Hole In My Yellow Fiji Leather Coral…Do I Have A Problem? – 06/17/07
I have a nice 6" diameter Yellow Fiji,
<< Sarcophyton elegans I presume>>
I noticed the last couple days that it has been closed and not extending its polyps. Today it opened back up, but there is a hole in the center of it like it is going to split.
<<Uh-oh>>
Is this possible??
<<Not usually, no…at least not in this manner>>
Or do I have a potential problem.
<<I think so, yes>>
My bicolor blenny spends a lot of time in it, could he be eating it??
<<Maybe, I have seen this species eat noxious Colt Coral (Cladiella spp.) before…or maybe the fish is just irritating the coral by sitting on it. Another idea is that maybe sand/detritus has accumulated on the coral blocking light/fostering bacteria and caused the necrosis…this is usually attributed to insufficient water flow (Both intense lighting and strong water flow are important to the continued health of this species)>>
Thanx for your time..
Water parameters are:
81 degrees
Nitrates 20
<<This is another potential issue… Doesn’t have to be “zero”, but should be maintained below 5ppm when corals are present, in my opinion>>
Phosphates 0
Calcium 500ppm
pH 8.1
dKH 12
<<Maintaining both Calcium and Alkalinity at these upper limits is a recipe for disaster, please read here and among the links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm >>
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Phosphates 0
<<Regards, EricR>>

Dying Leather Coral, using WWM  – 06/11/07
I hope you will be able to help me.
<Me too>
I recently received a damaged leather coral, probably a toadstool, in the hopes that I could revive it. The specimen came out of an overstocked, uncycled system and had nitrate burns all over it. Aside from nitrate poisoning, I could find nothing else to cause these black spots. The coral was also under metal halide lighting which I think would be too strong for a leather.
I placed it into a quarantine tank with a collection of zoanthids from the same system.
<... see WWM re their compatibility>
The lighting is now strong actinic and sunlight fluorescent bulbs. The zoanthids recovered almost immediately and have been placed in my main tank but the leather is just drooping more and more. It is right under a powerhead so there should be plenty of water flow and I've added an iodine and vitamin supplement but it hasn't even opened the head.
Is there anything else I should try?
<Mmm, yes... Reading: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm
The areas on Zoanthids... and the tray below on Soft Corals... Bob Fenner>

Re: Dying Leather Coral – 6/12/07
>Thank you for your response and I did some more reading on your site. The best I can pick up is to attempt to remove the necrotic (black) areas with a razor blade to prevent it from spreading.
><Not necessary or advised... needs a better setting... one where it isn't the loser allelopathically>
> It is possible also in its previous system (29 g's) that it was too close to the zooanthids.
><Of a surety this was so>
> I'm attaching a picture of the current tank and specimen. I put it into a 55g with liverock, snails, and hermit crabs along with a few damsel fish. Lighting remains actinic
><Not useful>
>and full sun (both coral life with reflectors). All water parameters are good.
><Ditto info.>
>I'm still not even sure this is a leather since it was given to me in this condition but the stalk does resemble the standard. Do you think there is a chance? An additional piece of info, the snails have all been feeding on the base as shown in this picture.
><Please... read where you were referred to. BobF>

