Frogspawn Help

[GhostCO]

I'm looking for some help with a Frogspawn that's been unhappy. About 3 weeks ago, I came down to my aquarium to find my Frogspawn (was glued to live rock) laying on it's side in the sand bed. I picked it up and gently cleaned it with a turkey baster before reattaching it to its place on the live rock. Prior to this, it appeared happy with its placement and overall aquarium conditions. Since then, it has not fully opened. The rest of the corals appear happy and normal. I tested water parameters this morning before doing my weekly 4 gallon water change. I will include tank specs, livestock and coral down below. I also attached some photos, one prior to the Frogspawn falling. I have had a few patches of bubble algae appear since then. I have a Pitho crab arriving today to hopefully help. I also have approx. 5 glass anemones that appeared in the last week. Any help would be appreciated.

Tank:
29 Gallons established 02/25
Live rock/Live sand bed
Canister filter/no skimmer
Airstone
Single wavemaker
Offbrand amazon Led

Livestock:
2 Clowns
1 Cleaner Goby
1 Fire Shrimp
3 Scarlet Hermits
2 Blue Legged Crabs
3 Turbo Snails
3 Adult Trochus Snails
Approx. 50-75 Juvenile Trochus Snails (just hatched will be sold to LFS soon)
Pitho crab coming today

Corals:
3 different Zoas
1 Duncan
1 Hammer Coral
1 GSP
1 Candy Cane Coral
2 Moon Corals
1 Frogspawn in question

Water Parameters:
Salinity 1.025
Temp 76-79
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10ppm
KH 13.1 (been battling with high KH readings. Using RO/DI water and Tropic Marin salt)
PHos .03 (dosing neophos 2x weekly)
Calcium - Unknown (will buy test kit next time I'm at LFS)

 

[kevgib67]

I'm looking for some help with a Frogspawn that's been unhappy. About 3 weeks ago, I came down to my aquarium to find my Frogspawn (was glued to live rock) laying on it's side in the sand bed. I picked it up and gently cleaned it with a turkey baster before reattaching it to its place on the live rock. Prior to this, it appeared happy with its placement and overall aquarium conditions. Since then, it has not fully opened. The rest of the corals appear happy and normal. I tested water parameters this morning before doing my weekly 4 gallon water change. I will include tank specs, livestock and coral down below. I also attached some photos, one prior to the Frogspawn falling. I have had a few patches of bubble algae appear since then. I have a Pitho crab arriving today to hopefully help. I also have approx. 5 glass anemones that appeared in the last week. Any help would be appreciated.

Tank:
29 Gallons established 02/25
Live rock/Live sand bed
Canister filter/no skimmer
Airstone
Single wavemaker
Offbrand amazon Led

Livestock:
2 Clowns
1 Cleaner Goby
1 Fire Shrimp
3 Scarlet Hermits
2 Blue Legged Crabs
3 Turbo Snails
3 Adult Trochus Snails
Approx. 50-75 Juvenile Trochus Snails (just hatched will be sold to LFS soon)
Pitho crab coming today

Corals:
3 different Zoas
1 Duncan
1 Hammer Coral
1 GSP
1 Candy Cane Coral
2 Moon Corals
1 Frogspawn in question

Water Parameters:
Salinity 1.025
Temp 76-79
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10ppm
KH 13.1 (been battling with high KH readings. Using RO/DI water and Tropic Marin salt)
PHos .03 (dosing neophos 2x weekly)
Calcium - Unknown (will buy test kit next time I'm at LFS)

How long have you had the frogspawn? It looks as though it has been struggling for more than a few weeks although I know you said hasn’t been fully extending since you found it on the sandbed. A healthy and happy frogspawn should have a white flesh band extending from the head down the skeleton. It’s not a goner but we need to what caused it to get this way. The like medium random flow and light. Low calcium could be an issue but we won’t know until you get the test kit and get the numbers. I know Randy is an expert but many reefers on here including myself notice fantastic health and growth of torches, hammers and frogspawn with magnesium at or above 1400. If it starts to decline try a coral dip to make sure there aren’t any pests on it and a iodine dip would be a good idea as well. Oh, beautiful tank!

