New to Coral: Did I introduce incompatible species?

RogerJoys · 02/20/2012, 08:39 AM

Hello, First post, after a lot of lurking.

I have a really nice Duncan in my tank that has been doing well for over a month now. It was always open and was starting to grow new "branches".

Yesterday, I introduced a blue xenia about 24-30 inches away in the tank and within 2 hours the Duncan retracted all it's polyps and has remained materially retracted overnight.

Is the Duncan reacting to something about the Xenia? I couldn't find any information on incompatibility, and felt I placed the substantially far apart.

Any insights are appreciated.

Thank you

mroccoralman · 02/20/2012, 10:41 AM

Those two corals won't do anything to each other did you do anything different? Possibly you added the water from whoever you got the frag from?? What are your params? That's all I can really think of.

RogerJoys · 02/20/2012, 12:02 PM

Thank you. I tested my water that AM, but don't have the results handy. Everything tested within the norms that the LFS gave me.

I do remember Nitrates we 0 and Calcium was 470.

Salinity was high (1.026) and I am in the process of lowering it and it's currently at 1.025. I am taking it down in small chunks. I was going to reduce it to 1.024 today and then 1.023 tomorrow.

I try really hard not to make any change, even for the better too radical.

Thank you again.

alowman · 02/20/2012, 02:06 PM

I wouldn't drop salinity by more than 0.001/2-3 days

RogerJoys · 02/20/2012, 02:42 PM

Thank you. I have no problem slowing changes down.

I'll give it another day at 1.025

Might the Duncan be reacting to the salinity change? If so, how long should I wait for the polyps to reopen before considering other alternatives?

Dizzle63 · 02/21/2012, 06:14 AM

1.025 is perfect, don't drop to 1.023. 1.026 is actually good too.

taylor t · 02/21/2012, 08:53 AM

[QUOTE=RogerJoys;19906424]
Salinity was high (1.026) QUOTE]

That's not high. I'm pretty sure that's where nature keeps it too. That's where I've always kept mine. I have 2 reefs. Sometimes it goes up just over 1.027, all continues to look well.

xenia has never affected my duncans. Had both for years. My duncans do retract from time to time for a while, but they still grow like weeds. How does everything else look?

tmz · 02/21/2012, 09:01 AM

The average sg for seawater is 1.0264. The Red Sea is more in the 1.028/9+ range. FWI , I run my sytem at 1.026 to 1.027.

RogerJoys · 02/21/2012, 07:45 PM

Thank you all.

Everything looks good in general. The fish are eating well and the duncan opened up some too. I'll go on the retraction as part of a cycle. The blue Xenia is gorgeous as is the Duncan.

Thank you all too for the input on salinity.

Roger

02/20/2012, 08:39 AM	#1
RogerJoys Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 33	New to Coral: Did I introduce incompatible species? Hello, First post, after a lot of lurking. I have a really nice Duncan in my tank that has been doing well for over a month now. It was always open and was starting to grow new "branches". Yesterday, I introduced a blue xenia about 24-30 inches away in the tank and within 2 hours the Duncan retracted all it's polyps and has remained materially retracted overnight. Is the Duncan reacting to something about the Xenia? I couldn't find any information on incompatibility, and felt I placed the substantially far apart. Any insights are appreciated. Thank you

02/21/2012, 09:01 AM	#8
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	The average sg for seawater is 1.0264. The Red Sea is more in the 1.028/9+ range. FWI , I run my sytem at 1.026 to 1.027. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

02/20/2012, 10:41 AM	#2
mroccoralman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Cypress Posts: 280	Those two corals won't do anything to each other did you do anything different? Possibly you added the water from whoever you got the frag from?? What are your params? That's all I can really think of.

02/20/2012, 12:02 PM	#3
RogerJoys Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 33	Thank you. I tested my water that AM, but don't have the results handy. Everything tested within the norms that the LFS gave me. I do remember Nitrates we 0 and Calcium was 470. Salinity was high (1.026) and I am in the process of lowering it and it's currently at 1.025. I am taking it down in small chunks. I was going to reduce it to 1.024 today and then 1.023 tomorrow. I try really hard not to make any change, even for the better too radical. Thank you again.

02/20/2012, 02:06 PM	#4
alowman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 9	I wouldn't drop salinity by more than 0.001/2-3 days

02/20/2012, 02:42 PM	#5
RogerJoys Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 33	Thank you. I have no problem slowing changes down. I'll give it another day at 1.025 Might the Duncan be reacting to the salinity change? If so, how long should I wait for the polyps to reopen before considering other alternatives?

02/21/2012, 06:14 AM	#6
Dizzle63 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 665	1.025 is perfect, don't drop to 1.023. 1.026 is actually good too.

02/21/2012, 08:53 AM	#7
taylor t Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Naperville, Il Posts: 2,396	[QUOTE=RogerJoys;19906424] Salinity was high (1.026) QUOTE] That's not high. I'm pretty sure that's where nature keeps it too. That's where I've always kept mine. I have 2 reefs. Sometimes it goes up just over 1.027, all continues to look well. xenia has never affected my duncans. Had both for years. My duncans do retract from time to time for a while, but they still grow like weeds. How does everything else look?

02/21/2012, 07:45 PM	#9
RogerJoys Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 33	Thank you all. Everything looks good in general. The fish are eating well and the duncan opened up some too. I'll go on the retraction as part of a cycle. The blue Xenia is gorgeous as is the Duncan. Thank you all too for the input on salinity. Roger