Candy Cane loosing Tissue please help!

[daniel_mourra]

I have had this candy cane growing and thriving for the past 1.5 years. All this time it oppened beautifully and at night all the feeder tentacles came out.

About 4 months ago i placed an emperor angelfish that ocasionally nips some tissue from the heads but nothing to agressive and the candy cane seemed fine as 4 months have passed with the emepror in the tank and the candy cane constantly regenerated this tissue.

Unfortunately two days ago i saw a huge white area of tissue receeding and it really doesnt look like it was the angelfish, as the angelfish nips on the heads not the base were the tissue seems to be now falling off…

I have noticed that in the past 20-30 days the feeder tentacles are not coming out at night and it doesnt open as much as it used to…

Ive been using chris meckleys method for ph boosting using kalkwasser which spiked my alk from the usual 8.5 to about 13.0 in about 30-45 days… as the method stated thisnis normal and all corals seemed perfectly fine with this and continue to seem fine except this candy cane.

Ive since started to see my alkalinity drop to more normal levels currently being at 10.5 by means of 3, 30-40-% water changes…. In the past 3 month (1 per month).

I did a very big water change (65 gallons of 180 gal system) two days ago and the dkh dropped from 11.5 to 10.0 suddenly….

Other than that in the past 3 months i stopped using all for reef therefore stopped dosing trace elements in leu of the chris meckely kalwasser method only + a little bit of magnesium dosing to keep the Mg at 1350 ppm…

Current parameters are:

Salinity 1.024
Temp 25.5 c (78 F)
Ph is a very steady 8.28-8.31
Dkh 10.5
Mg 1350
Ca 470-500
Nitrates 12
Phosphates 0.08

2 days ago i started dosing tropic marine trace K and trace A elements as i am afraid the lack of trace elements might be causing an issue also with my 4 bubble tip annemonies also deflating horribly and moving arround all over the place after thriving for almost 5-8 months.

Please see pictures….. any sugestions? I am Unable to dip as candy cane is living in a very big rock…

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It looks stressed and I see area's of damage, but overall still looks good and very healthy. I think you've provided the answer yourself, you've got a fish nipping at it periodically, and seems like some wild back and forth swings in the last month. You have to rewind your tank back to 4 months ago, when everything was stable and there was no fish nipping at it. Good luck

 

[daniel_mourra]

@Mr. Mojo Rising thanks! Will try…. I started dosing trace elements again…. And will probably get rid of the emperor

 

[CrashTestBennie]

I have had this candy cane growing and thriving for the past 1.5 years. All this time it oppened beautifully and at night all the feeder tentacles came out.

About 4 months ago i placed an emperor angelfish that ocasionally nips some tissue from the heads but nothing to agressive and the candy cane seemed fine as 4 months have passed with the emepror in the tank and the candy cane constantly regenerated this tissue.

Unfortunately two days ago i saw a huge white area of tissue receeding and it really doesnt look like it was the angelfish, as the angelfish nips on the heads not the base were the tissue seems to be now falling off…

I have noticed that in the past 20-30 days the feeder tentacles are not coming out at night and it doesnt open as much as it used to…

Ive been using chris meckleys method for ph boosting using kalkwasser which spiked my alk from the usual 8.5 to about 13.0 in about 30-45 days… as the method stated thisnis normal and all corals seemed perfectly fine with this and continue to seem fine except this candy cane.

Ive since started to see my alkalinity drop to more normal levels currently being at 10.5 by means of 3, 30-40-% water changes…. In the past 3 month (1 per month).

I did a very big water change (65 gallons of 180 gal system) two days ago and the dkh dropped from 11.5 to 10.0 suddenly….

Other than that in the past 3 months i stopped using all for reef therefore stopped dosing trace elements in leu of the chris meckely kalwasser method only + a little bit of magnesium dosing to keep the Mg at 1350 ppm…

Current parameters are:

Salinity 1.024
Temp 25.5 c (78 F)
Ph is a very steady 8.28-8.31
Dkh 10.5
Mg 1350
Ca 470-500
Nitrates 12
Phosphates 0.08

2 days ago i started dosing tropic marine trace K and trace A elements as i am afraid the lack of trace elements might be causing an issue also with my 4 bubble tip annemonies also deflating horribly and moving arround all over the place after thriving for almost 5-8 months.

Please see pictures….. any sugestions? I am Unable to dip as candy cane is living in a very big rock…

Beautiful candy cane! I hate to see it lose tissue. I wish I could help, and will just follow. Good luck, and please keep us posted...

 

[CrashTestBennie]

@Mr. Mojo Rising thanks! Will try…. I started dosing trace elements again…. And will probably get rid of the emperor

Those emperors are so beautiful, I would hate to see it go. However, you have to do whatever is best for the coral. Good on you!

 

[BPaquatics]

@Mr. Mojo Rising thanks! Will try…. I started dosing trace elements again…. And will probably get rid of the emperor

Hey Daniel, I just bought the same coral but blue and kind of had the same problems but I can see on your profile picture of you in some aircraft, are you a pilot by chance?

 

[BPaquatics]

Hey Daniel, I just bought the same coral but blue and kind of had the same problems but I can see on your profile picture of you in some aircraft, are you a pilot by chance?

For spirit? And I now noticed it’s a plane. I’m just curious bc I am really wanting to be a pilot. I’m young and love aviation.