What Is HAPPENING?

EmilyXLC · Oct 9, 2012

Okay, I am about to my wit's end here.

My Zoas still haven't opened. My Pulsing Xenia is pretty much just a blob. & now this...

This guy has been looking a little smaller the past few days & now there are dark marks & it looks like something has chewed through him. It almost looks like something is growing out of the top of it.

I've noticed a TON of these weird little shrimp-like looking things that I assumed were pods. They have long antennae & lots of little legs & are almost clear. They're constantly tap dancing on my Zoas. Could that be why they aren't opening?

Please help me; I'm getting incredibly discouraged...

Tomoko Schum · Oct 9, 2012

Have you tested the water lately? Let's take a look at the values.

EmilyXLC · Oct 9, 2012

Everything is testing completely normal... That's what confuses me. Not a spike of anything in the slightest.

markkazdad · Oct 10, 2012

I agree; it's discouraging.

Tomoko Schum · Oct 10, 2012

What are your alkalinity and salinity levels?

JSB · Oct 10, 2012

Do not be discouraged. This, too, shall pass.

Emily, what are your values for Salinity, NO3, PO4, Temp, Alk, and pH specifically? What is your photoperiod and with what lights? How often/how much are your water changes? Are you running any media like carbon or GFO? This kind of info is helpful for the rest of us to try to help you.

Does this look like your shrimp thing?

If so, and you generally see them at night, yes it is just a pod, and is beneficial. I doubt that is cause you problems with your zoas.

What is the thing in the picture you posted? Regardless, how was it, and how were your other animals acclimated?

Tomoko Schum · Oct 10, 2012

She got the finger leather, xenia, and zoa frags from me. The picture she posted is the lime green finger leather. They came out of my 29 gallon tank lit with a 150W metal halide light. I believe that she has the same light fixture (not the same lamp). The pods that she is seeing are most probably amphipods. Pods tend to walk all over corals at night.

I recall that you tested the water with API test kits for pH, NH4, NO2, and NO3 when you started the tank. Do you test for anything else? I doubt that your calcium level changed much so far, but alkalinity and salinity are the two parameters that tend to swing a lot more in a small tank. Zoas tend to look funny if alkalinity drops. Xenia are not happy when salinity goes up too much.

JSB · Oct 10, 2012

I sorta thought that was a finger leather, but wasn't sure. I figured she got them from you, so known healthy stock. Just was wondering if the acclimation process was particularly rough on them all.

Tomoko Schum · Oct 10, 2012

I told her what I normally do to acclimate new livestock. I am not very tender with them, but they take the rough handling all right and recover quickly in my mature tanks. If her API test kit reads zero on NH4 and NO3, I doubt that the problem is a bioload vs. filtering capacity issue.

JSB · Oct 10, 2012

Yeah, they handle it pretty well. I am just fishing for root cause, like maybe she is rinsing them off with the garden hose or something :^)

Onebaldman · Oct 10, 2012

Could it be the light? I can't remember if you switched light setups or you still have that single MH.

Chameleon · Oct 10, 2012

seems like an salinity or temp issue to me...could be alk as well. cnyou test for these Emily? Make sure if you are using a refractometer it is properly calibrated. Good luck and hang in there...

EmilyXLC · Oct 10, 2012

Hey guys,

Sorry, it's been madness at the house today. I'll get back on here with exact parameters tonight.

markkazdad · Oct 10, 2012

With the recent cool nights we had lately, I found the temps on my 10g tank had dropped substantially (like below 70), so I added a heater. Could you be getting big temperature swings between light and dark (and would it matter)?

Gavij · Oct 12, 2012

From what I have surmised from your other post you have a fairly new tank, less than 3 months old. If so this is kind of to be expected unless you took live rock, sand or other filter material from an established tank. If it just went thru a cycle and all the parameters that we measure reads correct it may not have cycled enough for corals like xenia or leather. Stuff like gsp, hardy inexpensive zoas should be fine. They might not open for a long time but they will give you a good indication that the tank is ready for other corals when they eventually open up.
If the corals u already have are not doing well but you are doing everything just be patient. Make sure they are not too close to light, is getting some water flow not much though, temp is right( make sure the heater is set right and comes on and off when they r supposed to) and removed anything that is obviously dead or melting away before it spoils ur whole water parameters. Make sure the corals is not under too much light especially if u have mh.
I have learned the hard way that in this hobby u really have to be patience to avoid frustration and going broke. If stuff you buy for 20 - 50 dollars start dying and you have to replace it often, its not fun.
Let us know what kind of tank u have, what younhave in them and light times etc. This is one thing the forum should have, small footer that gives the tank info of the person making a post.

EmilyXLC · Oct 14, 2012

Gavij, that is why I post under this reef club. Almost everyone here knows my setup because they've practically walked me through it. That is why I don't post in the discussion forums that everyone ends up seeing.

Okay guys, sorry it took me so long to get back. Things have been absolute madness. I've had three job interviews & tons of company over at the house; I haven't had time for ANYTHING.

Everything is still testing normal, but my test kit only tests High Range PH, Ammonia, Nitrate & Nitrite. Is there another kit I need to order? Alkalinity?

My salinity has been pretty much been at 1.025 & my temperature is at 79 degrees.

markkazdad · Oct 15, 2012

EmilyXLC said:
Gavij, that is why I post under this reef club. Almost everyone here knows my setup because they've practically walked me through it. That is why I don't post in the discussion forums that everyone ends up seeing.

Emily, that's the same reason I post here too, even though I'm mostly posting general questions that I could ask in other subject-specific venues.

I am leaving my tanks with an ILTO system (In-law top off) for a week. Hope I don't come back to disaster, though that risk is part of why I haven't added much yet (and helps with my patience).

Parkerman · Oct 18, 2012

EmilyXLC said:
Gavij, that is why I post under this reef club. Almost everyone here knows my setup because they've practically walked me through it. That is why I don't post in the discussion forums that everyone ends up seeing.

Okay guys, sorry it took me so long to get back. Things have been absolute madness. I've had three job interviews & tons of company over at the house; I haven't had time for ANYTHING.

Everything is still testing normal, but my test kit only tests High Range PH, Ammonia, Nitrate & Nitrite. Is there another kit I need to order? Alkalinity?

My salinity has been pretty much been at 1.025 & my temperature is at 79 degrees.

You also need a test kit like this.

Amazon.com: API Reef Master Test Kit: Pet Supplies

So you can test your calcium, Alk, and phosphate levels.

Chameleon · Oct 18, 2012

Parkerman said:
You also need a test kit like this.

Amazon.com: API Reef Master Test Kit: Pet Supplies

So you can test your calcium, Alk, and phosphate levels.

yes one of those would be very helpful. just understand the PO4 test isnt too accurate