Help with Frogspawn

[dR3ws3r]

I've had this frogspawn for probably close to a year now. For the first six months it would open up fully, but for a while now, it seems to open up much less. Whether that is sulking, or not, it certainly doesn't seem happy. It opens up more than shown in the first picture, but I wanted to really show the algae growth on the stalk.

I didn't really see any water parameter changes that caused the sulking, but perhaps there is something. The lighting and flow have not changed, at least not intentionally. My last ICP showed several trace elements on the low side, so I have tried to dose a little Tropic marin A and K. Right now my nutrients are a little low (phosphate is around 0.02 and nitrate is around 3 fwiw) I am working on upping those numbers a little bit. There is a hammer coral that i recently put next to it (only 2 weeks ago), that seems to be fine. initially it was closed up, but has continued to open more and more. So the hammer seems happy for now.

BUT what I wonder about the most is the algae (probably turf) growth on the stalks. Anybody have any suggestions on how to get rid of it? I have dipped Zoas in hydrogen peroxide before and that really helped (at least for a while) to kill all the algae on the rock they inhabit, and didn't seem to harm the zoas at all. Can a frogspawn handle something that harsh? should i simply try a toothbrush and gently try and physically remove it?

Thoughts or suggestions?

Back when he was happier

 

[kevgib67]

I've had this frogspawn for probably close to a year now. For the first six months it would open up fully, but for a while now, it seems to open up much less. Whether that is sulking, or not, it certainly doesn't seem happy. It opens up more than shown in the first picture, but I wanted to really show the algae growth on the stalk.

I didn't really see any water parameter changes that caused the sulking, but perhaps there is something. The lighting and flow have not changed, at least not intentionally. My last ICP showed several trace elements on the low side, so I have tried to dose a little Tropic marin A and K. Right now my nutrients are a little low (phosphate is around 0.02 and nitrate is around 3 fwiw) I am working on upping those numbers a little bit. There is a hammer coral that i recently put next to it (only 2 weeks ago), that seems to be fine. initially it was closed up, but has continued to open more and more. So the hammer seems happy for now.

BUT what I wonder about the most is the algae (probably turf) growth on the stalks. Anybody have any suggestions on how to get rid of it? I have dipped Zoas in hydrogen peroxide before and that really helped (at least for a while) to kill all the algae on the rock they inhabit, and didn't seem to harm the zoas at all. Can a frogspawn handle something that harsh? should i simply try a toothbrush and gently try and physically remove it?

Thoughts or suggestions?

Back when he was happier

I know you are working on it but the nitrate and phosphate are practically zero, that’s starving it. Could you list your other parameters? They need to be in moderate flow and par, make sure it’s getting that. Often when a coral becomes unhappy and in decline it started long before the visual signs.

 

[dR3ws3r]

I know you are working on it but the nitrate and phosphate are practically zero, that’s starving it. Could you list your other parameters? They need to be in moderate flow and par, make sure it’s getting that. Often when a coral becomes unhappy and in decline it started long before the visual signs.

The flow is moderate to low and the PAR is right around 100, as I have measured it a few times.

The phosphate levels have been pretty good for most of this time but i find those to be the most variable. i use a hanna checker and i try to be very "precise" when testing, but can see swings at times that i just can't explain. At one point in March they had reached 0.3 ... that is when i tried to use GFO. I would run the reactor pump about 4 hours a day. Eventually got the phosphates to 0.05 to 0.1 for a few months, but then they bottomed out.

So certainly the variability could be an issue, but if I didn't do something, my phosphates would probably have gotten out of control. I do a 10% water change every week, but that didn't help my phosphates very much. And I understand to some extent that phosphates are trickier, as they can bond/absorb into the rock work, and be re-released into the water. I do have a large amount of turf algae that I am constantly battling as well. I do a weekly "pull session", but I don't seem to be winning. I am sure the algae isn't helping to keep phosphates in control as it is feeding on them as well. So the algae just adds more variability

I attached my ICP from July 31 ... just over a month ago. If I had to guess, I would think that the GFO is "probably" responsible for a lot of my trace elements being low. Like I said above, I do 10% water change weekly, and none of my coral seems large enough to be uptaking even enough Calcium to start dosing that. I am almost always in the 400-450 range.

Not sure what other parameters you may be interested in, or what might help?

I was thinking of using the Tropic Marin "carbon dosing" products to try and get my nutrients up and then to help with feeding that corals ... based on the videos I have watched. Plus-NP and bacto-balance.

I have stopped using GFO for the last 2 weeks fwiw.

 

[kevgib67]

The flow is moderate to low and the PAR is right around 100, as I have measured it a few times.

The phosphate levels have been pretty good for most of this time but i find those to be the most variable. i use a hanna checker and i try to be very "precise" when testing, but can see swings at times that i just can't explain. At one point in March they had reached 0.3 ... that is when i tried to use GFO. I would run the reactor pump about 4 hours a day. Eventually got the phosphates to 0.05 to 0.1 for a few months, but then they bottomed out.

So certainly the variability could be an issue, but if I didn't do something, my phosphates would probably have gotten out of control. I do a 10% water change every week, but that didn't help my phosphates very much. And I understand to some extent that phosphates are trickier, as they can bond/absorb into the rock work, and be re-released into the water. I do have a large amount of turf algae that I am constantly battling as well. I do a weekly "pull session", but I don't seem to be winning. I am sure the algae isn't helping to keep phosphates in control as it is feeding on them as well. So the algae just adds more variability

I attached my ICP from July 31 ... just over a month ago. If I had to guess, I would think that the GFO is "probably" responsible for a lot of my trace elements being low. Like I said above, I do 10% water change weekly, and none of my coral seems large enough to be uptaking even enough Calcium to start dosing that. I am almost always in the 400-450 range.

Not sure what other parameters you may be interested in, or what might help?

I was thinking of using the Tropic Marin "carbon dosing" products to try and get my nutrients up and then to help with feeding that corals ... based on the videos I have watched. Plus-NP and bacto-balance.

I have stopped using GFO for the last 2 weeks fwiw.

Sorry I can’t open it on my phone. Personally I would rather have to high nutrients than to low. I would suggest nitrates 10-15 and phosphate .05-.1, recommend par is 100-200. Maybe try and increase it to 150 which may or may not make a difference. I and a lot of others find that torches, frogspawn and hammers thrive with magnesium at 1400 or a little higher. I hope this helps but lets get another pair of eyes on it, @Rocks reef .

 

[Rocks reef]

I agree on the nutrients being low, the coral is starving. Also, I'd give it more light. My euphyllia get 300+ during the 5 hour light peak.
As far as the algae, take the hammer out and use peroxide on a toothbrush to clean off the skeleton. I've dipped euphyllia in a 50/50 mix of peroxide for 10 mins with no issues, but... it's easier if you just dip the toothbrush in the peroxide and scrub away at the algae.