Green Star Polyp bleaching or what?

[BarIzoN]

Hi,

I don't know what's going on, but my GSP is receding, fading and the vivid purple color it has now is kinda "grayish".

I see there's a bunch of small "stuff" on it and I need advice on what's this. It seems encrusted in the coral body... I bought a crazy Goby who made a hell out of my tank, and I thought that was sand from the Goby, but looking to the macro picture, it seems something else.

Do you guys have an idea on what's going on?

My water parameters (measured this evening):

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Phosphate: 0.1 ppm
Calcium: 440ppm
Alkalinity: 11dKH
Salinity: 1.026 d SG
PH: 8.2

I have a sumpless 55g tank with Aquamaxx HOB skimmer and Coralife T5 48 in light fixture with white and actinic bulbs running for 8h / day - from 3pm to 11pm.

Started the tank on February 2016 and not dosing or doing anything than regular water change (weekly) and using RO/DI water.

Many thanks!

- BarIzoN -

General view:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YeOZpH2sGmQ/V9jjydLNlrI/AAAAAAAEydk/4u4FaB2WhzQH47xRz5RwsHEOy9GLPvMIQCLcB/s1600/20160911_202734.jpg

Detailed views:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWyA_fAwWiA/V9jgqXYUnwI/AAAAAAAEycE/STDTzGCBl9w0M97BnvfVoINGMVjizG8GQCLcB/s1600/DSC_2171.JPG

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wkwNDxoQkM/V9jgrjRKCWI/AAAAAAAEycI/KlXVgkZQqnUqyli_8FkbBV2EglbdAuEagCLcB/s1600/DSC_2172.JPG

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAdTd9Y1BWQ/V9jguUSQ3rI/AAAAAAAEycQ/kwgw3LtMut8QkAwPmQ5fNLZP6bAgBjX8ACLcB/s1600/DSC_2174.JPG

[oneofmany]

I'm not sure about the color, but that other stuff your seeing throughout the colony looks like Bryozoans. Your parameters seem ok and GSP are not too particular about lighting, so you might want to try increasing the flow in that general area and see if this helps.

[anthonys51]

i keep mt gsp on the bottom of my tank is super high flow. they even grow on a rock with no light. try increasing flow, maybe detritus is settling on it with the sand causing trouble with the gsp

[BarIzoN]

OK. I'll try to add the coral to a higher flow area. I've moved it from different places, added to the bottom of the tank, and moved to a shady area and still nothing.

This coral was thriving and strong, now it seems dying. It also came with a separate piece, which I put on a place in the rock, but it's also "melting". Now I have one third of the coral available.

As far that I'm seeing, this is one of the toughest corals for beginners, and it's quite frustrating on not being able to keep it. I do have 2 more corals and they're doing great. I don't have many fishes, 2 little clowns, 2 green chromis and one coral beauty... Really low bioload.

Anyway. I'll move my powerhead towards this coral and see what will happen.

Thanks for the info!

- BarIzoN -

[BarIzoN]

BTW, the crazy Goby already calmed down, and he's just sniffing the sand with no sandstorm anymore... He's a such neat fish!! :)

[BarIzoN]

In case of this Bryzoans, how do I fix that? Do you think the flow would take care of it?

[oneofmany]

It might, but other than being unsightly they don't really pose a threat to the GSP IME.

Just out of curiosity, do you have any other corals in your tank? How are they doing?

[BarIzoN]

Yes, I do have a toadstool coral and a yellow polyp sea mat. Both seems to be OK. I mean, the sea mat isn't reproducing like crazy - neither the GSP was before... The Toadstool mushroom isn't quite "up" as it was before... It's more "leaned" but the tentacles are opening well...

That may be the nitrate levels? I also have 2 penguin 150 HOB filter with that biowheel, and I'm thinking to shut both down, since I have the skimmer. That may be the cause of my higher nitrate. I spent a time with zero nitrate, then I had an algae bloom - with milky water - and after that, my nitrates never went down again.

[anthonys51]

if you have a skimmer dont use the hob filters, take them off, they cause more harm than good. get yourself some good powerheads with the skimmer you have anbd the live rock its all you need.

also you want flow to be 20-40 times in your tank if keeping softies.
so shoot for that

[oneofmany]

How many bulbs are in that Coralife fixture that you have?

[BarIzoN]

Here's a general view of the tank without the yellow sea mat.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sK9Htib2FfY/V7y6s5Qxe9I/AAAAAAAEs20/CNs9qerzmRMRPZaOaUdPLLFfaWQTqeRMwCLcB/s1600/tank01.jpg

[BarIzoN]

On lighting, there's one white and one blue actinic bulbs.

[BarIzoN]

Here is what the coral looked like about a month ago or so...

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5I9d58oWBEM/V9mnL_uoPOI/AAAAAAAEyhw/hspimf_-JWsYDP83q5XnYQNKzQR6fIdkwCLcB/s1600/20160714_213735%2B%25281%2529.jpg

[BarIzoN]

here's the Yellow Sea Mat...

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kvb7XpNhTdo/V9jg59xKzyI/AAAAAAAEyc0/FpZ53hrditMUtkz045JYPi1YTt9fnDfLgCLcB/s1600/DSC_2184.JPG

[anthonys51]

Here's a general view of the tank without the yellow sea mat.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sK9Htib2FfY/V7y6s5Qxe9I/AAAAAAAEs20/CNs9qerzmRMRPZaOaUdPLLFfaWQTqeRMwCLcB/s1600/tank01.jpg



Like your aquascape. Did you putty those rocks.