 

[GhostCO]

I got the Frogspawn on May 18th. I based it's "happiness" on its extension so thanks for the info. I will make a trip to the LFS tomorrow and get back with some magnesium and calcium numbers. I'll have the LFS do a test as well. Thank You!

 

[BryanM]

I got the Frogspawn on May 18th. I based it's "happiness" on its extension so thanks for the info. I will make a trip to the LFS tomorrow and get back with some magnesium and calcium numbers. I'll have the LFS do a test as well. Thank You!

Did it slowly just get worse and worse, or was it fine until it fell on to the sandbed?

if the latter, it probably just needs a couple more days to destress.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm looking for some help with a Frogspawn that's been unhappy. About 3 weeks ago, I came down to my aquarium to find my Frogspawn (was glued to live rock) laying on it's side in the sand bed. I picked it up and gently cleaned it with a turkey baster before reattaching it to its place on the live rock. Prior to this, it appeared happy with its placement and overall aquarium conditions. Since then, it has not fully opened. The rest of the corals appear happy and normal. I tested water parameters this morning before doing my weekly 4 gallon water change. I will include tank specs, livestock and coral down below. I also attached some photos, one prior to the Frogspawn falling. I have had a few patches of bubble algae appear since then. I have a Pitho crab arriving today to hopefully help. I also have approx. 5 glass anemones that appeared in the last week. Any help would be appreciated.

Tank:
29 Gallons established 02/25
Live rock/Live sand bed
Canister filter/no skimmer
Airstone
Single wavemaker
Offbrand amazon Led

Livestock:
2 Clowns
1 Cleaner Goby
1 Fire Shrimp
3 Scarlet Hermits
2 Blue Legged Crabs
3 Turbo Snails
3 Adult Trochus Snails
Approx. 50-75 Juvenile Trochus Snails (just hatched will be sold to LFS soon)
Pitho crab coming today

Corals:
3 different Zoas
1 Duncan
1 Hammer Coral
1 GSP
1 Candy Cane Coral
2 Moon Corals
1 Frogspawn in question

Water Parameters:
Salinity 1.025
Temp 76-79
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10ppm
KH 13.1 (been battling with high KH readings. Using RO/DI water and Tropic Marin salt)
PHos .03 (dosing neophos 2x weekly)
Calcium - Unknown (will buy test kit next time I'm at LFS)

When they shrink like this, its often due to insufficient light or too much flow. Also assure calcium is not below 400 and feed at least 2x a week using mysis shrimp. Tentacles should wave a little and bounce around to the point they are bent over skeleton

 

[GhostCO]

Thanks for the replies. It was extending daily and again "appeared happy" up until it landed on the sandbed. Since then it has not extended once. I attached a couple videos of the tanks flow shown on a Hammer and Duncan as well as a screenshot of the Frogspawn extended prior to falling. I have adjusted the flow a few times in the last couple weeks, thinking that may be the cause as well. I can't find any lighting/flow conditions that the Frogspawn reacts to.

 

[GhostCO]

I had the lfs test my water yesterday and received some interesting results. They are showing the following:

Salinity - 1.027
KH - 5.9
CA- 395
MG- 1275
No3- 15
Po4- 8 ppb

The KH is a little frustrating because my Salifert test at home has consistently shown high readings. At one point I switched from rpm to tropic Marin because of the high kh readings. Do you guys feel a kh of 5.9 is enough for this frogspawn to decline? Does anything else jump out at you?

 

[kevgib67]

I had the lfs test my water yesterday and received some interesting results. They are showing the following:

Salinity - 1.027
KH - 5.9
CA- 395
MG- 1275
No3- 15
Po4- 8 ppb

The KH is a little frustrating because my Salifert test at home has consistently shown high readings. At one point I switched from rpm to tropic Marin because of the high kh readings. Do you guys feel a kh of 5.9 is enough for this frogspawn to decline? Does anything else jump out at you?

First what test kit did your lfs use? What salt do use? Your kh level will definitely tick off your Frogspawn and inhibit skeletal growth and effect your ph. Calcium is a little low but your magnesium is very low. It should be at least 1350 but I find my torches, frogspawn and hammers tend to really thrive with magnesium at 1400 or a little higher.

