LR and Coral

xterling

xterling

Member
After having my 72 Gallon marine tank with about 65 lbs of LR empty of fish for about a month, I added a Blue Tang, and a piece of Open-Brained Coral (a beautiful green). I am adding a calcium supplement to the water once a week as per the instructions of my LFS. The problem is the Tang died after about 8 days in the tank. He had no sign of Ich, slime or unusual markings on his body. Could this be attributed to stress, or a weak specimen. Also should I be feeding the LR, and coral anything besides the calcium? How long would you reccomend to keep the lighting on daily. I usually keep the lights on in the tank for about 8 to 10 hours a day. Ph/Alk/ammonia/nitrates/nitrites are perfect.
Water temperatures fluctuate between 80-82 degrees. Salinity 1.025. Any help will be appreciated!
 
twoods71

twoods71

Active Member
Did the tang eat during the 8 days?
Did the fish look good in your tank at any period during the 8 days?
How is the brain doing?
The fish may have died due to stress or maybe some kind of internal infection. Sometimes it is hard to say why they die. It has been my experience though that if a fish I purchased makes it past the first 3 days and are eating then they are good to go.
As for feeding the live rock or coral there is no need for that. Unless you want to call adding the proper supplements feeding. Calcuim, strontium, trace elements, ect. A bottle of coral vite would probably do you some good.
The open brian coral contains zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae is an algea like creature that lives inside the coral and will provide the coral nutrients (food) via photosynthesis. So hopefully you have the proper lighting for this coral.
For the lights I believe that 8 to 10 hours is good.
Water temp is ok at 80 - 82. A stable temp is better but I live in South Florida also and know that it is next to impossible. My temp is the same, between 80 - 82.
Salinity at 1.025 may be a little high. When water evaporates the salinity goes up. So 1.025 may be fine unless you have a high evaporation rate. I keep mine at 1.023.
Hopefully I helped a little. :)
 
xterling

xterling

Member
All the live Rock was cured when I bought it. Water parameters are perfect. I was told by my LFS to just place the coral on top of the LR, away from strong current. By the way would hermit crabs hurt coral? I have about 10 small ones, and sometimes I see a few of them gathered underneath the Open-Brain coral. I've read elsewhere on this BB that people Super-Glue their coral to the LR, is this true? Doesn't the LR, and coral need to be dried for the glue to work? What should I feed the coral besides Calcium?
 
xterling

xterling

Member
Thanks Twoods,
the Tang did not eat in the 8 days he was in my tank. I fed him small chunks of a green frozen product (forget the name), that my LFS recommended. But the food was eaten by the hermits. When I bought the Tang he appeared healthy, and lively. His scales (skin?) was smooth and clean. When he died the scales were a bit discolored, but I think that's a post-mortem side-effect. Since I placed him in the tank, he usually stayed hidden among the LR. He never really investigated the food when I put it in the tank. I assumed he was just nervous, and would get over it. The last three days he did swim around alot erratically. Still refusing to eat. Still no spots, or discoloration to the scales.
As far as the coral goes, the only odd thing I've noticed is when the lights are off, I notice that a bunch of tentacles extend from the coral, but when I turn on the lights they slowly recede. I would think it's feeding, or whatever. The other thing is occasionally I'll notice a co
eb type thing hanging off of it, or a viscuous fluid emanating from it, sometimes bubbly, viscuous. I don't have it glued to the LR or anything, but it seems pretty secure.
 
twoods71

twoods71

Active Member
If the tang did not eat at all and you say all your water conditions are good then I would guess that something may have been wrong with the fish when it was purchased.
Most hermits purchased at the LFS are reef safe. For example blue legged and scarlet reef hermits are safe and should not eat the coral.
As far as super glueing the coral I would not recommend that as you may want to move it in the future. Most of the time when reading about super glueing corals the coral has been propagated and the cutting is being glued to a base rock.
Open brains usually do like a low to moderate current and require good lighting, this is probably why the LFS told you what they did about the coral placement.
The tentacles on the coral is normal and it does this in search of food or to keep competing corals away. As I mentioned earlier though you do not need to feed the coral if your lighting is strong enough. If you wish to feed it though you can. Most of these types of corals will usually take live brine and small chunks of frozen food.
 
burnnspy

burnnspy

Active Member
What are the water parameters?
What are the lights?
What are the phosphate levels?
I know of no calcium that can be added once a week, what is the calcium level in ther tank? I bet it is too low.
It is normal for a Brain coral to excrete brown slime.
BurnNSpy
[ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: BurnNSpy ]
 
salisbury a d

salisbury a d

Member
Most lr purchased as cured is really not. My lr was "supposubly cured" When I got home and got smell of what I bought I knew it definatly was not cured.
Adam
 
ocellaris_keeper

ocellaris_keeper

Active Member
Adding a tank to help cycle a tank is the kiss of death!! Tangs typically need consistent water parameters. Try again with a mated pair of clowns - their hardy and they'll help cycle the tank.
Tangs will typically eat anything on your rocks when their hungry - if you don't have any algae it was probably going to die anyway
 
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