Drew1600
Active Member
Greetings all,
I wish I could be posting on better terms, but I am at a complete loss here...
I have a mixed 29g DT w/ 20g sump which has been up and running for around 6 months. Plumbed in an 8g frag tub last month. I ran a Fluval Evo as my main for 6 months prior, so some of these coral have been in my possession for close to a year now.
The Problem:
Many of my coral, but only particular species, have been closed for up to 3-4 weeks now. Biggest concern is 3 Duncan colonies, each with 10 or so heads, which have been shut tight for ATLEAST 3 weeks if not longer. No color or tissue loss. Moved and let sit multiple times to see if it was light/flow, but nothing.. I also have multiple zoa colonies (Radioactive Dragon Eyes, Sun Eaters, Red Horizon, Eagle Eyes, etc...) which have been almost entirely closed for about a week or two. Sps doing well (monti, birds nest, psammacora, lepto), Lps doing okay, far less polyp extenstion than usual & slightly deflated polyps, and same with my softies/leathers.
Parameters/Backstory:
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND LIKELY THE CAUSE SO IF ANYONE HAS HAD SIMILIAR EXPERIENCES, PLEASE... I have been battling bryopsis since I had the Evo, and it was carried (likely by my feather duster) from the Evo to the 29 when I started it, so it has been a constant 6 month battle. About 3-4 weeks ago I decided to take more abrasive action & go the chemical route. I first raised my magnesium to about 1500-1550 from 1350, over the course of 3-4 days. This was the last time I have seen my Dunacans open. Then, approximately a week and a half ago, I decided to give Fluconazole a try. Dosed via instructions, used 5 caps, a 50 gallon dose. Part of the Fluconazole treatment is to remove Carbon, Purigen, skimmer for awhile, etc. so I did that as well. Everything was fine for the first half of the week, and then things started to turn (close up..). After a few more days & the Fluconazole being highly effective against the bryopsis, I decided to do about a 20% water change (at about the week mark in the treament) in hopes of beginning to lower magnesium once again. I readded 1 cap of fluconazole to compensate for the cap I had taken out via the 20% water change. I also decided to readd the Carbon and Purigen, in the event coral chemical warfare is at play here.. It has been 2 days and I have seen little change yet. I will begin skimming again tomorrow.
Parameters:
Salinity - 1.026
ph - 7.8-8.0
Temp - 25.5C (like 77.9 in F?)
Alk - 9.6; hovers between 9.0-9.6 throughout the week, depending on testing time, days after last water change, etc. I try my best to keep 9.5 + or - .1, and most often test out at 9.6dKh
Calcium - 450-460ish
Magnesium - 1500 currently
Nitrates - normally 5ppm (+ or - 2ppm)
Phosphates - .025ish, sometimes dips to 0 so I stopped GFO last week as well, seeing if that could perhaps be at play.
Other than plumbing in the 8g tub I have made no recent (mechanical) changes to the system. Lighting and flow have been, other than an occasional minor tweak (powerhead 1/2" to the left, light intensity -5% for new coral, etc.), consitant for many many months. I daily dose aminos & spot feed everything twice a week (Red Sea AB+, Fuel, Reef Roids, Reef Chili, a slew of different bottled planktons, vitamins, minerals, random frozen cube of something) so growth has been awesome up until the past month.
I do have fish as well, but no coral pickers. (Wyoming White Clownfish, Fiji Devil Damsel, Blueside Fairy Wrasse, & a FAT Lawnmower Blenny)
I know my Coral Banded Shrimp will occasionally pick chunks of food from open polyps, but never harms the coral in any way, and is not a large enough specimen to irritate all these coral, all at once.
Anyways, sorry for the book but any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I, as we all do, put so much time, money, effort, and love into this reef and I would really hate to see it take a tumble.. am I on the road to recovery? Will it just take time at this point? Can I/Should I do anything differently? I know stability & consistency are key so I am trying to work back to where I was before the great bryopsis war.. I just wondering if everything will be okay/can withstand in the meantime.
Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you again and happy reefing.
I wish I could be posting on better terms, but I am at a complete loss here...
I have a mixed 29g DT w/ 20g sump which has been up and running for around 6 months. Plumbed in an 8g frag tub last month. I ran a Fluval Evo as my main for 6 months prior, so some of these coral have been in my possession for close to a year now.
The Problem:
Many of my coral, but only particular species, have been closed for up to 3-4 weeks now. Biggest concern is 3 Duncan colonies, each with 10 or so heads, which have been shut tight for ATLEAST 3 weeks if not longer. No color or tissue loss. Moved and let sit multiple times to see if it was light/flow, but nothing.. I also have multiple zoa colonies (Radioactive Dragon Eyes, Sun Eaters, Red Horizon, Eagle Eyes, etc...) which have been almost entirely closed for about a week or two. Sps doing well (monti, birds nest, psammacora, lepto), Lps doing okay, far less polyp extenstion than usual & slightly deflated polyps, and same with my softies/leathers.
Parameters/Backstory:
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND LIKELY THE CAUSE SO IF ANYONE HAS HAD SIMILIAR EXPERIENCES, PLEASE... I have been battling bryopsis since I had the Evo, and it was carried (likely by my feather duster) from the Evo to the 29 when I started it, so it has been a constant 6 month battle. About 3-4 weeks ago I decided to take more abrasive action & go the chemical route. I first raised my magnesium to about 1500-1550 from 1350, over the course of 3-4 days. This was the last time I have seen my Dunacans open. Then, approximately a week and a half ago, I decided to give Fluconazole a try. Dosed via instructions, used 5 caps, a 50 gallon dose. Part of the Fluconazole treatment is to remove Carbon, Purigen, skimmer for awhile, etc. so I did that as well. Everything was fine for the first half of the week, and then things started to turn (close up..). After a few more days & the Fluconazole being highly effective against the bryopsis, I decided to do about a 20% water change (at about the week mark in the treament) in hopes of beginning to lower magnesium once again. I readded 1 cap of fluconazole to compensate for the cap I had taken out via the 20% water change. I also decided to readd the Carbon and Purigen, in the event coral chemical warfare is at play here.. It has been 2 days and I have seen little change yet. I will begin skimming again tomorrow.
Parameters:
Salinity - 1.026
ph - 7.8-8.0
Temp - 25.5C (like 77.9 in F?)
Alk - 9.6; hovers between 9.0-9.6 throughout the week, depending on testing time, days after last water change, etc. I try my best to keep 9.5 + or - .1, and most often test out at 9.6dKh
Calcium - 450-460ish
Magnesium - 1500 currently
Nitrates - normally 5ppm (+ or - 2ppm)
Phosphates - .025ish, sometimes dips to 0 so I stopped GFO last week as well, seeing if that could perhaps be at play.
Other than plumbing in the 8g tub I have made no recent (mechanical) changes to the system. Lighting and flow have been, other than an occasional minor tweak (powerhead 1/2" to the left, light intensity -5% for new coral, etc.), consitant for many many months. I daily dose aminos & spot feed everything twice a week (Red Sea AB+, Fuel, Reef Roids, Reef Chili, a slew of different bottled planktons, vitamins, minerals, random frozen cube of something) so growth has been awesome up until the past month.
I do have fish as well, but no coral pickers. (Wyoming White Clownfish, Fiji Devil Damsel, Blueside Fairy Wrasse, & a FAT Lawnmower Blenny)
I know my Coral Banded Shrimp will occasionally pick chunks of food from open polyps, but never harms the coral in any way, and is not a large enough specimen to irritate all these coral, all at once.
Anyways, sorry for the book but any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I, as we all do, put so much time, money, effort, and love into this reef and I would really hate to see it take a tumble.. am I on the road to recovery? Will it just take time at this point? Can I/Should I do anything differently? I know stability & consistency are key so I am trying to work back to where I was before the great bryopsis war.. I just wondering if everything will be okay/can withstand in the meantime.
Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you again and happy reefing.
