Few other questions

roadrashpaul · Jan 2, 2014

1. The branches of my hammer and my kryptonite candy look like something is eating them. They don't look like it is deteriorating but like something is eating it. I went down twice in the middle of the night with the flash light and never saw anything. That I know of I have no worms of any kind or any other parasites. I have found both of them out of the rock work and on the bottom a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. Could it be a fish? My lawnmower has been close to both when I went down in the middle of the night looking rather suspicious. He has become quite the jerk to me also. Bites me anytime I stick my hand in the tank.

2. Do coral beauty's eat pods? I see him picking at the rock work a lot but not sure what he is after.

3. Any of the LFS's around here give cash for frags instead of store credit?

SmyrnaReefer · Jan 2, 2014

1. Are you seeing white spots on the skeleton. if it was/is a parasite, you would see the base of the coral (where flesh meets tissue) starting to pull away.
2. when I had a coral beauty, it was always picking, as well as my other angel before I got rid of them. not sure if it was eating pods, just assumed it was picking at stuff on the rocks
3. Not typically

roadrashpaul · Jan 3, 2014

1. No I don't see any of the tissue/flesh of the heads. It is just the outside of the skeleton. Not sure what it is.

Thanks for the help.

Dowtish · Jan 3, 2014

Does it look like a hole that has been bored into the skeleton? Have you pulled them and dipped them yet?

roadrashpaul · Jan 3, 2014

Dowtish said:
Does it look like a hole that has been bored into the skeleton? Have you pulled them and dipped them yet?

Not really. Here is a quick pic I took at lunch with my phone. Its not the greatest but you can see what I am talking about.

Dowtish · Jan 3, 2014

Thats not a pest IMO. That is a lack of proper levels for the calcium carbonate skeleton to grow

What are your ALK, CAL and MAG? And how do you keep those numbers steady?

roadrashpaul · Jan 3, 2014

Just tested like 2-3 days ago

Calc 470
Mag 1300
Alk 7.3

I am working on dropping the cal some and bringing up the alk. I dose C Balance A&B to keep the numbers up. I do 10-15% water change every 2 months or so. No algae problems and very low nitrates and no phosphates. I have two pretty big (20+ heads) frogspawns and neither of them are showing any signs like this. I also have 3 different kinds of monti and it is growing like crazy as is everything else in the tank. That's why I thought it might be a pest and not water.

pelagic · Jan 3, 2014

LPS is always doing horrible in my tank. I think it's the combination of flow and the light.
Maybe you can move it next to those are doing well.

Dowtish · Jan 3, 2014

roadrashpaul said:
Just tested like 2-3 days ago

Calc 470
Mag 1300
Alk 7.3

I am working on dropping the cal some and bringing up the alk. I dose C Balance A&B to keep the numbers up. I do 10-15% water change every 2 months or so. No algae problems and very low nitrates and no phosphates. I have two pretty big (20+ heads) frogspawns and neither of them are showing any signs like this. I also have 3 different kinds of monti and it is growing like crazy as is everything else in the tank. That's why I thought it might be a pest and not water.

That gives me much better insight on your dosing and your levels seem pretty good. So back to a possible parasite??? Have you pulled them out and dipped them?

roadrashpaul · Jan 3, 2014

I have not. I guess this is my next step. What dip would you suggest? Bayer or something else?

roadrashpaul · Jan 3, 2014

pelagic said:
LPS is always doing horrible in my tank. I think it's the combination of flow and the light.
Maybe you can move it next to those are doing well.

Could be that but I haven't changed anything. That hammer is 3-4 years old and been through multiple fraggings. Same light ( new bulbs obviously). Similar flow as other tank.

Dowtish · Jan 4, 2014

roadrashpaul said:
I have not. I guess this is my next step. What dip would you suggest? Bayer or something else?

Bayer or coral rx or revive

schooleyosis · Jan 4, 2014

It's not getting too much flow is it? My frogspawn does great in a lot of flow but neither of my hammers like a lot of flow... Strange because I see videos of people's hammers in some serious current and they are thriving.

roadrashpaul · Jan 4, 2014

Dowtish said:
Bayer or coral rx or revive

Thanks. I am headed to the critter this morning so I will pick up something and try that.

roadrashpaul · Jan 4, 2014

schooleyosis said:
It's not getting too much flow is it? My frogspawn does great in a lot of flow but neither of my hammers like a lot of flow... Strange because I see videos of people's hammers in some serious current and they are thriving.

I don't think so. When it is in to much current it won't even open up. That pic is about 5 minutes after the lights came in so it's not open yet but it will fully extend where it is sitting. I still think there is a possibility it is a fish. Not sure which one but my blenny is very suspicious looking.