Trach Brain Issues

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 26, 2011

Hey guys, this is my second Trach.

Granted, the first one had a little patch of skeleton showing at the edge, but I figured with my other LPS sucess it would be easy to bring back. it was not, and that thing slowly just became jello.

Now I got another amazing one for xmas. Dipped it for 5min in Revive.

Added it to tank, where it quickly swelled to fullsize.

Lights came on, it shrunk down to nothing, and has been looking worse and worse ever since.

At this point I am at a loss. All my other LPS are doing awesome. Some tiny areas of skeleton are starting to show. I cant lose this guy - he was a cherry coral grade coral. Like four colors on this thing.

If anyone has any ideas that would be great. Feeding is out - the mouths are kinda gaping - and the tissue is sucked right up next to the skeleton.

I do vodka dose - but there are some nutrients, I have a couple small patches of hair algae.

My lights (one a 6' 125g tank) are 2x 160w VHO@ 4300nm and 2x 250w MH @ 14k (hamiltons)

Nothing else is having issues. Im super bummed about this.

Reed639 · Dec 26, 2011

Sorry to tell you man but it is probably a goner. Where is it placed in the tank if I were u I would place in low flow and in basically darkness to help it heal. Try not to mess with it to much and if you can move it to the sand. Don't DIP at the point it will kill it.

nicodim55 · Dec 26, 2011

+1 on the low flow and subdued lighting it will help it heal good luck.

_Alex_ · Dec 26, 2011

+1 to already said move it to the shade!! give it some time and then when it heals and is eating slowly bring it back out!!!

revhtree · Dec 26, 2011

Sorry again...shade and low flow!

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 26, 2011

Reed639 said:
Sorry to tell you man but it is probably a goner. Where is it placed in the tank if I were u I would place in low flow and in basically darkness to help it heal. Try not to mess with it to much and if you can move it to the sand. Don't DIP at the point it will kill it.

Starting to wonder at this point if the dipping isnt what is killing them. Ill move it to shade, it was already on the bottom of the tank though.

nicodim55 said:
+1 on the low flow and subdued lighting it will help it heal good luck.

Thanks, Ill go do that now.

revhtree said:
Sorry again...shade and low flow!

Thanks, first one was a bummer. Losing this one, which was a gift, and outrageously colored would be a real loss.

Thanks for the quick replies. Any ideas what might have brought this on in the first place?

Ian · Dec 26, 2011

there's not really any need to dip a trachy, I would think it'd do more harm than good.

Can you post a picture of it?

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 27, 2011

Ian said:
there's not really any need to dip a trachy, I would think it'd do more harm than good.

Can you post a picture of it?

My lights just went out - I dip everything.

This guy had a litle aptasia squished on the bottom of his bag. I never take water from other locations, but I figured I would dip just to try and kill whatever little babies he might have clinging to him.

It was strange though, I know its not an h2o issue because after putting him in my tank he was swollen to full size within an hour. Then as soon as the lights came on, this.

He is moved now. Lowest flow, light, and traffic he can possibly be in the tank I would think. Other than a cave - which tend to be a little high traffic anyways I think with my three tangs and angelfish.

Ian · Dec 27, 2011

did you say angelfish?

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 27, 2011

Yes and I know what you are thinking - but he is very well behaved. He does pick at some things, but its very evident.

I watch this tank right now for probably around four hours a day - and havent seen him touch it once over the past week.

There are other fish related people in the house right now as well - and they as well say that they have never seen him touch it.

In addition, ther are only two or three TINY places were skeleton is showing - trust me, if he was to blame, by now the whole thing would be stripped.

Ian · Dec 27, 2011

try putting one of those green strawberry baskets over it so no one can pick at it.

Also, I doubt dipping will hurt aptasia. If it does, it probably hurts the coral just as much.... if not more....

What kind of angel is it?

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 27, 2011

Ian said:
try putting one of those green strawberry baskets over it so no one can pick at it.

Also, I doubt dipping will hurt aptasia. If it does, it probably hurts the coral just as much.... if not more....

What kind of angel is it?

Agreed - but everything you dip for is an invert. So basically you are saying that you are killing whatever you are dipping for before you kill your coral.

Its a pomacanthus navarchus. Ill try some acrylic screen today. Used that for a long time with a fungia he picked at - would grow its tentacles out, and then I would let him trim it down. Now said fungia is at a friends as the netting was an eyesore obviously.

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 27, 2011

Oh - side note, I am a vodka doser. Could that possibly be the cause of this? All of my other parameters are dead on...I just dont see what could possibly be doing this. Seems strange if it was the dip that it would swell up to full size so quickly.

miyags · Dec 27, 2011

I dip in revive and then iodine before adding to tank and never had a problem.I had a problem with antropodes awhile back, I'd check your tank after lights out to see if they might be the problem. Check the part thats showing the skeleton, they like to borrow in.

kingfisherfleshy · Dec 28, 2011

miyags said:
I dip in revive and then iodine before adding to tank and never had a problem.I had a problem with antropodes awhile back, I'd check your tank after lights out to see if they might be the problem. Check the part thats showing the skeleton, they like to borrow in.

What do these look like? Why wouldnt they be affecting anything else. Your display picture is amazing!