Is There One All-In-One Coral Food?

[mgutierrezff]

as tiz and x say they look savable.
these corals (in nature) usually open up at night. check to c if an hour after lights out they are opening if so feed them then if not stick with this tiz's plan. also what flow are you putting on them?
gl they do still look savable!

 

[metweezer]

To be totally honest I am only feeding the bigger one. The front one in the picture has just about completely lost its orange color. I wonder if I should remove it. Will it foul my tank?
The good news, the bigger one seems to be reacting in a positive way. Where the polyps seemed hollow and dying, they now seem to have some puffyness to them. I didn't see any reaction to last nights feeding but this morning they seem to have some substance to them. I don't know if I am explaining this in a way that makes sense. Some of the polyps still look as though they just have 4 walls and hollow in the middle, but quite a few others have filled in and have become puffy. Make sense

I'll keep you posted and thanks for all the help. Tiz, I am feeding in relative darkness so I don't see much reaction while I am feeding. I feel since they do their thing with lights out that I should keep my house lights down low while I am feeding.

 

[tizzo]

You don't have to. You can turn the lights on.
Feed every polyp. and for crying out loud, feed them both!
Until they are just about pure skeleton, they are savable!
As I said, the mouth is what they lose last.

 

[metweezer]

Most of the polyps on the front one have lost their color. There is only 5 polyps that are orange on the front frag. OK I'll feed both frags, but only the orange ones right? I mean it's useless feeding a green or white one right? They look like skeletons.
Candycane asked me to test my dkh. Is 9 a good number or not? She sounded like she didn't believe me

It's the first time I tested for dkh. I use API reef master test kit.
Please let me know if I should only feed the orange polyps. If this sun coral survives what will happen to the white (dead) polyps?
Tks, Steve

 

[candycane]

Is your DKH 9 or 11?

 

[tizzo]

If they are truly dead, and have no tissue all the way down the skeleton, then the healthy ones will grow over the bone creating new polyps. That would take a bit of time though.
If you've seen my black sun in the pic in the sun coral thread, you can see a couple dead polyps. When I got that thing there was a little bit of tissue on the very tip of each skeleton polyp. As it gets healthier, it's skin grew down and connected and covered every part of the skeleton.
You asked if your dKh of 9 is good... That's a bigger question than you intended. By itself, I'd say sure it's OK. But the reality is, is it "balanced" with your calcium? And to answer that, I'd have to know your calcium.
Don't hate me, I'm just trying to be thorough.
And if your adding any "buffers" stop! cause you are NOT alkaline deprived!

 

[metweezer]

I believe my calcium is 360. I gues that is pretty low but I am not sure because I just received my salifert calcium test kit and I am not sure I did it right. It was pretty confusing. I will try to verify with API calcium test kit in the morning. I never tested for calcium before.
I just fed both frags and I am hopefully optimistic. Some of the polyps seemed to swell up over the mysis. Maybe one of these days they will completely open up

 

[tizzo]

First of all...
Candycane. For the first time, I diced up the PE as you were talking about! Nice. I never ever chopped up any seafood before, cause I thought it'd be to much maintanance, but it was easy. Now the squid cube wanted to slide all outa my fingers, lol.
Met...
Let's focus on something else. Let's look away from the suns and check out your tank.
So you got...
9 dKh (API test kit)
360 calcium (salifert)
right?
If those numbers are correct, you have some chemistry issues. Not a big deal, and I can tell you how to fix it, but first we hafta be sure those numbers are correct, so you hafta take a sample somewhere and get it tested.
You can bring it here, but it's a hell of a commute, lol.
While your getting those tested, if your calcium results are accurate, then I'd like you to ask for a magnesium test. If you magnesium is below 1350 ppm, then do not leave that store without a mag supplement.
Here are my questions for you.
Are you adding buffer?
Have you ever added calcium?
What kinda salt are you using?
What is your pH (if you know it)
What is your specific gravity?
What are you using to test your specific gravity?
What's your tanks temp?
Do you have a chiller?
What is your means of filtration?
How long has this tank been set up again?
Have you tested recently for ammonia, or trates?
How are your other corals looking?
Edit...never mind the next 1, I see the answer in your profile.
**What size is the tank?
What fish do you have in the tank?
I think that's it.
I am trying to get a feel for the "atmosphere" of the tank...

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by candycane
http:///forum/post/2658003
I
Edit: There is some "oil" form of Cyclop-Eeze that is out. Is anyone using it or even know a place to get it? It's was on their website last time I checked.............
I just saw that, I wonder if it's a soak or a "supplement".
I was reading about cyclop eeze and found a forum dated back in '03, and they were raving about the new product. It was kinda neat cause now everybody has it and takes it for granted. I think that Rod's food stuff is the new rave, lol.
I'd be curious to try the oil extract also, but what do you soak that's better than the little copepods they use now.

