Corals Dying? HELP!!

pthoma79

pthoma79

Member
I bought a pink birds nest and a digitata frag at my lfs the other day, and they don't seem to be doing very well. I also bought a green birds nest at the same time, and that one seems to be doing fine, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Here are my params:
34g tank
76.1 temp
360 Ca
10-25 trates (between the two shades with a salifert kit)
4.5 dKH alk
1.033 sg
I do a 5 gal water change every 2 weeks, and did one the day I got the corals. Here are some pics:



Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

IMO SG should be around 1.026...1.033 is to high. Tank is too cold...78 at least...80s even better. Alk slighty high, Cal slightly low for hard corals.
 
pthoma79

pthoma79

Member
bob- I have t5 lighting, so that's not the problem. I have a hydnophora, colt, rics and polys. I just double checked the sg, and its actually 1.030, still a bit high....
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
try to lower the sg gradually though topoff or water change. make sure the sps frags arent getting direct flow. also, leathers can excrete chemical that could be harmful to hard corals, so running carbon at times is suggested.
 
pthoma79

pthoma79

Member
If the leather was excreting chemicals, wouldn't it be affecting all of the corals, not just 2 randomly placed corals in the tank? I might try relocating them today...
Do they look like they can come back, or is it too late?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by pthoma79
http:///forum/post/3181081
If the leather was excreting chemicals, wouldn't it be affecting all of the corals, not just 2 randomly placed corals in the tank? I might try relocating them today...
Do they look like they can come back, or is it too late?

I have learned to never give up on a coral. Different corals react to each other; some are very toxic to one and not bother another at all. The water flow has allot to do with it, since that is how the “darts” are sent.
Moving the more aggressive coral to a place further down or the less aggressive out of the direct water flow from the offender should help. Using carbon helps, but it is only good for a month. You have to stay on top of it to continue keeping the toxins in check.
When you have more than one type of coral, chemical warfare is a constant struggle.
 
pthoma79

pthoma79

Member
Well, I found out that somehow, my refractometer was off. The sg was actually 1.025. So, no issues there. I did a 5g water change, and moved the birdsnest of another side of the tank, so we'll see how it does over there.
Also, am I right in thinking the green bird's nest is looking ok? I've seen a few photos of them on the net, and they seem to look a bit better than mine. Guess it could be because its just a small frag, and it'll look better as it grows.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by pthoma79
http:///forum/post/3182189
Well, I found out that somehow, my refractometer was off. The sg was actually 1.025. So, no issues there. I did a 5g water change, and moved the birdsnest of another side of the tank, so we'll see how it does over there.
Also, am I right in thinking the green bird's nest is looking ok? I've seen a few photos of them on the net, and they seem to look a bit better than mine. Guess it could be because its just a small frag, and it'll look better as it grows.

I don't know much about a "birds nest" coral...but as a rule of thumb concerning a healthy coral...
A healthy coral will be open, that means whatever little “flowers” it uses to feed, are out. Small or large. If all you see are nubs and no little polyps or fleshy parts peeking out, then the coral is closed and not feeding. If a coral goes too long closed up it will start to die.
Frags are just small versions of a larger coral and should look the same.
The healthier the coral the more polyps or fleshy growth you will see.
 
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