Re: Dying Leather Coral – 6/12/07
I am sorry to keep bothering you and beginning to feel as if I am a little dense. I will include more information on the current tank conditions for this poor leather coral.
It was removed from a stressful situation last week. I do not know much of the parameters but was told that the tank had not cycled and that the nitrate readings were off of the chart. The previous set up was a 29g nano-cube with metal halides and a chiller attached.
The system I placed it into has only live rock which has been established for over 10 years. I am running the Eheim Wet Dry canister system rated for 180 gallon tank with an additional powerhead to increase water flow. The only chemical filtration is Chemi-pure in the filter. I do not use a protein skimmer on this system as it is seriously understocked by most standards and I never got anything in the skimmer. Roughly 100 lbs live-rock, 2 blue damsels, 1 yellow tail damsel, and a yellow striped maroon clown in a 55g.
Water parameters are as follows:
Calcium: 480ppm
Temp. 78
Nitrate: .25
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
PH: 8.23
Lighting: 1 40wt full sun fluorescent tube by Coralife, 1 40wt actinic tube by Coralife
Additives:
Kent Marine Essential Elements 1X week.
Seachem Reef complete 1X week
Seachem Reef Plus 1X week.
I stagger each additive by roughly 2 days rather than introducing them all at once.
These parameters seem to meet the normal requirements for a leather coral and certainly keep the coralline algae happy. This tank has never had corals as I use it for quarantining anything I intend to put into the 75 set-up which has no troubles.
The specimen was placed approx. 4" under the lights (it was under halides after all), 2" forward and 2" under the powerhead return. Aside from the odd little white things on the rock it came on, there are no other corals in the system to compete with it. I also add Cyclops 1X week for snails and hermit crabs pleasure along with being a treat to the damsels.
If I do not remove the blackened areas of the leather coral, it seems the only other thing I can do is wait and see.
<And read. RMF>

Cladiella coral problems 6/6/07
Hello everyone! I hope you have all been well. I have a bit of a dilemma this morning. My 90 gallon (over stocked) reef aquarium has been doing excellent for some time now with inadequate filtration (I have been doing 25% and greater water changes weekly to maintain good water parameters). I finally got my new filter system in I had Jeff at Lifereef Filtration Systems make a custom wet / dry sump and a 36" tall by 7" diameter skimmer for my system to help handle the load. The tank has nearly 150 lbs of live rock in it and a sand bed about 1" deep through out the entire display. The new filter system is incredible the water is so clean now that I have had people telling me it looks like the animals are floating in air. The skimmer is my favorite part of the whole system, very easy to clean, worked right away instantly producing dark matter in the cup and it looks great too. My problem started before the filter was installed and has progressed to a point that I am beginning to worry. My large Cladiella coral has had a white powder like substance gathering on the shelf rock below it for a bit now. I was thinking something may just be burrowing in the rock below it, however, I had to do a large water change yesterday and found that it looks as if the coral is deteriorating below where the arms have grown out and reached the surrounding rock. One side of the coral (all of this is happening on one side only)
<Possibly a good clue>
the base of the coral is white where it attaches to the rock and seems to be lifting off of the rock. This coral has been healthy and happy for a quite a while now so this is quite surprising to me. The water parameters in the tank check out great <.2 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, dKH 12, calcium 420, PH 8.4, temp stays between 75 - 77 degrees Specific gravity is 1.035.
<Mmm, no... likely you mean your salinity is 35 ppt, a spg of about 1.025 at this...>
Every other coral in the tank has been healthy and happy (LPS coral: Torch, Trumpet, and Candy Cane)
<Ah, yes... one of these is near the mal-affected side, and/or the prevailing current comes from...>
As a matter of fact they have doubled in size in the last month and a half or so. I have two Sinularia sp corals on the other side of the tank (I am thinking they could be clones) and they are doing well and growing rapidly as well. Other than those I have one white pulsing Xenia that has separated into 7 colonies now and is doing wonderful, and a patch of green star polyps that has grown nearly 3" in all directions in the last 3 months. I have 3 crocea clams all nearly 5" now, were 3" when I got them. I have two coco worms that have spawned 3 times (that I am aware of) and now I have about 75 very small coco worms through out the tank that I have seen so far. There are also several species of fan worms showing up everywhere, some bright orange sponges have begun to pop up in the shady areas of the tank.
<These could be allelopathogenic as well>
We have been seeing a few different types of brittle and serpent starfish (very small) come out at dusk to scavenge. The tank has pretty much been thriving. Yesterday however I came in and my ventralis anthias that has been eating great, schooling with the Chromis and staking his claim to the larger cave in my tank was dead, all the fish were breathing very heavy, the yellow tang had red streaks on his fins and body, the six line wrasse was laying on his side gasping, the xenia wasn't pulsing as it normally does, I thought they were all going to die right then and there. I immediately did a 40 gallon water exchange (I keep a vat of water mixing for such emergencies and the convenience of not having to mix right before I have to work on the tank), I changed out the pads in the filter added two drops of Lugol's solution, hoping the iodine might have a positive effect on things as well as the water exchange. My guess was that something poisoned the water whether it be a sick coral or an outside source.
<Something internal>
Today I am glad to say things have perked up considerably. The fish are swimming around again, and eating (though not with as much gusto as before the incident) I am sure it will probably take more than a day for them to get through the shock of what they experienced. The tang is bright yellow again, no red streaks anymore, and is acting near normal, the coral beauty is as pugnacious as usual and seems to be back to normal the green Chromis are still breathing quickly and seem to be in a bit of shock (staying together and hiding quickly when anything gets near the tank) as they did when they were introduced to the tank. Nothing new has been added to the tank in quite a while (2 months or so) and those animals were in quarantine for 5 weeks before that. Since I have seen improvement in the fish since the water change I am not too worried about them. Any ideas as to what is going on with the Cladiella coral though?
Thank you for your time,
Brian
<Well... you really need a much larger volume... which it appears you're aware of... And likely to move out the Cladiella entirely or the likely cause of this ongoing chemical warfare... My first guess of what is listed, the Euphyllia... Please do read re the "Systems" and "Compatibility" of all the species/groups you have... on WWM... You can/could adopt other "stop gap" measures to limit the various means of aggression here (chemical filtration, ozonation, a DSB and macroalgal culture in a tied-in refugium)... but really... a larger system, fragging to much smaller size, moving... are more viable options. Bob Fenner>

