help with Kenya trees

Papadovak · May 5, 2014

So I've had some Kenya trees for about a month the first week or so the looked great. Now they are closed up or barely opening. I figured they would open back up by now. (I read somewhere about them closing for a week or two but idk. My zoas are doing great even growing :bounce: ) I've checked all my params regularly and they all seem to be good but I don't know what the heck is going on. I know they are considered easy to keep but for the life of me cant figure it out. About to give up on them. Maybe I'm doing something wrong with flow/light...I have them spread out in different areas of flow and light but with all the same results. Any ideas?

GOOKRACING · May 5, 2014

Papadovak said:
So I've had some Kenya trees for about a month the first week or so the looked great. Now they are closed up or barely opening. I figured they would open back up by now. (I read somewhere about them closing for a week or two but idk. My zoas are doing great even growing :bounce: ) I've checked all my params regularly and they all seem to be good but I don't know what the heck is going on. I know they are considered easy to keep but for the life of me cant figure it out. About to give up on them. Maybe I'm doing something wrong with flow/light...I have them spread out in different areas of flow and light but with all the same results. Any ideas?

They will do that off and on. I have two of the tree next to each other and one will stay close for a week and the other look awesome. I know for sure it's not the light or the water. I would leave it alone.

Papadovak · May 5, 2014

So putting them next to each other definitely isn't the reason? .......but does anybody know why?

Reefing Madness · May 5, 2014

Soft Corals are big babies, you tick them off in any way, and they pout for a week. Nothing to be concerned about, especially with a Kenya Tree.

Papadovak · May 5, 2014

OK I just don't want them to die and throw off my setup. I was thinking of giving them to someone else. What should I look for as far as them dieing?

GOOKRACING · May 5, 2014

This's how they look like right now.

Reefing Madness · May 6, 2014

Looks like ticked off Kenyas to me.

Papadovak · May 6, 2014

But is this guy just ****** off looks a lot worse than yours

Reefing Madness · May 6, 2014

They can shrivel up to almost nothing. The key there is that your stalk is bent over, that doesn't bode well.
I'd get out a mechanical filter and start running a bunch of carbon.

Papadovak · May 6, 2014

I do have a bag of carbon in the pump that I changed about 2 weeks ago should I change it again? Maybe relocate to an area with more flow?

Papadovak · May 6, 2014

Sump not pump lol

Reefing Madness · May 6, 2014

Yea, I'd change it out a bit more. More flow couldn't hurt.

Papadovak · May 6, 2014

I was under the impression to change it once a month. ...

Reefing Madness · May 6, 2014

Not all carbons are created equal, and they will all fill differently. Being that, when they fill, they will leach contaminants back into the tank.

Papadovak · May 6, 2014

Hmm guess I need to do a bit more research on carbon lol thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye on the KT hope it doesn't decide he doesn't like my tank. ...

3dees · May 7, 2014

I have a rock with two stalks of Kenya. one It doing good and the other Is drooping. all my other leathers are fine. I'm wondering if my water is too clean. I never have nitrates. my calc is a bit low (360) and I'm changing salt, but leathers don't require high calc.

Novillac · May 9, 2014

I have a KT in my tank and it was acting weird like that until I removed the carbon from my filters and replaced it with an 8oz container of Kent Marine Organic Adsorption Resin. Now its happy when the lights turn on and stays open all day. So now I no longer run any carbon in my system, just the adsorption resin.

GOOKRACING · May 13, 2014

Papadovak said:
Hmm guess I need to do a bit more research on carbon lol thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye on the KT hope it doesn't decide he doesn't like my tank. ...

This's the kenya trees after a week and half. All are looking great. Didn't change any thing to the tank. I have been tuning carbon and GFO.