Can't seem to keep Frogspawn

[Darth George]

Any alk swings that you've noticed? After lights go out? Some euphyllia can handle it and some can't.

 

[Scubabum]

There must be something going on in your tank because your brain coral is really bleached. By what you've listed nothing really screams out at me. In 20 years have you ever siphoned out the sand bed and put a fresh one in?

For photos turn down the blues, turn up the whites (not sure if you can on Kessil?) Then on your phone change he white balance settings to "cloudy". You'll get a half decent photo this way. You can buy amber filters for the lens too which help a lot more.

The tips on the brain coral have always been a little bleached, especially when its expanded. This is my oldest coral 20 + years old. Any ideas on what causes this?

I have not siphoned out the sand bed ever and usually don't disturb it, other than a light siphon on top layer, every few water changes. It is a DSB and I'm afraid of hydogen sulfide. I've often thought about changing the sand bed. I guess I can siphon out small portions over several weeks. I haven't done this because I really don't know what the benefits would be as I'm not having problems with Nitrate or Phosphate.

Thank you for the Photo tips. I had no idea on how to photograph the tank. This really helps.

 

[Scubabum]

I'll likely be the contrary voice here... but I wouldn't overanalyze your water parameters. I've kept frogspawn for 15 years... under PC, halide, and LED lighting, and in my experience, they don't like a tank that's too perfect: Not too 'clean' (they like organics in the water column)... no too much light (they're easily scorched)... not too much flow (their interior skeleton is a series of really sharp ridges that will cut up the fleshy parts with an amount of flow that's fine for torches, grape, etc. like a series of knives, cutting their way from the inside out. Even the boss at my LFS, a really quality operation with 40+ years of experience, recently almost killed one of the frags I gave them by putting it in their display tank with flow sufficient for SPS. Whereas the heads in his low-flow 'for sale' tank were doing just fine.) Frogspawn also seem to really appreciate having an active refugium as part of your system. If you're in the greater Los Angeles area (I live in the San Fernando Valley) I'd be glad to spot you a couple of heads of purple tip frogspawn... plus one of my really nifty orange-tipped frogspawn, as long as you're willing to drive. I haven't got any ability to ship. Hope this helps...

Chuck

Chuck, thank you for the advice and the offer. I'm about 4 hours away from you. If I'm ever down your way I will look you up. I'm going to stop trying to get my water so perfect and turn down my flow just a bit and see what happens. I might even lower my light intensity a bit. Par is 120 where I've been putting the frogspawn. Others report much higher numbers but I'm not sure my Par meter is accurate with the Kessil Ap700

 

[Scubabum]

Any alk swings that you've noticed? After lights go out? Some euphyllia can handle it and some can't.

I've never tested for alk at night. Here is a photo of my alk testing.

 

[Scubabum]

Orange Tipped frog spawn. I need this. Is it frog spawn or octo spawn? This is octospawn...

That is Gorgeous.

 

[Darth George]

I've never tested for alk at night. Here is a photo of my alk testing.

Looks stable for the most part. I'd be curious about any alk/ph swings when the light goes out? If you have time try and test at the end of the light cycle and then again before the lights come on. If it's stable, then on to the next!

 

[Darth George]

I will say I've lost a few torches to this. My frogspawn seem to be pretty bulletproof, so you could have just got a few bad pieces. Unfortunately this is the new norm with current ocean conditions.

 

[domination2580]

There is the possibility that it didnt handle stress very well and acclimating to the light may have caused it to bleach

 

[reeferfoxx]

What is your fish stocking list?.. May not be related, just curious

 

[Scubabum]

What is your fish stocking list?.. May not be related, just curious

1-Green Cromis
1-Six Line Wrasse
1- Watchman Goby
1-Clown
1-Yellow tang
1-hippo tang
1-Royal Gramma
Please don't bash me for the tangs. I basically rescued them when they were nearly dead and they are thriving and heathy in my tank. Plans on getting a larger tank that will be their new home.

 

[reeferfoxx]

1-Green Cromis
1-Six Line Wrasse
1- Watchman Goby
1-Clown
1-Yellow tang
1-hippo tang
1-Royal Gramma
Please don't bash me for the tangs. I basically rescued them when they were nearly dead and they are thriving and heathy in my tank. Plans on getting a larger tank that will be their new home.

No worries! Just making sure you didn't accidentally get a fish that likes LPS coral lol.

 

[Myka]

The tips on the brain coral have always been a little bleached, especially when its expanded. This is my oldest coral 20 + years old. Any ideas on what causes this?

I have not siphoned out the sand bed ever and usually don't disturb it, other than a light siphon on top layer, every few water changes. It is a DSB and I'm afraid of hydogen sulfide. I've often thought about changing the sand bed. I guess I can siphon out small portions over several weeks. I haven't done this because I really don't know what the benefits would be as I'm not having problems with Nitrate or Phosphate.

Thank you for the Photo tips. I had no idea on how to photograph the tank. This really helps.

You're welcome. Maybe you could post more pics now.

A coral year old DSB? I could certainly see why you'd be worried about disturbing it! If it was my tank, I'd be working on replacing the sandbed with a brand new shallow sandbed. It would freshen things up and probably change the bacteria populations in the tank which is where I think the tank would benefit. I've removed DSB from tanks, not 20 year old DSB though, and noticed a significant, general increase in coral health. They just perked right up.

As for the bleached brain coral - it's probably getting too much light. LEDs are like little laser beams, and I've found LPS in general do better under T5 or halide. I'd try moving it off to the side to see if that helps. Or it could not be getting enough food, so feeding a few pieces of meaty foods like thawed Mysis a couple times a week could make a big difference too. You say you've put all 3 now deceased Frogspawns in the same spot - that may be a sign you need to try a different spot.

 

[chuck3]

For the earlier question... yes... it looks like my 'orange frogspawn' is actually 'octospawn'... whatever that is. It's got a really neat, somewhat 'radioactive' green color between the very orange tips... although the orange so-dominates that you don't much notice it.

Chuck

 

[bimmerzs]

Hi....
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I am wondering about a few things that I didn't see covered.
1. How do you do your water changes and how often?
2. What is your temperature range throughout the day?

 

[Scubabum]

Hi....
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I am wondering about a few things that I didn't see covered.
1. How do you do your water changes and how often?
2. What is your temperature range throughout the day?

I do a 10% water change every two weeks. I mix up salt the day before using a 50/50 mix of Reef Crystals and regular I/O and change the following day. I never miss a water change. My Temp is a steady 78 degrees controlled by my Reefkeeper lite plus. My temp never fluctuates. I'm still trying to figure things out. I've been wondering lately if "Old Tank Syndrome" is a real thing. My sandbed is a DSB approx 4 inches deep and is over 20 years old. My coral that is really old seems fine. It seems that every new coral I try to introduce has problems. I'm at a point where I'm really thinking about getting a Red Sea Reefer 350 and starting a new build. I've had great success with my tank but want to add more coral and I'm having trouble. I'm struggling with the thought of breaking it down as much of the life in my tank is REALLY old.