Your tank looks pretty new Don't see an over flow. Do you run a skimmer


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[BarIzoN]

Like your aquascape. Did you putty those rocks.

Your tank looks pretty new Don't see an over flow. Do you run a skimmer


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Hi anthonys51, thanks for the comment. No, all rocks are carefully assembled and tied to each one. No putty.

Yes, the tank is new, I started in February 2016.

I don't have sump, that's why you can't see an overflow. I run an HOB Aquamaxx skimmer. See the yellow tube at the top center of the tank.

I'm just a beginner and learning and studying a lot. I'm being patient and building things in a slow pace. In a near future the plan is to assemble a 300g and use this tank as sump.

- BarIzoN -

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[anthonys51]

Like that think big
Be careful with the hob filters. If you don't clean then often like every 4 days they can be a nutrient trap. You might be better if you can to invest in a hob protein skimmer It helps keep nutrients down plus helps aerate the water


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[BarIzoN]

Like that think big
Be careful with the hob filters. If you don't clean then often like every 4 days they can be a nutrient trap. You might be better if you can to invest in a hob protein skimmer It helps keep nutrients down plus helps aerate the water


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I have an Aquamaxx HOB skimmer. I'll shut off the filters this weekend.

Thanks for the advice!

- BarIzoN -

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[anthonys51]

Yes the hob filter isn't needed. Maybe add one more powerhead down low abd your good to go


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[oneofmany]

I'm not sure I would ditch those HOB filters, but I wouldn't use them for anything other than chemical filtration if need be. If you do a water change and really stir things up, putting some filter floss or running some sort of sponge for a few hours wouldn't be such a bad idea either though. If anything, they'll provide some flow for the tank which is definitely a good thing.

[BarIzoN]

I'll buy another power head. Any recommendations? Again, I have a 55 gallon, small tank. I'm researching thru power heads and wavemakers...

Are the wavemakers really needed? I mean, I want to play simple, but efficient, and I'm willing to pay the price for a more efficient equipment which will make my tank better. However, there's no reason to pay for something "fancy" or "cool".

I'll not throw away the filters. I'm planning a small QT tank and a hospital, and I may use it in there for extra flow and medication removal, with the pads... Just the "biowheel" itself I think will need to be thrown away, because it will be no longer used, and I think it will not work after dried.

But, changing from apples to oranges, I went to Petco last night to buy a new carbon filter media (because I did the baster procedure and wanted a new media) and I was shocked with the livestock there. Almost all fishes with ich and others dying... Lot of suffering in there for the fishes and inverts! Insane!

[codydemmel4]

i would recommend a gyre 130 or a gyre 150 since you plan on upgrading in the future. very slim looking and would just need one on whatever side of the tank youd like. I would get rid of the hob filters too and just use the skimmer.

does your light only have 2 bulbs? If so, your first priority is probably to upgrade lighting if you want to keep corals healthy long term

[anthonys51]

i would recommend a gyre 130 or a gyre 150 since you plan on upgrading in the future. very slim looking and would just need one on whatever side of the tank youd like. I would get rid of the hob filters too and just use the skimmer.



does your light only have 2 bulbs? If so, your first priority is probably to upgrade lighting if you want to keep corals healthy long term



I agree I missed you only have 2 lights. I would get an led to go with those lights if you can

I disagree with the gyre thought. I am more of a mp guy. But that's just personal choice. Yes they are more expensive than the gyre but think they are better built and have more options with that. I would go mp40 on that size tank and adjust

Wave makers are worth it. The corals do better with mixed varied flow not a constant flow like powerheads provide. You can use timers with your power heads to turn on and off. But will take you a long time to get it perfect plus they wherent built to go and and off multiply times a day so it will shorten there life span

Also don't bug fish from petco. Find a good lfs to buy stuff from. If the store had sick looking fish in any tank don't buy from there. I never qt my fish just use 2 stores that had healthy fish. And I been good


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[BarIzoN]

I think I'll go for a Gyre...

I heard fish can hurt on those...

That's my last question before to buy it. I have a Coral Beauty and he sniffs everything...

Have you had any issue with fishes or snails into the Gyre?

Also, should I keep the other two power heads I have??

I'm cleaning the corals in a daily basis and I could see an improvement, but still a lot of stuff builds up in there every day.

I'd like to thank all of you who replied my question!! :)

I also deactivated the two Penguim filters and running the skimmer solo.

Again, thanks!


- BarIzoN -

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[BarIzoN]

Here's an actual pict of my tank...

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160918/9eeb18231aa1995a4e8356a26b1acd81.jpg

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[BarIzoN]

Detail of GSP coral getting better...

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160918/7d1b8a507e8c072287a065c05cc4bbcf.jpg

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[BarIzoN]

Hey guys,

Coral didn't improve, so I decided on my llast shot: scrub the coral on tap water.

Well... I found out an even more crippier situation: when I was scrubbing, the coral detached from the plug, and I found a worm nest below the coral. The coral was dying from inside out due to those worms.

I was able to get two and I missed one that entered deep in the coral.

I'll do a Bayer dip on this one.

It's unbelievalble and nasty. I'm still on goose bumps.

BTW, can you identify the green animal and the worm in the pictures?

Thanks,


- BarIzoN -


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