two of my corals wont completely open

zoidberg01

Member
My elegance coral and a soft coral of mine opened just fine but in the last few days they won't open completely, all my other corals are fine. P.s. a bunch of my corals have grown could it be low calcium
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Did you do your water tests? If water quality is off, some corals are more sensitive then others and show stress faster...although elegance corals generally like the dirtier water...maybe it's too clean. The leathers often look like they are dying but they are shedding their "skin" and that's why they need a good water flow, to help them sloth it off.

That last picture looks pretty bad.... do some water tests and give us the numbers. whatever you do, don't just start dosing stuff like calcium, do the test first to figure out what exactly is needed.
 

zoidberg01

Member
I also noticed that the leather coral had a hermit crab nibbling at it and my sailfin tang nipping the elegance coral
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoidberg01 http:///t/397425/two-of-my-corals-wont-completely-open#post_3542128
I also noticed that the leather coral had a hermit crab nibbling at it and my sailfin tang nipping the elegance coral


They are eating dead tissue or algae, they are not hurting the corals, they are doing their job. Color isn't a good indicator for an urchins health...the spikes are. if the urchin is shedding it's spikes there is a problem. Urchins come in all sorts of colors, some brighter then others, if the critter doesn't have lesions on it's flesh I wouldn't worry about the duller color..
 

zoidberg01

Member
My water tests are nitrates 0 phosphate 7.4 ammonia .50 and nitrates 0, its a bit too late for the hermit because my father thought it was doing damage so he gave it to my puffer
R.I.p hermit crab
 

zoidberg01

Member
My elegance coral wasnt opening because it was too close to the rockwork so I pushe him more to the sand and its opening
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoidberg01 http:///t/397425/two-of-my-corals-wont-completely-open#post_3542148
My water tests are nitrates 0 phosphate 7.4 ammonia .50 and nitrates 0, its a bit too late for the hermit because my father thought it was doing damage so he gave it to my puffer
R.I.p hermit crab


Hi,

You have serious water quality issues...You need to get your phosphates under control, 7.4 is not good at all, and ammonia at .5 is another indicator of serious problems. Do a water change and start running phosban or something. A GFO reactor would do you a world of good.
 
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