Trumpet suddenly not opening, some heads with skeleton showing

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I was adjusting some lighting and nutrients in my tank a few days ago trying to get color back in my tank. It was working and all my coral, especially my trumpet, were getting their nice greens back.

Earlier this week, though, I noticed my trumpet wasn't puffing up. Ok sure, it does that sometimes.

Except I then noticed my bubble tip anemone was inside the branches.

To clarify, I bought a nice size bta hoping my clowns might like it, but they didn't. I continued caring for it hoping they mght like it but it was shrinking rapidly. Eventually it disappeared and I assumed it got small enough that my shrimp ate it (that's what happened to my lettuce slug).

The bta was only maybe the size of a penny and it let go very easily when I plucked it out.

I'm worried about my trumpet now.. it hasn't puffed up for 2 days and two of the heads are losing skin to the point that the skeleton is starting to show..

is the trumpet not opening because the nem got all up inside it? Can a coral recover from being stung? I also noticed a mini brittle star hanging out in there. I know they're detritus eating hithhikers but do they pose any threat? I really liked that trumpet, I'd hate to see it go. It was doing so well :|

 

[Salty1962]

Pics will help us help you

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Oh, of course! I should have ended that post with a "will grab pics tomorrow, it's 11pm here." I was just wondering if any problems stood out just on description.

This was the best I could get for now. I know that since it's still night time for the tank, it would be closed up some but there's no tentacles and that one head down near the front isn't looking so hot.

I'll grab some daytime pics when I get home from work!

 

[Jimbo662]

I've always seen this happen when water parameters were off. Have you check them lately?

 

[foxt]

You mentioned that you were adjusting nutrients ... can you post your water parameters?

 

[DSC reef]

Brittle stars won't hurt it. I'd run some tests, sounds and looks chemistry/nutrient related.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I had done one last week because I was adjusting my nutrients (my phosphate and nitrate were high apparently). .25 phos and 10 nitrates. Nitrates seemed fine to me but I was told the phosphates were high.

I'll do another test for those now and see what's changed since I last checked. I really think the anemone had something to do with it because I shortened my lighting by an hour and did a 50% we last week and it was doing great! It stopped looking good when I found the bta climbing around in it.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

As of October 1st, my nutrients were

0 ammonia
0 nitrites
10ppm nitrates
0.25 phos
400 calcium
8-8.4ph. API, you know how it is.

I'm mixing up test kits now. I'll get back to you in a little bit with more recent tests.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Somehow my phosphates managed to be a lot higher now. I was sorta expecting it to be pretty much the same. Might have to invest in something to help reduce those. Guess I'm doing a water change tonight

.5ppm phos
20ppm nitrates

I can grab the other parameters if you want but they're probably exactly the same as before.

 

[DSC reef]

Do the water change and give it a few days. The BTA could have irritated it.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I'm still considering getting something like a media reactor to help keep the phosphates down. Especially if I'm going to start feeding my Blueberry Gorgonian more often (I finally got paid so I can go buy it actual food). So everything is about to get a lot more nutritious up in this tank.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Do the water change and give it a few days. The BTA could have irritated it.

+1

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Did a big water change over the past few days to get those phosphates down. I did 50% yesterday and am just about to do another 50% (a total of 20 gallons changed over 2 days). That should bring my phosphates down to 0.125ppm. Someone at a LFS helped me pick out GFO and I ordered a reactor on Amazon so I'm going to get that set up to help me regulate the phos. I know I'll still have to monitor it and do water changes but I think I need the extra help on the nutrients.

Keeping an eye on the trumpet over the next few days to see if the lowered nutrients help it out any. Thanks for the advice guys <3

 

[Titanwerx]

I would run some carbon also just Incase.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I have a bag of Chemipure Blue in each of my side filters (so 2 bags total) but I know that's not as powerful as forcing the water through a reactor. Can you put carbon in with the GFO, in the same reactor? Or is it better for them to be separate?

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Ummmmmm ok. so I woke up this morning and one of my Chemipure bags had opened and there were little white particles all over the tank. I have no idea how it happened. I've turned off the pump and I'm making another batch of water so I can siphon it out but... should I be worried?

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

I would siphon out what you can and just keep an eye out for any changes in behavior if you have fish.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Every time I think I have most of it, there's just more. Ugh.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Every time I think I have most of it, there's just more. Ugh.

Know how you feel. Just remember, stay patient. It is too easy to panic and try to chase water chemistry. If you do make adjustments or change equipment do so very gradually, or you may make matters worse. For example, if it was the anemone who irritated the trumpet coral, phosphates may not be related.

If your phosphates are high, be sure to consider why they are trending higher and how you can address that. Lowering them after the fact may not be the best single, long term solution. It may be part of the solution though depending on your system and routine.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I'm honestly not worried about phosphates right now. I'm worried about all the little pellets from inside the chemipure bag being all over my tank and in/around everything. It's in the sump, in the sand bed. Every time I turn the pumps back on, a ton flies up. I don't know what to do. I've been siphoning for over an hour now. In an attempt to not completely **** my water chemistry, I'm letting the filter media settle in the bucket and then siphoning the more clear water at the top of the bucket back into the tank.