 

[metweezer]

Tiz,
What test kits do you use to test calcium, dkh and magnesium? I have a red sea mag test kit and I can't use it because the needle that is supposed to go on the end of my small test syringe won't stay on the test syringe. I can't get an accurate test.
Last time I checked 4 days ago:
SG 1.025 (refractometer)
PH 7.9
temp 79.6
trite 0
ammonia 0
trate 15
Emperor 400 HOB filter using purigen and cellpore
never added buffer. Tank set up since Thanksgiving. No chiller. Other corals are looking fine, except for maybe kenya tree. It just dropped a branch.
False Perc, LMB in tank. Soon to add yellow clown goby.

 

[tizzo]

I use Saliferts for Calcium and LaMotte for alk. I don't test my Mag cause my calcium is 420.
Usually when calcium hovers around 380 or so, it's a magnesium issue.
Your alk and calcium are a little lop sided thus resulting in the ph. But it's not that bad, so don't worry.
I would just "tweak" a few things if I were you. But the first thing to "tweak" would be the magnesium, IMO.
79 degrees with no chiller in Florida!! Lemme just say...

If your other corals are OK, then I'd venture to say that your tanks "atmosphere" is well considering all the numbers/ info you posted.
So, did they eat last night?
Did you feed em?

 

[metweezer]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2661999
I use Saliferts for Calcium and LaMotte for alk. I don't test my Mag cause my calcium is 420.
Usually when calcium hovers around 380 or so, it's a magnesium issue.
Your alk and calcium are a little lop sided thus resulting in the ph. But it's not that bad, so don't worry.
I would just "tweak" a few things if I were you. But the first thing to "tweak" would be the magnesium, IMO.
79 degrees with no chiller in Florida!! Lemme just say...

If your other corals are OK, then I'd venture to say that your tanks "atmosphere" is well considering all the numbers/ info you posted.
So, did they eat last night?
Did you feed em?
Tiz,
Like I mentioned in post 46 they did seem to eat. Some polyps closed up and swelled a little bit. I guess that means that they are eating. Should I feed every day?
Yeah 79 degrees but I have a fan blowing under the lights 24/7. I am off to test my tank again.

 

[metweezer]

OK as of 7:30 PM, Wednesday my latest tests are:
PH 8.2 salifert
Temp: 79.5
Calcium: 360 Salifert
DKH: 9 API, Laboret
Just ordered LaMotte KH & Salifert Magnesium test kits. What's the difference between KH & DKH? Can someone tell me what the optimum Calcium, Magnesium and DKH readings should be? If I take a water sample to my LFS and ask them to test for magnesium, will the temp affect the test? Obviously the water is going to be quite warmer than what it is in my tank as I live in Florida?

 

[tizzo]

Your magnesium should be 1350.
It most likely wont be, most salts skimp on the mag.
Your calcium should be 400-420, but if your mag is low, then your calcium will not be at those levels.
your alk should be 8 dKh, (or 3 meq/l) depending on which test they use.
LaMotte gives results in PPM, and the equivelent to the above is around 142.
dKh is Degree Karbonate Hardness (German origin, measure for carbonate hardness alkalinity)
KH is just the abbreviation for Carbonate Hardness.
Is your sun looking any better? If you "can" feed it daily, at least until you see polyp extension, that would be best.

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by metweezer
http:///forum/post/2662532
will the temp affect the test?

No. Temp and transportation will affect pH.

 

[metweezer]

Thanks Tiz,
I didn't feed last night but I will tonight. The only buffer I have is proper ph 8.2 but I have never used it. If my magnesium is low as you suspect what name magnesium buffer do you recommend? To be on the safe side should I also have calcium and dkh buffers as well? If not for now but for down the line?
Thanks

 

[metweezer]

Just fed the sun corals with mysis. I have my fingers crossed although on the front frag there is not much to feed. I just received some new coral food. I have reef chili, DT's oyster eggs and Rod's reef food. Would any of these or a combination be a better alternative to mysis?

 

[tizzo]

Anything you can sqirt at them will be fine to feed. Just don't do any "in-tank" suspension foods yet.
I think Kent makes a mag additive that's good.
You will need to add calcium, but only a little.
When you get your mag in check, I will go down a list of questions and help you figure out exactly how much to add and what it will do to your alk.
You can but the smaller bottles of b-ionic. That's a good calcium alk additive/ adjuster.

 

[metweezer]

Tiz,
OK here is the latest readings:
Magnesium 1425
Calcium 350
KH 9
What does it all mean and what do I have to dose to get my tank back on track?
Thanks

 

[tizzo]

Well, that's good news!
The only thing you really need to tweak is your calcium!
Questions for you...
You have a 29 gallon tank, right?
How many lbs LR?
Do you have a sump?
I'm trying to get a feel of how many actual gallons of water you have.
Then buy a calcium additive, tell me what it is, and I will let you know aout how much to add.