Green kenya tree needing help

[t5Nitro]

I've got a green kenya tree that used to be full polyps extended and upright but I feel like it's leaning a lot today and no polyps are extended.

Ca 480
Alk 11.4
Sg 1.025-1.026
Edit: don't have a nitrate or phos test kit

 

[Flippers4pups]

They sometimes do this, which is normal.

Side note: you alkalinity is pretty high! Are you dosing anything?

 

[t5Nitro]

I'm dosing BRS 2 part. I did a 5g water change today which brought it to 11.4 from 11.9. Salt mixes up to 9.6. Dropped my dosing pump in half on the Ca and Alk mL per day to let these numbers drop slowly.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Mine inflate and deflate like that daily. They usually deflate right after the lights come on and then inflate again after about 30 mins to an hour. I started with one and fragged off some branches and they all still do the same thing.

 

[GeoSquid]

I'm fairly new to the kenya tree, but I can tell you they are kinda weird. I have a fairly large pinkish one that I've had for about 3 months and two smaller silver with brown polyps that I came on a frag from a local reefer. They all act differently at different times. The large one shrivels up and gets floppy when the lights are off and inflates when lights are on. The other two silver ones will close up and inflate at will and at different times from each other. Yours look healthy to me.

 

[t5Nitro]

I wanted to post an updated photo since it's been a bit over a week now. Heres the current state. Do you guys think I should toss it? I'm wondering if its leaching any toxins into the water.

 

[GeoSquid]

I wanted to post an updated photo since it's been a bit over a week now. Heres the current state. Do you guys think I should toss it? I'm wondering if its leaching any toxins into the water.

I still think it looks like ti might make it. Leathers can act weird for quite some time. Mine was floppy for weeks when I first introduced it. I just had a green toadstool that I've had for about 4 mos just close up and shrunk to half it's size for two weeks, then just opened back up just as beautiful as ever.

 

[thaistalyn]

They still look like they are doing okay. Are you dosing vibrant or another bacteria product? I also noticed quite a bit of algae increase on that rock they are on from just one week (your fist pic on the 22nd). I noticed my Kenya would "slime" over when algae increased in the tank and stay "shriveled" up for a week or more trying to shed. Once you start seeing it shed increase flow around the Kenya or hit it with a turkey baster to help the sliming shed from the coral.

I asked about the vibrant/bacteria product because I noticed my Kenya's aren't too happy for a few days (and up to a week) after dosing these products.

 

[jeffchapok]

My Kenya does this right before it sheds, but I've only see it do that for 3 or 4 days at most.

 

[t5Nitro]

Haven't dosed vibrant or bacteria now but I did use a 500mL bottle of bright well nitrifying bacteria and a bottle of instant oceans bio spira when the tank was cycling late last year.

Edit: update with short video from today. Curious if this is what routine shedding looks like or if this spot is necrosis.

 

[reef lover]

He is starting to rot. Might have to frag the good parts and toss the rest.
Need to get nutrients down and algaes under control . And might need a higher flow area.

 

[RudyvandenBerg]

I found that high flow and decent light exposure works well on both my Kenya tree and my Toadstools. They both went through a stage like this just recently as well but by getting them into high flow (my KT looks like its stuck in a hurricane) it recovered over a period of a few days.

 

[GeoSquid]

Haven't dosed vibrant or bacteria now but I did use a 500mL bottle of bright well nitrifying bacteria and a bottle of instant oceans bio spira when the tank was cycling late last year.

Edit: update with short video from today. Curious if this is what routine shedding looks like or if this spot is necrosis.

I would say from the video that is starting to not look good. The hole at the base looks bad. I have some holes in my toadstool leather but the coral looks great otherwise. I believe they sometimes do this when they are splitting. When I tried my first kenya tree it was just ripped away from the mother colony and given to me. I tried to glue it to a rock, no luck. I tried the toothpick rubber band method and it still just ripped away and then slowly melted. I noticed before I finally chucked it that it was super soft to the touch. I think I stressed it out too much trying to get it to attach. My current one I just wedged between 2 rocks and it worked great. Anyway, I think if it's super soft to the touch, almost mushy, it might be a lost cause. Someone else on here might know more.......

 

[Wolf89]

Has your flow changed at all? They will not tolerate anything less than high flow.

 

[t5Nitro]

I've got it in a high flow spot opposite side of tank as the gyre so it gets a lot there. Something is off in the water because all of the corals and nem have been looking less than stellar. Lost 3 acros but the tank is stocked since january so I understand it's probably still too new for those. Phos was 0.02 by hanna checker. Assumed nutrients weren't high, unless the algae storm is eating it up. I'm letting alk fall naturally as it was as high as 11.9. It's now down to 9.1 over the course of 2 weeks or so.

 

[Wolf89]

Raise your phosphates a bit. They like dirtier water.

 

[DarthSimon]

Try running some fresh carbon.

 

[t5Nitro]

Try running some fresh carbon.

I've had carbon in a media bag sitting in my overflow box kindve passively getting hit by full water volume at least but removed it since I read sometimes that makes sps angry so I've had fresh carbon in a few times and it's out now. No change to coral health.

 

[DarthSimon]

I say run some fresh carbon because leathers have been known to release toxins.

 

[t5Nitro]

I say run some fresh carbon because leathers have been known to release toxins.

I think I will pitch it. I'm worried it's screwing up my water parameters. That piece that was in the video broke off overnight at that area like it dissolved through itself and fragged itself off that section. Weird. Maybe I'll leave the real small branches. None of the sps, Lps or softies look great and theres algae all over haha. I'd spend unlimited money to buy something to fix this tank. I've never had a tank like this