Scolymia not looking good at all. Receding.

[Taxman20]

I bought this Scolymia about 1.5 weeks ago and it looked great at the LFS. Its never looked happy in my tank and is getting worse. Its receding and thats not good from what Ive seen and read. Its never opened up for feeding which has also concerned me and I do what it after the lights go off which is when they try to feed. My water parameters are good other than Ive been chasing Alk for about 2 weeks now for some odd reason but its getting under control now. I just did a 10g water change the other day and will do another tomorrow. Ill do another full battery of test tomorrow to see if something has gotten out of line. I normally check Ca, Alk every few days. PH is constant with a probe and salinity is always 1.025. I have moved it a couple times now thinking it may be the lighting. I run a Reefbreeders Photon V2 LED. Had it under low par around 87 and it never expanded like it should. Moved it to about 150 and it kept getting worse. Now moved it tonight to about 115. I dont like to move corals rapidly, but this one has me worried and it did cost 180.00 . So I dont want to lose it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[BamboozleBean]

Moving it could be part of the problem.
I’ve found every time you move a coral it’s almost like acclimating it over and over again.

 

[Bigwrasse]

no3 & Po4 levels could be the problem. Do you test for those?

 

[Taxman20]

Moving this to the right page. And yes, i do test those. I test nearly everything.

 

[C. Eymann]

Agree moving it a lot is no good, I also read you have been chasing Alk, never a good thing.
How are you "chasing" alk? What are you dosing? how much increase in a 24 hr period have you been dosing to attain? how big is the system volume? how many MLs of which alk supplement/two part have you been doing?

Many premade /bottled two parts/three parts contain other elements than just calcium, carbonate and mag to supplement rapidly used trace elements in reefs, if you are using such a product to make large adjustments you can OD/swing these tace elements in a potentially detrimental way doing so.

commonly seen elements in premade 2/3part supplements are- Strontium, barium, molybdenum, iron, iodide, potassium etc etc.

 

[Taxman20]

Sorry to post a short response. I dont like moving corals, but I want this one to be right and its receding pretty quickly. So I figure if I leave it too long, it may not make it. Kinda hate to let it sit to see what happens when moving it might help. It seems to start swelling some as the lights go down, so Im thinking light is an issue.

Ill test everything tomorrow as soon as I have time. It takes well over an hour to test it all.

Last test.
Nitrite 0.
Nitrate .25
Ammonia less than .15
Phosphate .02

i run GFO to help out. I run a deep sand bed and really want to get rid of it. Thats part of my issues keeping the bad stuff low. But I do weekly 10g water changes. 75g tank.

 

[Taxman20]

I dose BRS sodium bicarbonate and calcuim chloride. I have been able to keep it in good parameters for a while and about 2 weeks ago the Ca was over 500 and the alk dropped to low 7. So Ive been adjusting the dosage to get them back inline. Today the ca finally came down to 490 and the alk is at 8.0 so its getting leveled out.

 

[C. Eymann]

Sorry to post a short response. I dont like moving corals, but I want this one to be right and its receding pretty quickly. So I figure if I leave it too long, it may not make it. Kinda hate to let it sit to see what happens when moving it might help. It seems to start swelling some as the lights go down, so Im thinking light is an issue.

Ill test everything tomorrow as soon as I have time. It takes well over an hour to test it all.

Last test.
Nitrite 0.
Nitrate .25
Ammonia less than .15
Phosphate .02

i run GFO to help out. I run a deep sand bed and really want to get rid of it. Thats part of my issues keeping the bad stuff low. But I do weekly 10g water changes. 75g tank.

Read my above post and please provide that info as well, but what kits are you using to obtain said results? How old is the system?
PO4/NO3 levels are pretty much at ULNS SPS reef numbers, not good if your alk is above 7-8, but too low to be ideal for a scolymia regardless of whatever your current alk is.

More info will help

 

[Taxman20]

Systems been running or about 1 year now. Alk dose is currently at 78ml a day.
Most tests are with Red Sea.
Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate are salifert.
Phosphate is Hanna
I think I got your other questions answered. Let me know if you need something else.

 

[C. Eymann]

I dose BRS sodium bicarbonate and calcuim chloride. I have been able to keep it in good parameters for a while and about 2 weeks ago the Ca was over 500 and the alk dropped to low 7. So Ive been adjusting the dosage to get them back inline. Today the ca finally came down to 490 and the alk is at 8.0 so its getting leveled out.

Again are you adjusting a dosing pump? or manually adding/increasing amounts by hand, and if so how much.

Scolys can be sensitive period, big changes are not good, sounds like you got this coral, which, bagging, transporting, acclimation can all be quite stressful, that's why its important that its placed in a very stable system afterwards, if its placed in a system that big adjustments are being made during its acclimation period, esp water chemistry swings/ changes are not good for an already stressed coral trying to adapt.

 

[Taxman20]

Adjusting the dosing pump. I did a water change when I tested the other day when it had hit 9 dkh. It has swung as much as 1dkh in a day. I know thats horrible and its never been an issue. Something changed and Im not sure what just yet. Everything else looks ok except this one coral.

I might have been to much flow as well. I have a few acros and other sps so i keep flow higher for them which makes it hard to keep the flow down on the sand bed. I run pumps at a random flow pattern and not too strong. Level 3 out of 10. It was getting enough flow to cause the edge to lift a little. So the new location is between a couple of rubble rocks to try and alleviate the flow some if thats an issue.

Im going to leave it where i placed it tonight for a decent amount of time, couple weeks at least to see how it does there.

 

[Taxman20]

Looks better today already. I also got my Sailfert test kit in this am for Magnesium. Ive been using the Red Sea kit and showing 1600 each time and wanted to double check it for accuracy. Salifert shows 1185, so that might be some of my little issues Ive had with some corals.

 

[AJQ69]

Definitely is looking much better compared to your other pic

 

[destro]

Any update on this?

 

[Taxman20]

Still cant get it to eat anything.
Tried Frozen Mysis, Mysis feast, Arctic pods, Reef roids with and without being soaked in Aminos.

Ive tried at night and during the day when it looks it best. The feed tentacles are barely out a night and I mean just enough to see the edge of them. When I try to feed, it never blooms open to take in the food. Its mouth opens up but doesnt try to draw in any food.

So yea, Im worried about it. I posted my parameters on another thread I had going. My Nitrates kicked up do a skimmer issue since this one posted here but Ive done water changes and doing another one right now to be safe. Im also installing my new Aquamaxx Cones Q2 skimmer today. Its running in some RO water with vinegar to pre-clean it right now.

I also purchased a salifert Mag test kit to compare to my Red Sea. Red sea has always shown 1600 and the salifert showed 1125. So Im an going to start dosing Mag because I never thought it needed it. Im not sure if Low Magnesium would cause this issue as its low, but not horrible. Plus water changes bring it back up some.

Im not sure what else to do. It really hasnt shown any real feeding since I got it. About 2 weeks ago.

Last set of water tests Last Saturday.
temp 80
PH 8.0
Ammonia Less than .15
Nitrite .01
Nitrate .5
Phosphate .01
Salinity 1.025
Alk 8.8 _ bringing this down.later tested at 7.8
Ca 500 and bringing this down too. later tested at 480
Mag 1125
Iron .05
Iodine .06
Potasium 440

 

[Taxman20]

Just tested ca at 420 and Alk at 8.0 and did another water change. Ill test other stuff tomorrow after the skimmer has run for a day.