Re: Cladiella coral problems – 06/08/07
Hello Bob,
Thank you for your timely response! I took the Cladiella coral out of the 90 gallon reef and cut away the dead / dying areas on it, then sent it home with a friend and his 180 gallon reef. since then the tank has shown more improvement. All fish are going back to their normal behaviors. I am running Chemi-pure in the system now also. I wanted to ask you if in the Cladiellas place should I put a torch coral, frogspawn, or hammer coral there would that work out in close range to the torch, or would there be problems raising from that as well?
<Take a read on WWM re Euphyllias... the family (still listed as Caryophylliidae by moi)>
I am trying to figure out something to fill in the space the Cladiella left.
<Leave this gap for now...>
I suppose putting another torch there would do the trick as well,
<Mmm, again... read... Better to either frag or just wait for the existing colony to grow... will>
or bringing some kelp into that area.
<... read>
Your insight on this is greatly appreciated as always.
Thank you,
Brian
<Bob Fenner>
 

Colt Coral... hlth.... w/ an Anemone in a smallish system... no phosphate in solution...  5/29/07 Hi guys, <Jim> Here is a picture of my colt coral. I have had it for about 2 months and it seemed to be doing very well. I had to go out of town for work and my family were away for 2 days. I haven't returned yet but my son sent me this picture of the colt. The stalk is wrinkled with spots and he is only out about half of what he is normally. The "spots" seem to be somewhat indented. I am looking for some ideas and hopefully solutions. 55 gallon with 50 pounds LR Water parameters are Ph 8.2, temperature 80, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and phosphate are all zero. Calcium is 450 ppm. <Alkalinity, Magnesium?> Tank Mates: 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 false clowns 1.5", 1 niger trigger 3", <This fish is mis-placed here> 1 fox coral, 1 golden goddess Nudibranch, 4 blue legged hermits, 2 scarlet legged hermits, 1 small LTA (8" from corals) <Ding, ding, ding... We have a winnah!> and a couple of polyp colonies. The only thing new is the fox coral which is about eight inches from the colt. the rest were there before the colt arrived. I put about 1 tablespoon of Seachem PhosGuard <... and here. The cnidarians all need some phosphate... essential nutrient> in the filter system about a week ago to take out a bit of silica that seems to get through the RO system. I have done this for a couple of months to control the small diatom bloom I seem to get at bi-weekly water changes. That is about all I can think of. Sorry about the huge file size but it is what my son sent and I have no editing software on this computer. Your help and advice is greatly appreciated. Jim <Umm, see WWM re the LTAnemone... Compatibility... and the role of Phosphate... Bob Fenner>

