So Bummed

[TinaFoster]

Well I have this awesome light, but for some reason the rocks nearest the light are turning white on the tops. Coralline die-off? Will stronger light do that? Will it get used to the change? Also, my lawnmower blenny, who I loved to pieces, turned white today which I read was a sign of stress, was breathing heavy, which I read was a sign of stress, and was lying around oddly which I read is suspective of starvation. I thought with the microalgae on the back of the tank there is NO way this blenny is starving, but sure enough he passed just hours later and when I took him out his belly was empty and squishy. I feel crappy today.

 

[guarda]

Sorry about your loss Tina. How old is the tank? What kind of macro algae are we talking about? What are your parameters?

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

Tina - so sorry for your loss. Believe me, we've all been there.

 

[TinaFoster]

Tank was first set up April 2010 but in someone else's house. I moved it to mine in January. The coralline died off in the move and was coming back recently. The lower coralline and the coralline on the walls are unaffected, just the top rocks are. Parameters are ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10 dosed with prime this afternoon because they were 20 again. I think I need to find a balance in the amount of liquid food I'm giving the Christmas Tree Worms I notice it go up after a feeding. Anyway, calcium 480 alkalinity 10. Phosphate 0. Did I miss anything?

 

[TinaFoster]

Macroalgae is like a light green dusting.

 

[TinaFoster]

Thanks for sympathizing. It bites majorly.

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

Salinity and temp.

 

[TinaFoster]

79.7f, 1.023

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

How long have you had the blenny? Was he a recent purchase?

 

[TinaFoster]

Had him 5 months

 

[TinaFoster]

No make that 4.5 months

 

[PR_Reefers]

Sorry to hear your loss.... I know for a fact excess light will bleach coralline algae on the top rocks I know bc I once made a stupid mistake of letting one timer on 24hrs for a couple days while not at home!! when I got back the coralline in the top rocks was white & most of my higher sps corals were darker thankfully I only lost one sps and all others returned back to normal quickly after correcting the prob.... anyways what tank do have and what lighting & height ?

 

[gmoney243]

Sry to hear that tina .. yes u can easily stress corals and fish with high powered lights they aren't used to.

 

[pickupman66]

IMO, your salinity is a touch low but that would not jeopardize the fish. sometimes, that can just happen. especially with an herbivore fish in a tank with little of what they eat. what sort of diet did you feed them?

also, I have found that my coralline has taken off when I had alot more of the actinics running by themselves. it has literally exploded. Bart and I talked about this last night. he doesnt have any growing in his yet mine is growing like MAD. I am not dosing anything but what the CA reactor gives the tank. I think it is in attribute to my lighting schedule and the coral growth actinics I am using. it seems like in the last month or two, since I changed my lights that it has taken off like crazy. at times looking like a glob of purple goo....it is much darker purple on the lower rocks and truthfully , doesnt grow as well on teh rock that is closest to the halides.

 

[TinaFoster]

Flakes in the morning, and in the evening they get spirulina brine shrimp on one day and emerald entree on the next. Once a week I hang a piece of seaweed in there and I think all the fish love it except one. So I doubt the blenny got any of that.

 

[TinaFoster]

My light is supposed to be on a timer via remote but I can't make that work. Also, when I turn on either of the first two channels all the bulbs come on and I can't usually get the 4 to turn off and leave just the 2 on. I'd love for one of our members in town to come have a look and see what I'm doing wrong(hint to Spring Hill/Columbia reefers!) I'm not mechanically inclined. Been struggling with one of my powerheads tonight to get it to blow water out. Not successful. Tomorrow's another day.

 

[pickupman66]

how long does that sheet last? full sheet? if so, tear it in quarters and then feed it more often (especially with tangs and such). so long as they demolish it within an hour or so. my tangs eat a 1/4 sheet in less than 5 mins. I cant use a clip. just feed it by hand (big fatties). what kind of flake are you using?

fwiw, I feed mine once daily. use ocean Nutrition formula 2.

 

[TinaFoster]

That's the flake I'm using. I was using Omega One but I liked the ratio on Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 better. Just switched a little more than a week ago. He hadn't been coming out for flake feedings since I switched. I thought that would change.
I tear off not even a quarter of the sheet and clip it, and once they see it it's history. But I have a coral beauty a hippo blue tang a royal gramma and a bicolor blenny that I think would pick them. And the sixline wrasse and diamond goby I think would not. So that's two fish that wouldn't. But I forget about the diamond goby a lot he blends in til he wants to be seen!

 

[poolkeeper1]

My light is supposed to be on a timer via remote but I can't make that work. Also, when I turn on either of the first two channels all the bulbs come on and I can't usually get the 4 to turn off and leave just the 2 on. I'd love for one of our members in town to come have a look and see what I'm doing wrong(hint to Spring Hill/Columbia reefers!) I'm not mechanically inclined. Been struggling with one of my powerheads tonight to get it to blow water out. Not successful. Tomorrow's another day.

if you want call me after work and I'll see if i can squeese time into one eve, My Fatherinlaw Broke his hip and is in Hospital, But they are moving him to Rehab in Columbia this Eve and I will be taking my motherinlaw everyday to Visit. Time is just hard right now but I will be Happy to try and take a look for you.
Bill

 

[TinaFoster]

Bill you still work a day job besides all you have on your plate with the tank and the club? How do you find the time?
When things slow down for you is fine. I've been getting by it's just not ideal to lose any coralline.

I guess my blenny shouldn't have starved like he did. My friend Joe says they like to eat green micro algae and I have some in the tank. Don't know what was bothering him. Maybe he got harrassed and I didn't know it.

Tina