View Full Version : Sick Star Polyp
rtroia
09/18/2008, 10:02 PM
I am new to saltwater aquariums. I purchased a Star Polyp about a week ago, and it was doing wonderful. Then I changed 1/2 of my water and now it looks "dead." I have attached some pictures for reference. Any help would be appreciated. http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/513/201582IMG_1690.JPG
TomGibb
09/20/2008, 02:24 PM
How long after the water change was the photo taken?? Mine are often like that for a couple of hours after a change before perking up again.
Was the water change with water matched for temp, pH, s.g. etc and premixed??
Parameters woud be good to know so it's easier to help.
Numsee
09/24/2008, 03:29 PM
Everyone tells me star polyps are the easiest I cant grow them I have tried three times. I have zoos, sps, and lps in a 125 and they always do this to me
Mako Shark II
09/24/2008, 10:17 PM
Okay, I rarely do this, but I'm gonna jump your case a little bit "Rookie". So please accept this in the spirit in which it is intended:
If you ever do a 50% water change again (at the same time you add new critters), I will reach through the internet and rip out your larynx.
Our's is a science of subtleties.
The problem with Nano's is the minute amount of water change can abruptly alter the chemistry of your overall tank, so please don't ever do that again; just do more frequent changes, with LESS water. Enough, I'll get off that soapbox.
GSP's are known for their flowing elegance. I have 1,2.... Three of them myself. Lovely stuff, but here's the deal: Mine didn't do well in my 20 gallon Nano. Now in my 120: it's "No Worries Mate!".
Reason?
Criticality of water parameters with smaller volume. (Translation: It was easier to screw it up when I had less water volume)
So wha to do you do? Swap out half your water volume!
SO forgive me if I jump your case, for doing exactly what I did Wrong!
Look, this isn't that complicated. Food. Water quality. Light. Chemistry.
Fix those four elements, and you'll have it licked. Even for a small nano (which I love BTW), buy a "Dip-strip". You can easily check parameters. and if you don't need to change your water, Don't! If you DO, change 20-25% Only.
Baby steps.
Baby Steps!
Wow Mako, tell us how you really feel, though your points are all valid.
Numsee, I have not heard that they are the easiest but they are easy I had did a stupid thing just shy of two months now and my Star Polyps never had an issue now my clove polyps bleached white and I thought I was going to loose the colony but they are all better now. Did yours never open or do they actually die, I know if if my snails or crabs hover over them for an extended period of time they close up but just the areas getting walked on and they open once they are finished get walked over. They are easy to propagate too and by no means is my tank spotless. Something is wrong in their case Water quality, light and Chemistry
Numsee
09/27/2008, 06:59 PM
They never open and the purpel skin will just slug off and leave bare rock after a week or so. Whats weird is noting will grow on that rock now the xenia grew all around but not on that one particular rock.It was not a small colony it was 6" around.
birdman1979
09/27/2008, 07:04 PM
I'm not sure what is wrong with your GSP, but mine grow like weeds in a 15g. I also do large water changes weekly. Not quite 50% but probably at least 30%. Just make sure temp, salinity, ph, CA, KH, etc. are as close as possible when you do your water change.
leezer
09/28/2008, 10:26 AM
To Mako's point regarding water changes & water parameters in nano tanks:
I have a 3 gallon Picotope. About 8-10 times a week I change between 4 and 8 ounces of water. Four ounces of water is about 1.5% and eight ounces is just over 3% (I've figured that the tank only really holds about 2 gallons of water, which may actually be a little high...not sure). So, during the course of a week, I may change 20% or so of the water, but I do it in ridiculously small quantities. The best part of it in my opinion: water changes literally take me about 30 seconds to do.
Mako Shark II
09/29/2008, 11:14 PM
Wow, that's dedication leezer. Good for you.
(These days, I just through a couple valves and blow off about fifteen - twenty gallons. Sweeeet!)
Personally, that was why I went with my bigger tank. It's the old: "Water params become less critical with larger volumes" theory.