Toadstool Trouble...Another Case Of Allelopathy – 05/17/07 I read through your articles regarding troubled Toadstool leathers and have found some that look like they might be what are happening with mine, but I am not sure without seeing any of the pictures.  I had bought one the was purple in color that stood about six inches high and roughly four inches across when fully opened. <<Nice>> For the first several weeks everything was fine, but all of a sudden two weeks ago, it shriveled up, kinked in the middle at about a 90 degree angle, white stuff formed on the crown and the sides of the stalk which are peeling almost like a sunburn does. <<Mmm, very bad signs...and likely the result of allelopathy>> And now, today, I noticed brown splotches forming all over it.  I have noted that there were a few whispy, almost spider silk...I don't know, I guess I could call them tendrils extending from the crown--I saw 2, to be exact that sounded similar to what was described in one of the FAQs.  I have checked my water quality and have confirmed that all is within the range it should be (nitrate, nitrite, pH, hardness, alkalinity, salinity, ammonia, phosphate) and change my water weekly (15 gallons in a 46 gallon setup). <<Ah, but the problem here is not what you can measure, but what you can’t...that nasty mix of noxious chemicals/toxins/poisons/stinging cells exuded and expelled by most all sessile organisms, and a few motile ones, in the ever present struggle for life and space to grow and reproduce on the reef>> I have not seen my clowns harassing it, but they are seeming to like nesting in my Cauliflower Colt Coral on the opposite end of the tank, down flow from the leather. <<”Down flow” or not means nothing really...”everything is affecting everything” in the tank, you can be certain of that>> The other corals in my tank are Fox Coral, Flowerpot, Pink Clove Polyps, 2 Bulb Anemones, <<These are real trouble in a small “garden mix” system>> as well as a final soft coral I cannot remember the name of, but have included a picture. <<I see it...it is a very nice specimen of Plerogyra sinuosa, or Bubble Coral...and is capable of doing considerable damage to its neighbors with its powerful sweeper tentacles>> I have also included what the leather looked like before as well as how it looks now. <<Mmm...definitely on the decline>> I have a dual daylight/actinic setup (96 watts each) and have good water flow from a powerhead, which I made sure to position the leather near. <<Do make sure the powerhead is not blasting the leather coral directly>> This change happened all of a sudden and I am not quite sure what it could be.  Please help me. <<I am fairly certain the Toadstool’s demise is attributable to the largely incompatible mix of organisms in your tank.  The “garden variety” mix of reef organisms is a very popular “style” of reef system in the hobby.  But these systems have a fragile balance that is easily upset, and rarely maintained for the long-term>> Thank you so much! Scott Jones Riverside, CA <<A pleasure to assist.  Eric Russell...Columbia, SC>>

Spaghetti leather coral, losing to more established, toxic, stinging Cnidarians...    5/16/07
It has been about a year since I put any new coral into my tank.  I currently have a blue candy cane coral, an unidentified type of Favia, Galaxea, two Kenya tree corals, many mushrooms and zooanthids, green star polyps, and a long tentacle anemone.
<Trouble... a mix to keep watched...>
  All of which seem to be doing great and growing.  I have a Coralife 150watt metal halide over my 36 gallon aquarium.  I run a protein skimmer and have a couple power heads for water movement.  My nitrates and nitrites usually run at 0.  Specific gravity runs about 1.027.
I recently purchased a spaghetti leather coral from a local fish store.  It has been shriveled up since I placed it in the tank two days ago.
<No doubt... is a "loser" amongst the other Cnidarian groups listed... Have you seen the word "allelopathy" in recent times?>
  This morning I woke up and checked on it, and to my surprise it looked like it was falling apart.  It appeared as though the first layer of "skin" had peeled off and it revealed the brown insides of the coral.  I immediately tested the water for nitrates and found that it was running a bit high for my tank which was about 20ppm.  I am assuming that this spike has to do with the decaying coral.  What went wrong with my spaghetti coral?
<The other stinging-celled life present, and established likely>
There are still a couple fingers left that have its normal white skin covering on them.  Should I frag the remaining healthy looking fingers?
Thanks for your response, you guys are a real asset to the aquarium trade!
Michael Attewell
<If fragged, it needs to be placed elsewhere... Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above and over to Alcyoniid Compatibility... you have an unsustainable mix, a close-to disaster situation currently. Bob Fenner>

