whats your "canary in a coal mine"?

RioReefr · 05/16/2018, 03:50 PM

Do you have a coral, fish, or some other critter that just doesn't look right and you know your parameters are "off" just by looking at this?

I know most people will just says "water tests tell me everything", but to be fair I cannot do 2 consecutive water tests in succession and get the same result.
My Hanna dKH might be the exception but for the most part my tests are just a general range that seem to vary.

Anyway, I have this tiny little one-head Duncan frag. When the color looks good and polyps are fulling extending, pretty much everything else in the tank looks great. If this is not the case, then something else might look bad. I will check the water parameters and sure enough something will not be quite right.

Just wondering if there are some other critters out there that are super sensitive to water parameter changes and one can tell when something just isn't right?

AlSimmons · 05/16/2018, 04:13 PM

Gosh, I don't know. In most cases everything is cool, but sometimes there are certain corals that just aren't as "full" as they should be. If 8 out 10 looks good though there's really no need to panic or do anything drastic, just chalk it up as a bad day. The parameters might not be precise that day, but they sure as hell weren't off. I hope that made since...

Daddi0 · 05/16/2018, 04:20 PM

Gotta be the Red Dragon

AlSimmons · 05/16/2018, 04:27 PM

I have one of those... This thing grows by the day for some reason. Bulletproof almost.

billdogg · 05/16/2018, 06:40 PM

My elegance coral tells me when it’s water change time.

top shelf · 05/16/2018, 07:21 PM

My torch let's me know when it's time for a water change. I do one weekly but usually a day or 2 before it isn't as full as it usually is. Used to have a blasto that would let me know when ALK was low but has started to recede so not much help anymore.

Rover88 · 05/17/2018, 05:27 AM

Same as you RioReefr, I have a Duncans Head colony that usually tells me when things aren't right.

ryeguyy84 · 05/17/2018, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rover88

Same as you RioReefr, I have a Duncans Head colony that usually tells me when things aren't right.

I second the Duncans, if somethings going on they look sad.

mcgyvr · 05/17/2018, 02:15 PM

For me lately everything is doing fantastic except devils hand leathers... ??
IDK whats up.. They just look like poop and seem to just shrink over the course of a few months almost never showing an PE or anything..
It was doing great then one day just stopped and nothing I do results in an improvements.. Been like that for a good 6 months or so..
I had about 6 of them and all are doing the same thing..

Silly clownfish · 05/18/2018, 08:31 AM

That spot in the tank that is the first to develop nuisance algaE.

jisc · 05/19/2018, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

For me lately everything is doing fantastic except devils hand leathers... ??
IDK whats up.. They just look like poop and seem to just shrink over the course of a few months almost never showing an PE or anything..
It was doing great then one day just stopped and nothing I do results in an improvements.. Been like that for a good 6 months or so..
I had about 6 of them and all are doing the same thing..

My devils hand has been closed for 4 months after doing great. Moved to better flow. Didn’t help. Moved back to original location yesterday. Could yellow clown goby sitting on it be the culprit? Really frustrating

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WVfishguy · 05/19/2018, 05:12 PM

When my Xenia begin to shrivel, I check parameters. While they grow & spread rapidly they are not extremely hardy.

Another "canary" is the Powder Brown tang, Acanthurus japonicus. Very sensitive fish.

64Ivy · 05/20/2018, 09:29 AM

For me, it’s always milliporas. Mine’ll start to fade if it’s raining outside.

boxfishpooalot · 05/20/2018, 01:58 PM

My green star polyps close up with too much ozone. If i turn it down or off, they open up.

05/16/2018, 03:50 PM	#1
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	whats your "canary in a coal mine"? Do you have a coral, fish, or some other critter that just doesn't look right and you know your parameters are "off" just by looking at this? I know most people will just says "water tests tell me everything", but to be fair I cannot do 2 consecutive water tests in succession and get the same result. My Hanna dKH might be the exception but for the most part my tests are just a general range that seem to vary. Anyway, I have this tiny little one-head Duncan frag. When the color looks good and polyps are fulling extending, pretty much everything else in the tank looks great. If this is not the case, then something else might look bad. I will check the water parameters and sure enough something will not be quite right. Just wondering if there are some other critters out there that are super sensitive to water parameter changes and one can tell when something just isn't right?

05/16/2018, 04:13 PM	#2
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	Gosh, I don't know. In most cases everything is cool, but sometimes there are certain corals that just aren't as "full" as they should be. If 8 out 10 looks good though there's really no need to panic or do anything drastic, just chalk it up as a bad day. The parameters might not be precise that day, but they sure as hell weren't off. I hope that made since... Last edited by AlSimmons; 05/16/2018 at 04:19 PM.

05/16/2018, 04:20 PM	#3
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	Gotta be the Red Dragon __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

05/16/2018, 06:40 PM	#5
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	My elegance coral tells me when it’s water change time. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

05/16/2018, 07:21 PM	#6
top shelf Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,022	My torch let's me know when it's time for a water change. I do one weekly but usually a day or 2 before it isn't as full as it usually is. Used to have a blasto that would let me know when ALK was low but has started to recede so not much help anymore. __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad. Philosophy is wondering if that means ketchup is a smoothie. Current tank info: 45g SCA Cube

05/16/2018, 04:27 PM	#4
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	I have one of those... This thing grows by the day for some reason. Bulletproof almost.

05/17/2018, 05:27 AM	#7
Rover88 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 590	Same as you RioReefr, I have a Duncans Head colony that usually tells me when things aren't right.

05/17/2018, 02:15 PM	#9
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	For me lately everything is doing fantastic except devils hand leathers... ?? IDK whats up.. They just look like poop and seem to just shrink over the course of a few months almost never showing an PE or anything.. It was doing great then one day just stopped and nothing I do results in an improvements.. Been like that for a good 6 months or so.. I had about 6 of them and all are doing the same thing.. __________________ Who me?

05/18/2018, 08:31 AM	#10
Silly clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Southeast Pennsylvania Posts: 488	That spot in the tank that is the first to develop nuisance algaE. __________________ 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair with RBTA Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair

05/19/2018, 05:12 PM	#12
WVfishguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Huntington, WV Posts: 677	When my Xenia begin to shrivel, I check parameters. While they grow & spread rapidly they are not extremely hardy. Another "canary" is the Powder Brown tang, Acanthurus japonicus. Very sensitive fish.

05/20/2018, 09:29 AM	#13
64Ivy B'rer Reefer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greenwich, CT Posts: 3,194	For me, it’s always milliporas. Mine’ll start to fade if it’s raining outside. __________________ Be Kind To The Elderly. Life Without Parole Means Nothing To Us. ToTM 3-03 Current Tank Info: Between tanks. Searching for a home

05/20/2018, 01:58 PM	#14
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	My green star polyps close up with too much ozone. If i turn it down or off, they open up. __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.