Hammer Coral
- Thread starter AIFlores
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The picture is not clear but definitely does not look good. Looks like the skeleton can be seen as well in places. How old is the tank?
+1 on tank age, what are your parameters? Did you dip the coral? What was your dipping process
AIFlores
New Member
I set up the tank earlier in the day yesterday as a quarantine tank. I set it up with a hang on filter that I was using on my 20G. I was using two just so I had an extra one whenever I needed to set up the quarantine tank. I also have a bottle of concentrated biological booster. After i set the tank up I went to the lfs and picked up two clown. The hammer and another coral that I can't remember the name to. When I arrived home I floated the bags for about an hour and then performed a 30m drip. The lfs guy said they had just been fragged and they had shrunk a little.
My parameters are currently
PH- 8.2
Salinity- 1.024
Temp- 79F
Alk- 16dkh
Calcium- 720
Amm- .50ppm
Nitrite- .25
Nitrate- 0
Phosphate- 0
Also, can anyone identify what this is?
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I’m afraid your hammer might not make it, you cannot place euphyllia with new water. It’s very sensitive and unless you’re dosing this tank w elements there’s a good chance they’ll die
damsels are not mean
Valuable Member
I don't think you did anything wrong. This looks like shipping damage that stressed it out. Common issue for fleshy LPS. Especially new frags if the cutting point was not pure skeleton.
Corals just don't shrivel up and die in 3 days due to poor dosing.
edit: I missed the post with params. Wow those are high numbers. That'll do it.
Corals just don't shrivel up and die in 3 days due to poor dosing.
edit: I missed the post with params. Wow those are high numbers. That'll do it.
Shirak
Valuable Member
Well it's a Goniopora probably. Could be Alveopora
For corals there is no need to float for an hour and drip acclimate. Float for 10-15min and then into the tank. Or into a dip if you are dipping for pest control.
However.. there is something wrong with your water. How long was the HOB filter running on your 20g tank prior to using on this QT tank? What test kit are you using? The nitrite and ammonia I am not concerned with as it could be the test.. either way corals are not very sensitive to either.
What is concerning is your Alk at 16dkh and calcium at 720ppm. What salt are you using and how are you measuring salinity? My guess is your salinity gauge is not reading correctly and it is way high.
AIFlores
New Member
I am using the API Reef and saltwater test kits. The HOB filter was on the 20G for about two weeks. I am using Reef Crystal salt and measuring salinity using a refractometer.
reeferguy3303
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Corals are from the lfs.
Shirak
Valuable Member
API test kit is known to be inaccurate at testing particularly ammonia among other things. Reef Crystals runs high on Alk and Ca but 16dkh and 700 Ca is crazy high. Are you using RODI water to mix the salt up?
Refractometer is good but should check it frequently to make sure it's reading correctly and if not calibrate for salt water. Really high parameters usually means something is off in the salt mixing. With your reading of 1.024 salinity I am guessing the refractometer is reading way low and the salinity is much higher.. or your using tap water and something in the tap water is killing the corals.
AIFlores
New Member
My Refractometer looks like this. This is the correct conversion I need for my saltmixes correct? I am using RODI water. Should I run a test on the RODI water before I mix? On my 20G the DKH is 8 and the Calcium is 560.
Shirak
Valuable Member
Looks like a refractometer to measure sugar concentration for brewing. My understanding is they are calibrated differently as sugar refracts differently from salt/brine.My Refractometer looks like this. This is the correct conversion I need for my saltmixes correct? I am using RODI water. Should I run a test on the RODI water before I mix? On my 20G the DKH is 8 and the Calcium is 560.
Can it be used? I guess if you were to calibrate it to the correct SG with refractometer calibration solution for salt water. Using RODI for calibration will give you an incorrect reading.
I found this old thread on R2R https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/refractometer-help.258606/
I would make some of Randy's refractometer calibration solution. You can at least use it to check your refractometer and see what it reads and if needed set the calibration correctly. Scroll down about half way to the refractometer standard for the recipe.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.htm
A tank(with live rocks) takes months to be ready to host thriving corals. My two cents - return the coral and go slow so you enjoy the hobby.
sam
sam
muzikalmatt
Valuable Member
On the one hand it's great that you're setting up a quarantine tank for your corals, but on the other it seems you may have rushed it a bit. While some hardy corals might be able to survive in a brand new tank, euphyllias and gonis likely cannot, especially with those parameters.
Your salinity is too low at 1.024 and should be either 1.025 or 1.026.
Your alkalinity is off the charts high at 16 dKH and should be between 7 and 9 dKH. Some people run their alkalinity even higher, but 16 is WAY too high.
Your calcium is also crazy high as you typically want it between 400 and 450 ppm.
You also shouldn't have any ammonia in your tank as it is highly toxic to fish and corals. The presence of ammonia is indicative of a tank that is not fully cycled yet.
Finally, you have zero nitrates or phosphates so the corals have nothing to feed on. You need at least some nutrients in the water, 2-15ppm nitrates and 0.03-0.15 ppm phosphates.
I would recommend you find a new home for the corals until you can get the tank cycled and your parameters stabilized as they likely will not survive in this tank unfortunately.
AIFlores
New Member
So my wife came home with the hydrometer I asked her to pick up and we found that the salinity on both tanks was extremely high. We were able to get the salinity down to where it should be and will now just let the tanks settle until they cycle and stabilize. Right now we just have two clowns, One in each tank. Thank you all for your responses and help and hopefully fixing the salinity will fix all other issues.
Shirak
Valuable Member
Sounds like a plan! Sorry about the corals but at least now you are heading in the correct direction!
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