Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Miami Reef]

What are you feeding the corals, if at all? How much par are the toadstools getting again?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That’s an overall good sign. Most of the corals are hanging in there or growing. It’s normal if some need more time to take off.

I’ll get back on the leathers in a sec.

How much par is the Goniopora getting? The crabs seem very…interesting. What type of crab is it? How many?

I personally hate crabs, but I’ll remain unbiased for now.

Par is in the 200’s where the goniopora is.

Crabs are red mithrax (at least 2) and decorator (I think, since it sometimes has attached stuff). Also at least one mantis, and perhaps whelks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What are you feeding the corals, if at all? How much par are the toadstools getting again?

Aside from dosing phyto, I never intentionally feed corals.

 

[Miami Reef]

This study found white light at 100 par caused polyp retraction (light stress). They found violet light (LP: 400-430 nm) and Blue light (LB: 440-470 nm) was better suited for the Goniopora in that specific study:

The results showed that blue light (440–470 nm) and purple light (400–430 nm) increased the protease and body protein in corals, and the growth and survival rate also increased. In summary, G. columna’s efficient cultivation can use 400–470 nm wavelengths as the primary source of illumination.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/306

LW = white light
LG = green light
LR = red light
LP= violet light
LB= blue light

The green and red light preformed the worst.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m not sure if that’s the cause of the issue, but I just thought it was interesting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, that would be a bummer. But thanks for finding it. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

It’s not all doom and gloom, with the leathers at least . This study about sarcophyton glaucum faired the best in tanks with live rock and phytoplankton. They did best at both par 100-200. I didn’t see mention of the spectrum, but I don’t think it was all blue.

The toadstools really benefited from phytoplankton, and they seemed to prefer lower flow better. They think the corals have a better ability to consume it.

I’m not good with scientific species and identification. I hate that stuff. I googled the name and it said “toadstool leather” but just make sure because I don’t do scientific names.

Culture systems influence the physiological performance of the soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum - Scientific Reports

There is an urgent need to develop means of ex situ biobanking and biopreserving corals and other marine organisms whose habitats have been compromised by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. To optimize laboratory growth of soft corals in a way that could also benefit industry...

www.nature.com

The toadstools did horribly at tanks with no rocks and no feedings. They needed more light (200 par) but they still didn’t do that great. Once they switched over to the live rock + phyto they did better.

You should read the study because there are nuances like nutrient levels etc. I believe the toadstools needed nutrients, but one of the tanks grew a lot of algae which negatively affected the coral.


I don’t know. lol. I might be butchering this. It’s a lot.

 

[Miami Reef]

I don’t have much experience with leathers. I kept a few as a beginner, and they seemed to fare well.

As you can see, I was cooler back then and had my tank whiter.

This video I was wondering if the toadstool had too much flow:



Then this was it 2 months later. I don’t know if that had a correlation or anything lol

Then I moved it to the middle, but I don’t know exactly when.

It’s next to the green anemone in this 1-year-later video.

 

[EliMelly]

I have some massive willows, perhaps I can help. What exactly is the issue?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have some massive willows, perhaps I can help. What exactly is the issue?

I don’t know what the problem is. When I got it from another reefer by mail, it opened as expected. But over the next few weeks it expanded less and less and actually withered away to a small nub that eventually dislodged and disappeared into the rocks.

Definitely unexpected on my part. I never kept one before. But in my previous tank which was set up in quite a similar way, other leathers and soft corals thrived. One toadstool grew into a monster.

Maybe conditions are bad somehow, or something is literally eating it at night. Never saw anything on it during the day.

 

[Miami Reef]

Maybe conditions are bad somehow, or something is literally eating it at night. Never saw anything on it during the day.

But you never saw actual bite marks, right? Are you thinking something just stressed it out over time?

 

[Miami Reef]

Imagine if you somehow found a way to make a cage for a toadstool as a control to see if it will thrive without any predators.

Soft corals are easssy. I have a hard time believing the acros and sponges are thriving but not the leathers.

It doesn’t work that way lol

I’d personally remove all the crabs and welks. It’s just easier to troubleshoot without unnecessary variables. The fact that you’re considering them as culprits is reason enough.

 

[Reefering1]

Water might just not be dirty enough yet...

 

[Miami Reef]

Water might just not be dirty enough yet...

Nah. It has nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Reefering1]

Nah. It has nitrate and phosphate.

Ehhh.
Waste products, cool.
But what about all the other organics not being tested for, such as whatever yellows the water? Not a crazy thought, It could make sense with a open mind. Sps doing well, leather not, 4 month old tank.
I don't have the time, but maybe you could look into the tanks the specific corals came from and see if there are any conclusions to be drawn...(?)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

But you never saw actual bite marks, right? Are you thinking something just stressed it out over time?

I never saw bites. The yellow leather clearly has no bites either, just has poor polyp extension. It was good for a week then just steadily declined. It still shows a few polyps.

 

[Miami Reef]

Ehhh.
Waste products, cool.
But what about all the other organics not being tested for, such as whatever yellows the water? Not a crazy thought, It could make sense with a open mind. Sps doing well, leather not, 4 month old tank.
I don't have the time, but maybe you could look into the tanks the specific corals came from and see if there are any conclusions to be drawn...(?)

Well Randy just made a thread kind of (slightly) challenging the belief that corals need soluble organics to survive.

I do agree with him. I don’t think leathers need tannins or liquid organics, but he is feeding his fish and phyto, so there should be lots of goodies either way.

I’m not really seeing signs of nutrient starvation. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Reefering1]

I never saw bites. The yellow leather clearly has no bites either, just has poor polyp extension. It was good for a week then just steadily declined. It still shows a few polyps.

Does the tank get a fair amount of frozen foods, or mostly dry via auto feeder?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ehhh.
Waste products, cool.
But what about all the other organics not being tested for, such as whatever yellows the water? Not a crazy thought, It could make sense with a open mind. Sps doing well, leather not, 4 month old tank.
I don't have the time, but maybe you could look into the tanks the specific corals came from and see if there are any conclusions to be drawn...(?)

I think it is unlikely to be too clean, but maybe. I heard macro releases a lot of organics and there’s a ton in the refugium. Skimming is not super intense and GAC is not replaced that often.

Could be they don’t like so much phyto and other particulates in the water. I never dosed that before.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Does the tank get a fair amount of frozen foods, or mostly dry via auto feeder?

Dry. Prime Reef flakes, TDO chromoboost, Hikari seaweed extreme, nori, and sprung sea veggies.

Fish were not interested in fresh clam. Only the LTA anemone liked it (did not have the magnifica then).

The magnifica is getting frozen scallop.