what's happening to my candy canes????

S14_Silvia · 08-19-2005, 05:36 PM

Over the last month or so I have noticed that my candy canes havn't been doing so good. From the looks of it, it seems that something is eating away at the stalks. Some of them are almost completely eaten through and only holding on by a string. I can get a pic if that helps. But what the heck is going on? They have been fine in the tank for almost 6 months and now this just started.

JnS · 08-19-2005, 05:39 PM

the actual skelton? got a pic?

first I would iodine dip it.

Rothie · 08-19-2005, 05:48 PM

Check your calcium and alklinity levels.Are any other hard corals affected?

S14_Silvia · 08-19-2005, 05:55 PM

Everyhing else in the tank is doing fine. I have mostly lps, but also some sps and they are all doing well. This has only started in the last month or so. I'll have a pic up in a little bit.

S14_Silvia · 08-19-2005, 06:23 PM

here you go

tico mike · 08-19-2005, 07:04 PM

If the skeleton is dark green it may be a type of boring green algae that live under the tissue of the coral. I can't recall the name off hand, but I lost a complanata colony to it...

Rothie · 08-19-2005, 07:14 PM

That's pretty blurry.It almost looks like a fox coral that is getting too much light and water movement.
I have always grouped my candy canes together,until last month.One of them was stinging another and the skeleton looked similar to yours.Is there anything nearby that could be stinging it?Some of these LPS have a really long reach.

S14_Silvia · 08-19-2005, 07:44 PM

All of my corals have not moved for months and none of them seem to be even near other corals. The ones that are completely away from everything seem to be showing the same kind of skeletal damage. As for the green boring algae, all of the stalks are covered in purple coralline algae except for the very ends where the soft part connects. And the color seems to be a light green color instead of the dark green like you described.

Rothie · 08-19-2005, 11:42 PM

What were your CA and Alk readings?

S14_Silvia · 08-20-2005, 02:33 AM

Calcium is at 375 and alk at 12. And like I said the levels have been aroud the same for the last couple months and only the last month or so I've noticed skeletal depletion. I don't get it.

tico mike · 08-20-2005, 02:40 AM

Kevin, candy canes are very resilient and you must have corals that are touchier than these. Leads me to believe an unknown is killing your coral. Give it an iodine dip like Jerry said. If it's going downhill fast, I'd consider getting rid of it....run more carbon, increase skimming, dose your tank with iodine and strontium, etc.

Graham · 08-20-2005, 12:35 PM

Mike,

Just curious, but why would blindly dumping iodine and strontium into your tank help anything? I'd agree with your other advice, but definitely not this. Chances are more likely that corals would react this way to too much of either element, not too little. It's highly unlikely there's too little I or Sr in anyone's tank as long as they feed and change the water. Be careful with this...

tico mike · 08-20-2005, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham

Mike,

Just curious, but why would blindly dumping iodine and strontium into your tank help anything? ...

I reread my post and don't remember saying to "blindly dump" anything in his tank! I said dose. I didn't say to add elevated levels, but skimming removes it and if it has been awhile since he changed his water, giving a DOSE can aid in deflecting infection. I know a lot of people who dose iodine on a consistent basis and while I should have asked if he doses, when was his last water change, etc., dosing shouldn't hurt a darn thing...

Graham · 08-20-2005, 01:04 PM

"Blindly" my words, yes, and not testing before dosing is blindly dumping by my definition.
Not to mention Sr and I test kits have like a 40% margin of error (maybe not exactly that, but it's high).
I'd also like to see any proof that skimming significantly removes either of those elements.

Excess traces like Sr and I are potentially just as bad as low levels - especially Iodine. But don't take my word for it, since I won't take your word that they "shouldn't" hurt a darn thing.

I think we'll agree do disagree on this...no biggie.

S14_Silvia · 08-20-2005, 02:58 PM

Thanks for the advice guys but heres the reef n00b again, but what exactly does an iodine dip consist of? A little more info would help. As for water changes I've been doing 10 gallons every 2 weeks on a 90 gallon system.