Coral Rips???

[savetheocean]

While I was taking a snail off one of the corals, I noticed something.. There are rips in the base of the coral, they look like big gashes. The coral was open before I picked it up, by the way. Whats wrong? What do I do? This is my first coral and I dont really know what I am doing. I have been feeding it, ammonia is 0.0 - 0.25 (I added two fish and the bio load is trying to catch up)

 

[Hely'sreef1]

What sort of coral is it? What have you been feeding it? What fish do you have? Is your tank cycled as you shouldn't have any ammonia....

 

[savetheocean]

What sort of coral is it? What have you been feeding it? What fish do you have? Is your tank cycled as you shouldn't have any ammonia....

Torch coral, fish frenzy (Frozen), my tank is cycled (I could have done better with the cycle)

 

[Hely'sreef1]

Torch coral, fish frenzy (Frozen), my tank is cycled (I could have done better with the cycle)

How long ago was your cycle? What are your nitrates? Torches don't tend to do well in poor quality water. Also excessive feeding can make your ammonia worse if your cycle isn't done properly....

 

[savetheocean]

How long ago was your cycle? What are your nitrates? Torches don't tend to do well in poor quality water. Also excessive feeding can make your ammonia worse if your cycle isn't done properly....

4 months cycle with fish. Nitrate is zero.. I am staying on top of things with a water change every week. There is a barnicle on it that has grown way bigger. Other than those rips, the coral looks great, I am also pretty sure its splitting its heads again. Any ideas what that is?

 

[Hely'sreef1]

I'd just watch and wait. Corals are pretty good at recovering from most things. Maybe lower your lights a bit to keep it from stressing out too much

 

[Dsnakes]

A complete cycle will have zero ammonia and nitrite. Nitrate isn't necessarily bad, especially in a mixed reef.

 

[savetheocean]

I'd just watch and wait. Corals are pretty good at recovering from most things. Maybe lower your lights a bit to keep it from stressing out too much

All fish are healthy. I didnt qt two tangs and I got away with it somehow. It could have ended up so bad so I just setup a qt just in case anything happened. Thanks for the help!

 

[savetheocean]

A complete cycle will have zero ammonia and nitrite. Nitrate isn't necessarily bad, especially in a mixed reef.

I guess the cycle didnt fully finish, should I just wait it out and keep testing without getting any more fish?

 

[savetheocean]

Everything was normal until I added two new fish, I thought it was just the tank trying to catch up to everything ive added.

 

[OREGONIC]

Im no expert but it looks like the skeleton split, kind of like wood does, when it was fraged. From what i can see the flesh looks healthy I wouldn't worry to much about it. I would definitely let your tank stable out before adding anything else. A little nitrate and a little phosphate is a good thing btw, especially for lps.

 

[Dsnakes]

I guess the cycle didnt fully finish, should I just wait it out and keep testing without getting any more fish?

I would not add any more fish until those are zero. Keep testing and do water changes to keep from harming your current fish with ammonia levels present.

 

[savetheocean]

Im no expert but it looks like the skeleton split, kind of like wood does, when it was fraged. From what i can see the flesh looks healthy I wouldn't worry to much about it. I would definitely let your tank stable out before adding anything else. A little nitrate and a little phosphate is a good thing btw, especially for lps.

With the scare I had with fish I dont plan on buying anything new for a while. A skeleton split, that sounds right. It looks like it stretched and then split. Thanks

 

[savetheocean]

I would not add any more fish until those are zero. Keep testing and do water changes to keep from harming your current fish with ammonia levels present.

Thanks, will do. pH is at 8.1 atm, hows that?

 

[Fishfinder]

Was the skeleton like that when you got it and possibly didn't notice? It looks normal to me. That was probably done when they fragged it

 

[Dsnakes]

PH is in good spot, does it fluctuate much?

 

[savetheocean]

PH is in good spot, does it fluctuate much?

Not really, its been from like 8.0 to 8.1

 

[savetheocean]

Was the skeleton like that when you got it and possibly didn't notice? It looks normal to me. That was probably done when they fragged it

I guess so. A couple days ago the coral looked amazing, now some tentacles are closed around the barnicle which scares me.

 

[savetheocean]

Anyone have any suggestions for crystal clear water? I use instant ocean reef crystals. I never really had crystal clear water, from the side view its clear but not as clear as I want it to be.

 

[OREGONIC]

Anyone have any suggestions for crystal clear water? I use instant ocean reef crystals. I never really had crystal clear water, from the side view its clear but not as clear as I want it to be.

Carbon helps clear the water. Some sort of mechanical filtration, socks or floss. With still detectable ammonia you will probably go through bacterial blooms which make the water not clear. My tank has been up for just about a year and a half and it had its share of the uglies for the first 6 or 7 months after the cycle, algae, bacteria blooms, cyano... Once i was able to stable the parameters out all of that started to go away. If i could go back and do it again getting the tank stable would be my number one priority over quickly stocking it with fish and coral, it is hard to resist tho Now that im not constantly putting new stuff in the tank all the time when i do i can notice the change and make minor adjustments as needed. It is hard to judge what adjustments are needed when you add several things at once. It is a tiny ecosystem, every thing you add or take away effects everything else, as my tank has matured things do adapt and adjust quicker tho.