 

[steveschuerger]

I had the lfs test my water yesterday and received some interesting results. They are showing the following:

Salinity - 1.027
KH - 5.9
CA- 395
MG- 1275
No3- 15
Po4- 8 ppb

The KH is a little frustrating because my Salifert test at home has consistently shown high readings. At one point I switched from rpm to tropic Marin because of the high kh readings. Do you guys feel a kh of 5.9 is enough for this frogspawn to decline? Does anything else jump out at you?

Calcium need to go up Po4 need to go down lots. I always had CA at around 430+. KH needs a bit a bump as well, closer to 7 at least. My Mag always 1500 or so. This is my frogs and hammers last year before having to sell the tank.

 

[GhostCO]

First what test kit did your lfs use? What salt do use? Your kh level will definitely tick off your Frogspawn and inhibit skeletal growth and effect your ph. Calcium is a little low but your magnesium is very low. It should be at least 1350 but I find my torches, frogspawn and hammers tend to really thrive with magnesium at 1400 or a little higher.

they use Salifert for KH, NO3, MG and CA. Then Hanna checker for PO4. My wife made the run for me. She ended up picking up Randy’s for CA and KH. I will have to pick up something to supplement MA then and give it a try.

 

[GhostCO]

Calcium need to go up Po4 need to go down lots. I always had CA at around 430+. KH needs a bit a bump as well, closer to 7 at least. My Mag always 1500 or so. This is my frogs and hammers last year before having to sell the tank.

Thank you! That’s a beautiful tank. I’m hoping to get there one day. Just confirming, the po4 reading I provided was in PPB…. Doing the math that’s .024. My target has been .03, do you still feel that’s high?

 

[steveschuerger]

Thank you! That’s a beautiful tank. I’m hoping to get there one day. Just confirming, the po4 reading I provided was in PPB…. Doing the math that’s .024. My target has been .03, do you still feel that’s high?

Actually that’ll be fine. I was always used to thinking in terms of point something.

 

[kevgib67]

they use Salifert for KH, NO3, MG and CA. Then Hanna checker for PO4. My wife made the run for me. She ended up picking up Randy’s for CA and KH. I will have to pick up something to supplement MA then and give it a try.

I don’t know how you got so far off with the parameters. Do you do water changes and what brand of salt do you use?

 

[steveschuerger]

Oh, and I used AquaForest Reef salt. Started with ReefCrystals moved over to AF when a friend suggested it.

 

[GhostCO]

I don’t know how you got so far off with the parameters. Do you do water changes and what brand of salt do you use?

I started with rpm, the smaller black bag. I switched to Tropic Marin after my Salifert kh test kit reflected numbers around 20 with rpm. After switching to Tropic Marin, we were showing kh around 13-16. For the sake of argument, I just retested our water sample provided to lfs yesterday with my Salifert kh test kit and received 18.8. I’m trying to figure out if we have a bad kit or user error? I read and watched quite a few videos on how to perform the test and feel rather confident im administering it correctly. I’ve also neglected to monitor the Ca and Ma because I didn’t fully understand the importance of it. This is our first saltwater/reef tank and I was pretty tunnel visioned on salinity, nitrates, kh, flow and lighting. Lesson learned, that’s on me.

 

[kevgib67]

When I was blowing through magnesium I questioned my Salifert test so my RPM box said it should mix to 1350. I mixed up a fresh batch and tested it and it was exactly 1350. So I had to start dosing.

I started with rpm, the smaller black bag. I switched to Tropic Marin after my Salifert kh test kit reflected numbers around 20 with rpm. After switching to Tropic Marin, we were showing kh around 13-16. For the sake of argument, I just retested our water sample provided to lfs yesterday with my Salifert kh test kit and received 18.8. I’m trying to figure out if we have a bad kit or user error? I read and watched quite a few videos on how to perform the test and feel rather confident im administering it correctly. I’ve also neglected to monitor the Ca and Ma because I didn’t fully understand the importance of it. This is our first saltwater/reef tank and I was pretty tunnel visioned on salinity, nitrates, kh, flow and lighting. Lesson learned, that’s on me.

 

[GhostCO]

Well I appreciate the help. I think I have enough info to move forward and try and get some numbers corrected. Wish me luck!