Candy cane coral shriveling up?

[Jake_the_reefer]

So I bought a neon green candy cane frag from my lfs and to my delite it opened within minutes of addition. However a week later I notice the polyps are shriveling up and the sweeper tentacles are very extended one even has its mouth pushed out very far (I made sure to feed the heads a small amount of brine shrimp a day after getting it and havent target fed it again) I am not sure if it has lost color it looks the same to me but I an worried is this normal for candy canes? I'll post before and after.
Ph:8.2
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1.024
Calcium (unsure but I only have one lps in the tank and do routine changes with reef Crystal's so calcium should be no problem)

My green star polyps and Kenya tree are showing 0 signs of stress

I have 2 percula clowns, nassarius snail, and 2 emerald crabs(they havent touched it)

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Also the stem was black when I got it, that's just where it was fragged

 

[Flippers4pups]

I would discontinue feeding them.

In all my years with them, I've never spot fed them.

 

[Auto-pilot]

It honestly doesn't look that bad in your pics, it could be acclimating to your tank, how long have you had it??

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I would discontinue feeding them.

In all my years with them, I've never spot fed them.

Can do! What's odd is I turned white light down slightly by like 10% and this is them now they are not as shriveled. Or could it have been a reaction to me feeding my clowns? Sorry I'm pretty new to lps corals!

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

It honestly doesn't look that bad in your pics, it could be acclimating to your tank, how long have you had it??

A week. But after a light adjustment they look 100% different

 

[Jon Fishman]

Pics!

 

[Flippers4pups]

As with any corals, LPS and SPS do much better with some nutrients. I recommend N03 at 5-10ppm and P04 at .02.

The heavy feeding them may over load their metabolic rate and cause them to shut down.

Water collum nutrients is sufficient for their long term success.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

As with any corals, LPS and SPS do much better with some nutrients. I recommend N03 at 5-10ppm and P04 at .02.

The heavy feeding them may over load their metabolic rate and cause them to shut down.

Water collum nutrients is sufficient for their long term success.

How do I raise the NO3 my protein skimmer makes very quick work of any traces of it. Should I slow down my skimmer? It's also rated for 90g on a 20g tank am I "over skimming"

 

[Jon Fishman]

How do I raise the NO3 my protein skimmer makes very quick work of any traces of it. Should I slow down my skimmer? It's also rated for 90g on a 20g tank am I "over skimming"

You could turn it off/on (put it on a timer) to run 12 hours on/off etc.... but what I'd do, is feed heavier.

 

[Flippers4pups]

How do I raise the NO3 my protein skimmer makes very quick work of any traces of it. Should I slow down my skimmer? It's also rated for 90g on a 20g tank am I "over skimming"

A skimmer will take out DOC's (dissolved organic compounds), but very little in Nitrate. Nitrate is consumed and reduced by denitrification or water changes.

 

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

My candy canes do that after lights out then back to normal when light come on in the morning they also do that when I put the reef roids in the tank

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

A skimmer will take out DOC's (dissolved organic compounds), but very little in Nitrate. Nitrate is consumed and reduced by denitrification or water changes.

So I since I still show 0 NO3 I'm assuming its cause my bio load is very low. I have 2 small clowns for 20g

 

[Flippers4pups]

Likely. Especially with very young systems.

For example, my current system is just getting ready to turn 5 years old. It would be considered "mature". With my coral load and small amount of fish, there is a considerable amount of nutrients. I feed very little.

Corals expell waste and fish poo. My corals are healthy and growing well at, get this, N03 at 40-50 ppm and P04 at .10.

The system and corals can process all of this due to the amount of corals and the diversity of bacteria.

Young systems cant. I recommend that a system be established a year before attempting SPS corals. Slow and steady for the win.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Likely. Especially with very young systems.

For example, my current system is just getting ready to turn 5 years old. It would be considered "mature". With my coral load and small amount of fish, there is a considerable amount of nutrients. I feed very little.

Corals expell waste and fish poo. My corals are healthy and growing well at, get this, N03 at 40-50 ppm and P04 at .10.

The system and corals can process all of this due to the amount of corals and the diversity of bacteria.

Young systems cant. I recommend that a system be established a year before attempting SPS corals. Slow and steady for the win.

It's been up a few months but I have no plans for sps in the near future! Thank you so much for the help