I respect you folks running the nano's.
Oh! Another thing I thought about rtroia: Food & Flow!
GPS loves water flow. Throw a Korilia Nano Wave Maker or powerhead at it and see if it doesn't respond. Good luck!
leezer
09/30/2008, 03:44 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13453118#post13453118 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mako Shark II
Throw a Korilia Nano Wave Maker or powerhead at it and see if it doesn't respond. Good luck!
LOL! I stumbled upon a Koralia Nano and thought I'd give it a go in my tank...almost blew the water over the side of it. Of course, with the Nano's GPH it was turning over the tank some 80 times an hour. Still trying to find just the right powerhead for the tank. Any suggestions?
Mako Shark II
10/02/2008, 04:44 PM
..almost blew the water over the side of it.
Ha! Know that feeling! Try a Coralife Turbo-Sea Closed Loop Pump with a flow rate of 1,090 GPH into an Oceans Motions 2-way (only) valve. (which directs the full 1090 to each jet, one at a time, then it cycles.)
:rollface:
WHOA!
I was blowing Corals right off their mounts from the live rock, before I split the two return lines into four! And that was in a 120!
jack.pe
10/06/2008, 03:26 PM
Hi,
I am having the same problem in my 24G as you and another mate of mine is also struggling, it goes like this:
Put star polyps in the tank, they grow like crazy for 4-5months and then all of a sudden they withdraw and stop coming out, then gradually the skeleton dissolves... at the same time the coralline stopped growing and started to fade. I did all sorts of tests and got the following:
Phos, Nitrate, Nitrite = 0
Alkalinity = 6
Magnesium = 1500
Iodine = 0
Calcium = 360
So basically the alkalinity is low as is the calcium and the Magnesium is apparently really high... not sure what is going on but trying to use supplements to raise KH, Calcium and Iodine, we'll see if any of this sorts things out.
jack.pe
10/06/2008, 03:26 PM
Hi,
I am having the same problem in my 24G as you and another mate of mine is also struggling, it goes like this:
Put star polyps in the tank, they grow like crazy for 4-5months and then all of a sudden they withdraw and stop coming out, then gradually the skeleton dissolves... at the same time the coralline stopped growing and started to fade. I did all sorts of tests and got the following:
Phos, Nitrate, Nitrite = 0
Alkalinity = 6
Magnesium = 1500
Iodine = 0
Calcium = 360
So basically the alkalinity is low as is the calcium and the Magnesium is apparently really high... not sure what is going on but trying to use supplements to raise KH, Calcium and Iodine, we'll see if any of this sorts things out.
Mako Shark II
10/06/2008, 08:54 PM
Jack, in the dictionary under "Redundant", it says see: "Redundant".
Just ribbin' ya mate. (about the dual post)
GPS is weird sometimes. In my 20Gallon nano, I had the exact same issues as you mention. I never did get on top of it. I wasn't sure if it was a lighting issue, but after I retro'ed my light from Actginics to MH, they baked away and eventually died. It was a painfully slow process, spurred by the relatively quick introduction of MH lighting. (In short: I shocked them.)
These days, I have cycled T5 Actinics then 2x 250W Metal Halides kick on, and the GPS looks awesome in three places (two high - bright Light; one low - medium lighting).
GPS gains nutrients from zoxanthaella, so LIghting is a must.
So thus far, we've talked: Water Quality, Good flow, now lighting.... how about Food?
Let me ask you this: What are you dosing with? You'll need to augment teh lighting with soem good reef nutrients like Reef-Nutrition's Live "Phyto-feast". It contain (good) brown algea.
Be careful though: GPS can be overrun by Green Algea, so dose as needed, up your lighting & flow, and keep changing 15-20% of water as needed by out of whack params.
Lastly: Man U or Chelsea fan?
(I'm still in me uniform from coaching the wee lads tonight on the pitch. Phft! "Wee". They're bloody 19 and huge!)
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