shriveled up ricordia, please help!

[mkengr45]

Im getting a bit frustrated with a green ricordia I have had for about 4 months, it stays shriveled up 90% of the time. I have 135watts of 50/50 pc lighting in a 20g long. They never seem to inflate themselves. I add Tech-I, kalkwasser, coral-vite, and feed micro-vert and brine shrimp. Anyone have any sugestions.. Thanks for your help.
Randy

 

[thomas712]

What are the tank paramiters exactly.
Alk, Calc, Mag, Salinity, Temp, Nitrates, How do you prepare and dose your kalkwasser? How often on the other additives? Photo period? Last water change? Skimmer?
Thomas

 

[mkengr45]

forgot to mention that all ammonia, nitrate, nitrite are all zero. and I drip the kalk 24/7 at rate of 1 drop every 3 seconds

 

[mkengr45]

i mix 1.5 tsp klakwasser in 1 gallon RO water, drip 24/7. i run a seaclone 150 skimmer and a 10 gallon wet/dry.salinity (or SG) is 1.024. 78degree. Lights are on 9am to 9pm. circulation is from rio 2500 from return, and 2100 in tank. if i need to tel you anything else please let me know

 

[thomas712]

Really need to know what the test score for Alkalinity and Calcium are. Everything else seems fine.
Thomas

 

[tiffster]

If your water quality is good then it may be getting too much light. I hate to use the WPG rule but 135 on a 20 long is almost 7 wpg. Twenty longs aren't very deep either. Just an idea, I could be wrong, but try moving it to an area that is a little shaded and see what happens. Won't hurt to try. Good luck.

 

[broncofish]

I would also like to know what your alk, and calcium levels are. If you are dosing to much, or to fast with the kalk, this will actually make both the level drop which would make your zoos have the shrinkage factor.

 

[timo]

...and we all hate the shrinkage factor!!!
Anyway, another input...Is it in high current?

 

[mkengr45]

I would say it is in medium current. As for the calsium and thge alk., I know some may want to rip me a new hole, but I havent been testing these. I know, I know, If im going to be adding some stuff, I should also be testing levels for whatever that stuff may be. I have been using 100% RO water, but the tank was started with fuacet water that had ph of 8.2. I will go and get a few new test kits today after i'm done working and let you know the results.
Thanks
Randy

 

[broncofish]

No ripping on my part, everybody makes mistakes, and as long as you are buying the test kits...it's all good.

 

[thomas712]

Let us know what those scores are when you find out. Live and learn, no worries
Thomas

 

[mkengr45]

ok I did the ph and calc tests, ph was between 8.3 and 8.5 range, and calcium was 450. I think these numbers are alright, what about you guys. Ricordia was shriveled this morning as usual. I only turned on one light for a while to see if it would open, but had no success. Any thing else I should be doing.

 

[broncofish]

Those numbers are dead on...anything that could be near it, that would be stinging it??

 

[thomas712]

I know you have a skimmer but I'm starting to wonder about DOC's or some metals in the water. Skimmer working alright?
And in case I missed it what other corals are there in the tank? bronco has a point, there could be some warfare going on.
Thomas

 

[mkengr45]

there are no corals around the ricordia, do you think it could be like little aptasia under some part of it? The other corals in the tank are a devils hand, trachyphillia, favites brain, green polyps, pulse xenix, sun coral, red shrooms, super neon green shrooms. I also recently got a cluster of about 60 little red feather dusters, anyone know what kind these little red ones are? My skimmer has been working fine sucking out the normal rate of foam. I also have no funky odor or anything like that. Is it possible I just have a sick ricordia?
Thanks for all the help you all have given
Randy
oh yeah, does "DOC's" mean dying off corals?

 

[thomas712]

DOC's are broken down orgainc matter in the water colum, your protien skimmer is supposed to take care of this. The rising air bubbles act as a lift in the tube, allowing the chemical compounds of the DOC's to attach to the bubbles and hitch a ride to the surface, where they are captured in the collection cup and disposed of.
Thomas

 

[overanalyzer]

I think it is the light level. I had several ricordeas in my 20 under neath 150 Watts of VHO (7.5 WPG for htose of you scoring at home). Anywhoooo they started to shrivel and melt and I tried moving them to shady areas and I just finally ended up moving them into my other nano.
Once I moved them into the 5 they have started coming back nicely.
I'd get them into shady spots if at all possible!!!

 

[sterling]

I had a similar problem with mushrooms not to long ago and discovered that a high salinity content was the problem. Dropped my salinity and ever since everything has been open beautifully.