Is there something wrong?!!?

[bronco300]

i dont really know whats goin on with my xenia i have...the two xenia stalks i have on top of my rocks dont seem to be ok, i dont really know, so i'll ask here. the little finger projections that pulse and very very small now, compared to what they used to be, and i dont understand why...i have two other xenia stalks that are further from the light and they are doing just great...whats goin on with the others??? i'll get a picture if needed. could it have anything to do with my rocks being light green?? no idea if the green is a problem? any help appreciated it!!!
Luke P

 

[sweetdawn]

post a pic

 

[bronco300]

they are hiding right now, i will as soon as they come out...
Luke P

 

[sweetdawn]

how are the hiding is it the ones at the top of the tank. are your lights still on.

 

[bronco300]

they just turned off, they are at the top...they are just bundled up tight like a ball, like i talked about before in a different thread if you read it..

 

[snipe]

A pic would def help and what type of light is it? If its metal halide then its probly to close.

 

[bronco300]

the light is a 65w satellite PC...and then i have a 15W added on the side right now, just a regular hood that you get with a tank setup...they have been doing fine for a couple weeks now...and the others below are still just fine...so i figure it must be to close...but they were fine, so i didnt know

 

[sweetdawn]

if the stalk is just pulled in tight so the the pulsing parts look like little balls dont worry about it they do that it will be fine tomorrow.just leave the lights off til tomorrow. while it is closed up tight look at the top you can tell if it is splitting. if it is one group its not splitting yet if the balls are in two or three groups then it is splitting.
xxxx / xxx
xx / xxx x
x / xx

 

[sweetdawn]

ok now take the slanted lines out cause i had a terrible time trying to post that if it looks like that from the top with each x being a ball then it would be splitting where the gaps are hope that makes sense

 

[bronco300]

well they are in two clumps on top...but i realize when they are in the balled up things they are fine...but when they extend their stalks...the pulsing feather parts are still very small..i'll try to get a nice picture..sorry if i am not coming out clear...they just dont look like the usually do when they're open and pulsing..
Luke P

 

[sweetdawn]

post a pic when you can will be easier to tell. your tank is small they could be to close to the light

 

[bronco300]

well i just realized my camera is either up north or down south from this weekends trip....so it may be a while...i'll put my light up on its braces and see if that helps..i had it down right on the glass because it seemed to do fine with that...so we'll see ig uess...and if it is still the same by the time i get my camera back, i'll post the pic unless someone has an answer without seeing it.
Luke

 

[bronco300]

found the camera, it was hiding...so here are the pics, the first is of the xenias that are not looking so good that are on top of the rock, the second pictures is of the other two xenias more lower on the rock...

 

[bronco300]

the first pic, with the coral closest to the front has very small fingers compared to the rest, and they used to be alot bigger, so i didnt know if it was because its too close, needs iodine...or if it is because it is splitting(there were two clumps when balled up)...what do you all think? thanks

 

[ophiura]

Xenia is a coral that can do well, and suddenly crash...it can thrive in some tanks and die off in others. Often with no apparent problems at all. However, can you post your specific water parameters - esp nitrate, specific gravity, pH, calcium and alkalinity?

 

[bronco300]

alright,
nitrate-40
Ph-8.2
Calcium--440
Specific Grav.--1.023
Alkalinity----for this, i am a little confused, i used a test strip by jungle...and it said for alkalinity(kh), its around 300...i also tested with tetra...i tested Kh again, but this said it was for carbonate hardness, is that the same? the result for their test was 13°
those all seem in the green, except calcium may be a bit high...would that do it?

 

[ophiura]

Go get a better alkalinity test, and if you are using tetra or test strips for all of your water quality, at least get it double checked at an LFS and invest in higher quality test kits. If you hope to keep corals, this is incredibly important. Those brands tend not to be the most accurate.
Your nitrates are significantly high, and your specific gravity quite low - both of these, IMO, are potential issues for corals. What is the temperature in the tank?

 

[bronco300]

my nitrates are high?? and my gravity is low???? i thought nitrates were supposed to be 80 and below, and gravity between 1.020 and 1.023...it had been 1.026 a little while ago...temp it usualy around 78-80.... ialso test with some aquarium pharm. for calcium, ph, nitrate,nitries, and ammonia....what test do you think is good?

 

[ophiura]

Nitrates for a reef tank should be less than 20 - for fish only it can be higher but for a reef it is considered to be a potential issue.
Specific gravity for a reef tank should be 1.025-1.026. This is the natural reef salinities around the world. Lower levels can be EXTREMELY stressful to inverts while fine for fish. 1.020 is fatal for many and highly stressful for nearly all invertebrates.

 

[bronco300]

well shoot, thats the last time I listen to my pet store...so what is a good way to lower my nitrates to 20-? I'll have to work on the gravity...lol, i thought i was gonna be in troulbe with a 1.026...ay!! i never did like that pet store in the first place...oh well. thanks for your help.