Concerned about Hammer and Candy cane.

[faceymcfaceface]

Story Time

First reef tank. 6 gallon cube sitting on my desk.

Got a Hammer, candy cane, zoa, and a softie I am not sure what it is from my LFS. They sat in QT tank after dipping for about a week and a half. The zoas complained the whole time and never opened up. The hammer and candy cane after 30 minutes perked up and extended out.

Moved them over to the DT and:

• The Candy Cane shrunk down and has not opened up since. That has been 9 days at this point.
• The Zoa's loved it and opened up a couple hours after they were added.
• The Softie same as the Zoas.
• The Hammer was doing very well extended out and seemed happy.

On day 5 after adding the red ogo macro algae and algae barns coralline algae everything looked to be the same.

Then about midday through day 7 the hammer pulled in it's polyps and hasn't opened up since.

Currently we are finishing up day 9.

I haven't been testing everything everyday since the tank cycled but I did check on the day I added and this last Sunday. I also checked today. Below is the numbers I do have.

Temp spike on day when I forgot to turn the fan on and an increase in Alkalinity that I don't know how to explain.

			SALINITY		ALKALINITY	AMMONIA	NITRITE	NITRATE	PO4 Phosphate
			34-36 PPT	PH	DKH	ppm	ppm	ppm	ppm
DAY	DATE	TEMP	1.023-1.028	8 - 8.5	7 - 11	0	0	10-30	0	NOTES
152	10/3	78.4	1.026	8.2	8.5	0.5	0	5	0.03	coral amino. 33% water change. Corals added. Hanna ph checker. Saw coralline algae on rocks and one powerhead
153	10/4	79.2	1.026	-	-	-	-	-	-	coral amino.
154	10/5	79	1.026	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
155	10/6	79	1.025	-	-	0	-	-	-	-
156	10/7	78.6	1.026	-	-	-	-	-	-	add red ogo & algae barn coraline algae pink and purple
157	10/8	83.2	1.026	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
158	10/9	79	1.026	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
159	10/10	79	1.026	8.2	9.6	0.25	0	15	0.03	10% water change
160	10/11	79	1.026	8.2	9.6	0	0	15	-	-

Here are some photos, under white light, from tonight.

GSP, softie, and Zoas appear to be doing just fine.

Anyone have any ideas or can point me in a direction?

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Stability in your parameters would help. I can tell you from experience that candy cane can regenerate but I’m not sure about everything else. It’s not dead yet so that’s a good sign. In a tank that tiny I would almost say stop using additives so much. I dose my 32 gallon once a week and only use a teaspoon. I don’t mess with anything if I don’t have to because everything does better when it’s left alone.

 

[Delloman]

Iodine levels? I added some and the softys opened up with the small tank and the fact iodine dissipates rapidly see if adding it helps I added the non lugals

 

[faceymcfaceface]

Ya I have stopped with any additives. Trying my best not to mess with it.

First I've heard about iodine levels. I will have to do some reading.

 

[Delloman]

Ya I was talking to my LFS and he recommended iodine based on the softys where happy and then where no longer happy and I small amount 1 cap full for my 140g every few days has helped more then I would have expected. I did get a test kit but even after adding levels are on the low side I would get a pipette and dose small amounts