Can I improve the Health of these corals

[Emma1234]

Hi Everyone

Can anyone identify these two corals. I'me embarrassed to admit I forgot what they are.

problem.jpg

More important. They both look a little sad. The one on the right has a little green stuff on it. The one on the left seems to be struggling on the back side.

Last time I checked the key parameters were all in acceptable ranges. And these corals have been like this for quite awhile.

This is a great and helpful website.

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks,

[Reef noob_]

Definitely LPS corals. Probably lobophyllia but I’m not 100% sure. They sure do look P.O’ed. LPS like to be fed, you could try target feeding to help them out but they both look fairly far gone...

Also, what do you mean by “the key parameters are all in acceptable ranges”? Give us specifics please. It’ll help out a lot.

Good luck!


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[kallan]

How is your flow in the tank? Do you keep up with water changes? From the photo, it looks like cyanobacteria and algae are overtaking these lobos and will continue to grow on the dead skeletal areas. You may try sucking as much of the cyano out as you can and then do a larger than normal water change. Good luck.

[Emma1234]

I was checking the MG, CA, Alk, Phosphates. and Nitrates.

Here are my last readings with dates and numbers. Thanks much.

By the way, I just upgraded from Current Orbit to Maxpect Razor. Not sure what that will do? What fun!

OK. So I've been a bit slack with the readings. But here is what I have

last reading was on 2/3/2018

CA 460
8.4 ALK
1350 MG
2.5 ppm Nitrate

I used Red Sea for CA, Salifert for CA and MG.

The one on the left has looked like this for over a year. The one on the right has been getting this green spots on it with/in the last month or so.

I should probably do another water test. But what a pain!

Once I retire I'll have more time to putz and play with this. But not now.


I do 16 gallon water change every week. My tank is 55 gallons with a 20 gallon sump.

You all reply faster than I can reply to your reply. Having a beer. Hope you are too!

I have 4 power heads. Not sure the power of these. And I have a return for the sump to the display. I think that is pretty good.

Thanks you guys and gals!

[Sk8r]

I would suggest maybe it's a lighting issue, too much or not enough. Or a 'neighbor' issue Sometimes another coral 'upwind' can inhibit a neighbor.

[pkstylez]

Originally Posted by Emma1234

I was checking the MG, CA, Alk, Phosphates. and Nitrates.

Here are my last readings with dates and numbers. Thanks much.

By the way, I just upgraded from Current Orbit to Maxpect Razor. Not sure what that will do? What fun!

OK. So I've been a bit slack with the readings. But here is what I have

last reading was on 2/3/2018

CA 460
8.4 ALK
1350 MG
2.5 ppm Nitrate

I used Red Sea for CA, Salifert for CA and MG.

The one on the left has looked like this for over a year. The one on the right has been getting this green spots on it with/in the last month or so.

I should probably do another water test. But what a pain!

Once I retire I'll have more time to putz and play with this. But not now.


I do 16 gallon water change every week. My tank is 55 gallons with a 20 gallon sump.

You all reply faster than I can reply to your reply. Having a beer. Hope you are too!

I have 4 power heads. Not sure the power of these. And I have a return for the sump to the display. I think that is pretty good.

Thanks you guys and gals!

I'm not a vet in salt water but 10% water per week is safer. Less volume of water less shock. Bigger water change bigger consequences.

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[oldhead]

Did this happen after the light switch? What settings are you running on the new light?

[zachogden]

Originally Posted by Emma1234

I do 16 gallon water change every week. My tank is 55 gallons with a 20 gallon sump.

that's...a lot. any particular reason why?

[Emma1234]

Thanks very much for all your input.

Here is a picture of the sickly LPS corals (middle and on the right of the picture) next to a healthy one (on the left of the picture) taken straight on.

lobo.jpg

Here is the original picture I sent with the top view of the two that are not doing well
problem.jpg

And here is a picture of the tank.
tank.jpg

And here are all your comments with my thoughts. Hope this discussion helps others.

Originally Posted by Reef noob_

LPS like to be fed, you could try target feeding

I feed the one on the left. The one on the left has tentacles that make it easy to feed. The other two, the two that are struggling, I don't know how I would feed them.

I would suggest maybe it's a lighting issue, too much or not enough. .

and

What settings are you running on the new light

I'm running the new lights at a max of 45% now. I'll ramp them up 2-5% a week over the next several weeks. My mushrooms are doing better now than they ever have. I think the lights are helping them.

The LPS corals were stressed like this before I bought the lights so I don't think its the new lights.

Or a 'neighbor' issue Sometimes another coral 'upwind' can inhibit a neighbor

"upwind" I think might be the issue for the one on the right. The coral in the middle use to lean to the left side. It was almost touching the coral to the left of the picture. So I moved it. Unfortunately it was difficult to place exactly where I wanted. So now it is leaning the way you see it in the picture. It was after I move the middle coral that the one on the right really took a turn for the worse.

that's...a lot. any particular reason why

and

I'm not a vet in salt water but 10% water per week is safer. Less volume of water less shock. Bigger water change bigger consequences.

Ok. This is a big one! I thought 20 to 25 percent was the amount of water I needed to change. Aghh! So 20 x 70 = 14 gallons. Right! I do my water changes every week so I figured 16 gallons per week would put me in the 20 to 25 percent range.

After reading your posts and reading other online discussion on water changes I see my mistake. Its 20% per month! Also I have about 30 - 40 lbs of rock and my sump is 20 gallons but maybe only 10 to 15 of water. So maybe I have 40 gallons of water.

So it seems like I should be doing about 40 x .25 = 9 gallons per month or 2-3 gallons per week rather than 16!!

So here is what I'm thinking.
go to 2 to 3 gallons a week and move the corals apart. With the new lights I'll drop them lower in the tanks and separate them.

You are the best! Thanks very much!

[Sk8r]

Mmm. Missed that. It's 20% a month or 10% a week. In a water quality emergency you can do much more ---30% then wait two days and do another 20%---but that's for when your tank is about to crash.