Re: Spaghetti leather coral, comp.   – 05/16/07
Wow! This is really eye opening.  Just when I thought I was doing ok, something else comes along and totally changes the game.
<Ahh... a good (periodic) lesson in/about life, eh?>
  I am setting my 75 gallon up to house what is left of the spaghetti coral.
<Good>
  There is a bit of the stalk left and I am hoping it will regenerate.  Thanks for all your expert advice!
Michael Attewell
<Very glad to share. Bob Fenner>

Finger Leather Coral, BGA control...     5/8/07
Hi All,
About a month ago I purchased a green finger leather coral to go in my 150 reef tank.  Just recently it started to get little strands of what appears to be Cyanobacteria algae on its tips.  The algae is long, brown, and seems to constrict the tips of the coral.  The coral still opens fully and appears normal, except for the algae.  I know that I have to get this stuff off or it will kill the coral, however I don't want to place it under excessive stress.  Could you please offer some advice as to how I can get rid of the algae and how to  prevent it in the future.  Also there none of this Cyanobacteria algae anywhere else in the take so I don't think that excessive nutrients are causing the problem.
Thanks much,
Joseph
<Mmm, yes... alter, improve the environment to favor the Alcyoniid... disfavor the BGA... less nutrient in solution, more circulation, higher ReDox... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alcyoniids.htm
and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Struggling Colt Coral, likely allelopathy   5/8/07
Hello everyone, hope you are all well.  I guess its probably best to give you information about my set up first.  I have a 110 gallon tank, flow is provided by 2 Aquaclear 150's, 2 powerheads (rated at 200 gph, unsure of the brand), 1 powerhead (rated at 500 gph, unsure of brand), and a Seaclone 150 protein skimmer (I know, not the greatest skimmer, I have a Aqua C EV 180, but don't have my sump up and running yet.).
<I would move forward with this project...>
  Lighting is done with 3 175W metal halides 6700 K, and 2 25W fluorescents, 1 is 10000 K, the other is blue actinic.  Tank inhabitants are as follows:  pair of False Perculas, 2 Yellow Tail Blue Damsels, Blue Hippo Tang, Diamond Goby, Red Velvet Wrasse, Foxface, Coral Beauty Angel, Scooter Blenny, Royal Gramma Basslet, Serpent Star, about 10 snails, and 5 crabs.  Corals:  Leather Toadstool, Torch Coral, Green Star Polyps, Stylophora, Mushrooms, Button Polyps, Colt Coral, Hammer Coral, Hydnophora.  Water parameters are:  SG 1.026, ammonia, nitrite, phosphate all 0, nitrate <10(hard to read color, but actually probably less than 5), calcium 380-400.  I'm sorry for taking so much time, but I wanted to give you as much detail as possible because I'm having a little trouble figuring out what's going on with my Colt Coral.  My best guess is that maybe one of its tank mates is the problem.
<Very likely so... a few of the Classes of other Cnidarians listed are likely at play here>
  I have had the Colt for about 4 months now, and it's looked great until about week and a half ago.  This was about 2 or 3 days after adding the Hydnophora and the Hammer,
<Bingo>
which both look fine now.  The Colt is still opening everyday, but not nearly as full as it did before.  Everything else in the tank looks fine.  Do you think either the Hydnophora or the Hammer might be releasing something into the water that the Colt doesn't like?  Thanks so much for your time.
Ryan
<Mmm, yes... Though other factors of water quality might be at play... you can/could try spiffing up your water quality (the new skimmer, sump especially), using chemical filtrants... changing a bunch of water... removing the Alcyoniid... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Struggling Colt Coral    5/12/07
Hey crew!  Thanks so much for your reply.  Just thought I would let you know what happened with my Colt.  I moved it to the other end of the tank, away from the Hammer and the Hydnophora, and it is looking much better after only 2 days.  Looks almost as good as it did before.  Thank you once again for all you do.
Ryan
<Ahh, congratulations. Thank you for this follow-up. Bob Fenner>