Super Unhappy Frammer?

[slythy]

My tank has been setup for around 3 months and I added my first corals. I added an Octo, a Riccordia and a frammer. The Octo is doing super well big extension etc. The frammer was doing really well with big extension and then in the past week its shrunk a ton and isnt happy. I am currently away on work so I cant adjust anything on my tank until tomorrow but my first thought is to bump up Magnesium a bit to 1400? Its in a spot that gets ~150 par and a low/medium flow. It had a natural sway in the breeze look. Any Ideas? I will update Phosphate and Nitrates when I get home Monday.

Corals were dipped in Redseas CoralX and a few things came off but mostly pods. And it seemed super good for a few weeks then just decided to look like death.

Thanks for any help, would like to keep him alive if possible.


Below is my apex parameters:
Salt is 1.026
Nitrates 10
Ammonia 0
phosphates 0 (last tested 2 weeks ago but new tank)

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I'm sorry but that polyp has bailed out. Possibly from stress shock.

 

[fish farmer]

Zero phos could have been an issue.

 

[slythy]

I'm sorry but that polyp has bailed out. Possibly from stress shock.

Yea thats exactly what it looks like :/

Zero phos could have been an issue.

I can dose some phosphates I have some from my planted tanks, I have both Hanna checkers coming to get an easier answer.

 

[slythy]

So I tested phosphates and they are @0.13 and my Nitrates are @11.9 so I would think those are pretty ideal parameters right? Im guessing it got shocked?

 

[Uncle99]

So I tested phosphates and they are @0.13 and my Nitrates are @11.9 so I would think those are pretty ideal parameters right? Im guessing it got shocked?

Those are fine.
Could someone have tasted him?
That’s clean off the bone.

 

[slythy]

Those are fine.
Could someone have tasted him?
That’s clean off the bone.

My tank is stocked with a white tail, 2 clowns, and a lawnmower blenny and an assortment of snails. Dont think any of them would do it. When i pulled the coral out the whole head was on there, it was just abandoning ship :/. My octo looks like its growing and super happy and my Mushroom seems to be doing ok as well. Maybe this one was destined for unhappiness

 

[lucyretz]

zero phosphate with 10 nitrate could be the ticket, as well as magnesium definitely needs to be upped (which you knew).

in my opinion and from experience, people will always over look water chemistry when it comes to one coral of the same species in the tank doing well but another one not. I used to do the same, how could it be my water if another coral of the same species is doing well. in reality If the frammer was already stressed out at the time of purchase, for whatever reason, and then you put it in a tank that doesn't have favorable chemistry sometimes it just tips them over the edge to where they don't recover. where as a completely healthy "happy" specimen may adapt and do okay for a while.

 

[Crustaceon]

My tank has been setup for around 3 months and I added my first corals. I added an Octo, a Riccordia and a frammer. The Octo is doing super well big extension etc. The frammer was doing really well with big extension and then in the past week its shrunk a ton and isnt happy. I am currently away on work so I cant adjust anything on my tank until tomorrow but my first thought is to bump up Magnesium a bit to 1400? Its in a spot that gets ~150 par and a low/medium flow. It had a natural sway in the breeze look. Any Ideas? I will update Phosphate and Nitrates when I get home Monday.

Corals were dipped in Redseas CoralX and a few things came off but mostly pods. And it seemed super good for a few weeks then just decided to look like death.

Thanks for any help, would like to keep him alive if possible.


Below is my apex parameters:
Salt is 1.026
Nitrates 10
Ammonia 0
phosphates 0 (last tested 2 weeks ago but new tank)

Give us a picture of what your maintenance routine looks like.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Probably stability issue. 3month tank could still have a lot of swings . Did you start with dry rock?

 

[slythy]

zero phosphate with 10 nitrate could be the ticket, as well as magnesium definitely needs to be upped (which you knew).

in my opinion and from experience, people will always over look water chemistry when it comes to one coral of the same species in the tank doing well but another one not. I used to do the same, how could it be my water if another coral of the same species is doing well. in reality If the frammer was already stressed out at the time of purchase, for whatever reason, and then you put it in a tank that doesn't have favorable chemistry sometimes it just tips them over the edge to where they don't recover. where as a completely healthy "happy" specimen may adapt and do okay for a while.

I agree with that statement. The Octo could have been more forgiving. But with 0.13 phosphates I think thats about that 10 :1 ratio you want right? So maybe that wasnt the issue. I have upped the magnesium to 1400 and will keep it there for now.

Maintenance schedule is a weekly 10% water change or when i travel for work 20% every 2 weeks. If I see a large pile of detritus or left over food I vacuum it out with a turkey baster. I change socks about every 3 days (200 micron mesh) and empty the skimmer when its about half full. I currently dont dose anything because I havent seen an Alk or calcium drop yet. I use the trident to test Alk Cal and Mag and then test nitrates and phosphates weekly. I still havent hit my "ugly phase" but have the fish and snails to take care of it as its growing.

 

[slythy]

Probably stability issue. 3month tank could still have a lot of swings . Did you start with dry rock?

I started with Tropic Eden dry rock. I have my trident testing the big 3 every day and I havent seen any major swings. all parameters have seen pretty stable with no big daily swings. but that doesnt mean its something else... I did the acclimation mode on my radions for them so it went from around 100 par to 160 par but both of those should be reasonable for it.

 

[tankstudy]

I've had issues with elevated levels of magnesium before around the 1400 marker. Some corals seem to tolerate the bump in magnesium but I had others that didn't do well over an extended period of time. I pretty much had to bump it back down closer to natural levels.

 

[LeftyReefer]

New tanks are just that... new and almost too clean. parameters can swing a lot and quickly before the tank matures and stabilizes.

That Tropic Eden rock is really nice stuff... I have some in my tank too. I Love it, wish I would have started with more of it.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I started with Tropic Eden dry rock. I have my trident testing the big 3 every day and I havent seen any major swings. all parameters have seen pretty stable with no big daily swings. but that doesnt mean its something else... I did the acclimation mode on my radions for them so it went from around 100 par to 160 par but both of those should be reasonable for it.

It’s the swings we don’t test for like bio diversity and early algae competitions. If you started with dry rock these swings take longer to settle