiker101 · 11/30/2010, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Snit: a small temper tantrum.

If you're keeping any stony coral, you should run those 3 tests once a week to be sure your water is supplying the calcium your corals need, and good readings for them are in my sig. Start testing alkalinity and calcium, and if those are too low, you'll need the matching supplements, or do some large (20%) water changes, as a temporary measure until you can get the supplements. Also, be sure you're using a high-calcium salt: I use Oceanic, and for supplements I use the Kent buffer (alkalinity) and Kent Turbo Calcium, and Kent Tech-m Magnesium supplement. It's very pricey to supplement a whole reef by little doses, so if you get to where your corals are really growing fast, and you're having to dose calcium by daily spoonfuls, that would be expensive---so there's a cheap alternative when you get to that stage---it's called kalk, and 5.00 worth will keep your tank happy for quite a while. Ask me when you get to that stage and I'll explain it further. For right now, you need those tests to be sure those corals get fed enough calcium.

Yea I guess I will have to do that. I have someone who can homemake supplements and I can just buy it off of him when he makes some for his 600gallon tank... Some times I feel ripped off that I have to test my tank as often if not more than someone with 600gallon lol. I use Oceanic too!

Btw since you got a tail spotted blenny...do they get white vertical strips when they get scared?

Sk8r · 11/30/2010, 11:41 PM

They do. A starry blenny does even better: changes color like a cuttlefish, from pinto to starry to black, and grades in between, very fast.

11/30/2010, 07:59 PM	#1
Spiker101 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 91	What the heck is this So I left home about 2 hours ago. My duncan was fully expanded with some head over 2 inchs in diameter from tip to tip. When I came all the duncans are retracted (nothing else are affected). And there is a huge mucus looking string over one of the corner...?? I havent changed water in a while like 2 weeks (final week). I have 0 0 for ammonium and nitrite and less than 10ppm nitrate. pH 8. Temp 79-80.

11/30/2010, 10:05 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	CHeck your alkalinity. Should be 8.3 to 9.3. Check calcium: if that's started to fall from 420, then check your magnesium. You don't have any leather coral in the tank, do you? They can cause a snit. (As a general rule, when things go wonky, check temperature, check alk, and fall back on old, old habits and check ammonia strips, as you did; then if no answer, run carbon, and do a 20% water change as soon as you can.) __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/30/2010, 11:16 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Snit: a small temper tantrum. If you're keeping any stony coral, you should run those 3 tests once a week to be sure your water is supplying the calcium your corals need, and good readings for them are in my sig. Start testing alkalinity and calcium, and if those are too low, you'll need the matching supplements, or do some large (20%) water changes, as a temporary measure until you can get the supplements. Also, be sure you're using a high-calcium salt: I use Oceanic, and for supplements I use the Kent buffer (alkalinity) and Kent Turbo Calcium, and Kent Tech-m Magnesium supplement. It's very pricey to supplement a whole reef by little doses, so if you get to where your corals are really growing fast, and you're having to dose calcium by daily spoonfuls, that would be expensive---so there's a cheap alternative when you get to that stage---it's called kalk, and 5.00 worth will keep your tank happy for quite a while. Ask me when you get to that stage and I'll explain it further. For right now, you need those tests to be sure those corals get fed enough calcium. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/30/2010, 11:41 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	They do. A starry blenny does even better: changes color like a cuttlefish, from pinto to starry to black, and grades in between, very fast. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

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11/30/2010, 11:07 PM	#3
Spiker101 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 91	What the heck is snit??? btw I think the coral is back to normal? (and I dont have ca mg or alk test kit) Maybe they all took a dump together?

11/30/2010, 11:25 PM	#5
Bloodritual Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 82	I forgot the names of those animals but there are tube worms and snails (vermitid snails I think) that secrete mucous to capture floating particles to eat. That might be what those things are. That secretion, it is not really toxic to the corals but can irritate the corals if they are way too close that they retract, and if it keeps irritating them it might cause the coral to stay retracted and pretty much starve.