Kenya tree dying?

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 25, 2020

Hi I’ve noticed my Kenya tree doesn’t open up as it used to and seems to have brown spots like holes forming on it anyone know what’s going on?

Tahoe61 · Jun 25, 2020

Hi

Can you provide some basic system info like lighting, basic chem, age of tank?
They are pretty hard to kill so I suspect a chem issue like SG.

Sailingeric · Jun 25, 2020

I would say it is almost impossible to kill one. Might be about to shed but the weird hole is a problem.

John08007 · Jun 26, 2020

Kenya tree is the herpes of the reef tank. I had one take off, started dropping babies. I had a forest on my rocks

vetteguy53081 · Jun 26, 2020

They respond greatly to light.
Moderate water flow and temperature range 77-70 and salinity range of 1.023-1.026
A little nitrate also in tank. Add a minute amount of iron occasionally also

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 26, 2020

Salinity 1.026
Lighting I have a it2080 ever grow or something like that not sure if it’s name.
Nitrates are low 0- 5ppm
Nitrites ammonia 0
My temperature has fluctuated a lot recently due to this absurd heat wave in UK.
Tank is meant to be 26 degrees but went to 27-28 2 days ago

It was doing good in My old tank even with my coral beauty pecking at it.
In this tank I placed it in the corner and it hasn’t opened up like it used to.
Should I maybe move it to the centre as maybe not enough light in the corners ?
To be honest nothing on the side of the tank looks great, the zoas, candy canes they’re not opening as they used to

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 28, 2020

Doesn’t look good

everything else is doing fine though

Angelwolf21203 · Jun 28, 2020

Could there be some pest eating it? Or maybe one of your inverts after lights-out.

Luke’s reef · Jun 28, 2020

I had a massive issue with mine when I moved it from my nano to my display tank. It seemed to shrivel and almost disappear completely after about a week, parameters were all fine but the difference was in my nutrients. My DT was running on ULNS so nitrate and phos where super low, weather as in the nano it was around 10ppm nitrate and 0.2 phos so they do like dirtier water. As to the hole well no idea on that might be an idea to dip it incase it has a pest but It might just be a case of being unhappy with positioning and nutrients in the tank. My tank had the same lighting you do and it was fine so its prob not that.

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 28, 2020

Luke’s reef said:
I had a massive issue with mine when I moved it from my nano to my display tank. It seemed to shrivel and almost disappear completely after about a week, parameters were all fine but the difference was in my nutrients. My DT was running on ULNS so nitrate and phos where super low, weather as in the nano it was around 10ppm nitrate and 0.2 phos so they do like dirtier water. As to the hole well no idea on that might be an idea to dip it incase it has a pest but It might just be a case of being unhappy with positioning and nutrients in the tank. My tank had the same lighting you do and it was fine so its prob not that.

I think it is to do with nutrients my nitrates have been so low close to 0 I can’t manage to get them up. When I moved it from my old tank it’s been like that ever since don’t know what the issue is

Luke’s reef · Jun 28, 2020

Saaqib_Ansari said:
I think it is to do with nutrients my nitrates have been so low close to 0 I can’t manage to get them up. When I moved it from my old tank it’s been like that ever since don’t know what the issue is

I was having the same issue with my previous tank, couldn't manage to get my nutrients up even when taking out all my filtration/overdosing food/turning skimmer off. Having the nutrients so low is never good for the corals, yea you get nice colours when done properly but growth slows down and it takes a lot of manual care and feeding to get it right. I would try and get them up a little around 5-10ppm nitrates is good for a mixed reef and a little phos, so far as they are both in balance you should not have any algae issues. What are you running for filtration in your tank?

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 28, 2020

Luke’s reef said:
I was having the same issue with my previous tank, couldn't manage to get my nutrients up even when taking out all my filtration/overdosing food/turning skimmer off. Having the nutrients so low is never good for the corals, yea you get nice colours when done properly but growth slows down and it takes a lot of manual care and feeding to get it right. I would try and get them up a little around 5-10ppm nitrates is good for a mixed reef and a little phos, so far as they are both in balance you should not have any algae issues. What are you running for filtration in your tank?

Filtration isn’t good at all in here it’s literally a protein skimmer Aquaone G220 and that’s it... there’s a middle section in my sump which I added a few porous bricks, 200 ceramic balls and then I have the sponge/foam pads from my canister filter than I was using previously for a year on the tank

vetteguy53081 · Jun 28, 2020

Moderate light and water flow, a little iodine in water and temp/salinity plays a factor.
Salinity range ( 1.024-1.026) and temp 77-79

Rogued_Reefer · Jun 28, 2020

Everytime mine gets like that it’s usually shedding. The problem comes when they’re unable to shed due to low flow and the “old skin” sticks and that can cause necrosis at the base. This happened to my green sinularia leather which is very similar to the Kenya tree. I would add a bit more flow see if that helps.

Saaqib_Ansari · Jun 28, 2020

mario4933 said:
Everytime mine gets like that it’s usually shedding. The problem comes when they’re unable to shed due to low flow and the “old skin” sticks and that can cause necrosis at the base. This happened to my green sinularia leather which is very similar to the Kenya tree. I would add a bit more flow see if that helps.

Oh right, I literally just moved it to a low flow area thinking it was getting too much