Advice needed for unhappy frogspawn (pics)

[924er]

hello guys!

I have an Evo 13.5 running for the past 6 months with mostly LPS and soft corals, and everything had been fine until recently about a month ago when I upgraded to the AI prime 16 HD. My frogspawn that sits at the very top middle is not as extended and just keeps getting worse. The Prime has been acclimating at 50% for 30 days on david saxby settings but I recently even turned it lower and reset the acclimation period for another 30 days while running a more conservative lighting.

The lighting has been the only change and since then, that frogspawn hasnt been happy. I notice usually morning its doing well, then around mid day it retracts to the point to where I can see its mouth. I do feed it x2 week reef roids. My other euphylias are doing well.

Parameters-
temp 77f
SG- 1.024
alk- 9.3
ca- 430
mag- 1380
ammonia-0
nitrate- 5-10
nitrite- 0

lighting (currently on 50% with 27 days left)
UV- 72
V- 71
RY- 67
RB 65
G-3
DR- 3
ML- 0
CW- 17

My plan-
1-salinity- maybe raise to 1.206 but I doubt thats the main cause
2- move the frogspawn to a lower location?
3- Dip in RX coral?

This picture below is from the first day I got the AI prime after switching from the stock evo 14k light, notice the difference in the frogspawn and even some of the hammers. It looked amazing... Makes me want to switch back to the stock light hahah

 

[Andresnyc93]

It’s definitely the light change, as long as you don’t see tissue tearing off I wouldn’t worry just give them time to adjust to their new lighting

 

[924er]

It’s definitely the light change, as long as you don’t see tissue tearing off I wouldn’t worry just give them time to adjust to their new lighting

Thats what Im thinking but its nearly been 30 days and these lighting settings are really conservative. In fact, after turning them down some more, it seems to have no effect on the frogspawn. I thought the polyps wound extend out even more to reach for some light but instead it contracts as they day goes by. I just want to make sure I am not missing anything else.

 

[billyocean]

That powerhead is pointing straight at it..could be flow. Light change could have weakened it and flow became too strong..if you haven't changed the flow. Your light is directly over it in what would be the highest par any coral is getting in your tank too. Don't coral rx..get some lugols iodine. Works wonders for euphyllia IME.

 

[Woodyman]

I'd vote to move it down or leave the lights alone at current settings for a few weeks before increasing further.

What light did you have on the tank before?

 

[Andresnyc93]

Thats what Im thinking but its nearly been 30 days and these lighting settings are really conservative. In fact, after turning them down some more, it seems to have no effect on the frogspawn. I thought the polyps wound extend out even more to reach for some light but instead it contracts as they day goes by. I just want to make sure I am not missing anything else.

Very strange since nothing else has changed, +1 on the lugol’s dip

 

[outhouse]

Frogspawn do not like lights to bright they are more sensitive then hammers. When I had my lights to high of intensity the frogspawn took the hit much harder than my hammers.

Id turn the lights way down mirroring a cloudy month, iot will not really slow growth, but the frogspawn my come back out, then you can raise intensity really really slow.

My lights on a 210g tank are at 8% B ansd 1% W and my growth s crazy, my frogspawn took forever to regrow

 

[outhouse]

My plan-
1-salinity- maybe raise to 1.206 but I doubt thats the main cause
2- move the frogspawn to a lower location?
3- Dip in RX coral?

do that if you really want to tick it off. leave it be and turn your lights way the hell down, try 25% blue and a lower white so that it has that 14k to 20k look

 

[outhouse]

you went from 1w leds I believe to 3w leds , so 25% intensity will mirror your old lighting, 50% is still much more light than they ae used to, and exactly why he is not happy.

 

[924er]

you went from 1w leds I believe to 3w leds , so 25% intensity will mirror your old lighting, 50% is still much more light than they ae used to, and exactly why he is not happy.

That makes sense. I thought nearly a month of acclimation would be enough. I will turn it down some more. That frogspawn is also right in the top middle of my tank so its getting the most light for sure. The green frogspawn is right next to it but no phased at all. Im thinking of moving it away from being in the center as my prime light is right above it. The stock evo light was basically strips of LEDs, totally different.

 

[924er]

That powerhead is pointing straight at it..could be flow. Light change could have weakened it and flow became too strong..if you haven't changed the flow. Your light is directly over it in what would be the highest par any coral is getting in your tank too. Don't coral rx..get some lugols iodine. Works wonders for euphyllia IME.

powerhead is actually behind it and not pointing directly at it. Also, its always been there so nothing new. This all happened a month ago when I changed to the AI prime, so im leaning towards that but surprised even after a month with acclimation mode its still not happy. I might move it away from directly being over the light, thats an idea. thanks!

 

[924er]

So yesterday I moved the frogspawn a bit lower and away from the center. I also dropped my light intensity but today it looks about the same. Am I expecting results too quick??? lol
However, my other frogspawn beside it is doing really well and is splitting a head!

 

[Woodyman]

So yesterday I moved the frogspawn a bit lower and away from the center. I also dropped my light intensity but today it looks about the same. Am I expecting results too quick??? lol
However, my other frogspawn beside it is doing really well and is splitting a head!

Your expecting things to quickly.

Some of my corals will instantly show me they are ticked if I move them. Others look fine for a few days and then get angry, and take a few days before they go back to normal.

 

[Andresnyc93]

Way too soon, give them at least a week before you see any changes.
Euphyllia is very sensitive when things change

 

[924er]

Way too soon, give them at least a week before you see any changes.
Euphyllia is very sensitive when things change

ok thanks for letting me know. Ill update you all in a week or so.

 

[924er]

Just a quick update. The frogspawn started getting worse even after turning the light down. I started to see some skeleton. Now the nearby frogspawn that has always been good is now getting affected so I think this has nothing to do with lighting. I took both coral out and dipped in coral RX and blasted them with a turkey baster. Noticed 5 flatworms that fell out. I had a FB reef group that confirmed they were flatworms and they sure look like it.

Today the corals are still ticked off and trying to recover from the dip but one of frogspawn looks a little happy. There is some skeleton still showing at some edges though..

Im going to look into some more flatworm treatment and likely dip them once a week until they get better, maybe consider a stronger approach with flatworm exit. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[billyocean]

Look for eggs. Dip won't kill the eggs

 

[Andresnyc93]

If you have flatworms you can do lugol’s iodine dip followed by a clean saltwater dip.
it won’t kill the eggs but it’ll sure get all the live ones out. For the eggs you’re going to have to scrape them out with a gentle toothbrush

 

[outhouse]

They are tough, I have many that decayed to the center and I thought were dead, after 6 months out of the center with a black light you can see them regrowing. The ones that all the way down now 1/4 inch long. If it's not light, a large water change would never hurt

 

[billyocean]

Lugols is great...its great for lps stress and tissue as well as pests.