Candy cane (trumpet) not happy for months!

[LeleganceCoral]

I have had this trumpet for a long time, originally in a pretty low light 5 gal, until about a year ago i moved it to the big tank. Was happy for the first couple months but its condition has slowly deteriorated after a magnesium spike, and magnesium is still a bit high. Moved it to 60 par low flow a while back and no changes.

Parameters:
Ph: 8.0
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 1ppm
Calcium: 390 ppm
Alk: 7.1 dkh
Magnesium: 1440ppm
Phosphate: 0ppm

 

[TX_REEF]

In my experience candy canes do not like zero nitrate and phosphate. Might help to get nutrients up. What corals do you have that are happy?

 

[19Mateo83]

Get your no3 and po4 up a bit and see if it will take food. Hand feeding will help, it’s hungry.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I can almost guarentee it is because of your nitrate and phosphate levels, if those are true.

 

[LeleganceCoral]

Thank you! I dont know why but those levels for me are hard to get up, feed my fish daily and coral weekly and stays low

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Thank you! I dont know why but those levels for me are hard to get up, feed my fish daily and coral weekly and stays low

What do you feed? If you try mixing pellets into your fish food, that'll help increase it.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Definitely raising nutrients will help. In my experience candy cane also like 100-150 PAR.

 

[moosevandyke]

In my experience candy canes do not like zero nitrate and phosphate. Might help to get nutrients up. What corals do you have that are happy?

agree.

 

[TX_REEF]

Thank you! I dont know why but those levels for me are hard to get up, feed my fish daily and coral weekly and stays low

Do you run a skimmer, macro fuge or ATS? If you do, dial the skimmer run time down (or shut it off) and/or reduce the photoperiod on your nutrient export algae.

You can also feed them more often, I fed every 2-3 days to raise my nutrients when I also had zero. Candycanes love to eat after lights off, you should see their feeder tentacles extend.

 

[michigan-reef]

It may be a flow issue, I would move it out of that hole it is in. The Duncan above it looks good, so my guess is increasing flow will solve the problem. It will take time for it to bounce back. I have more (plump) candy cane coral than I know what to do with and I have never fed them. Checking nutrient levels is a good idea as well. Lighting is something to think about as well, candy cane coral don't need to much light, the above poster said 100-150 (that sounds about right to me).

 

[LeleganceCoral]

What do you feed? If you try mixing pellets into your fish food, that'll help increase it.

I feed brine shrimp and krill

 

[TX_REEF]

I feed brine shrimp and krill

try reefroids - this did the trick for raising phophate for me, and my corals (especially LPS) love it. I target feed a few times a week after lights off with a long thin baster.

Reef Roids: https://amzn.to/4bC7Tns
Baster/Feeder: https://amzn.to/44Jpesi