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(Solana 34) Please help with bleaching Lobo


Zuzu

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History:

Studied and researched extensively for 6 months before getting started (drove the LFSs crazy with questions). Have degrees in biology/chemistry and veterinary medicine and worked extensively with laboratory buffers and cultures for years. Tank was set up with all live (cured) rock (Feb 26) and live sand (Mar 4). Tank never overtly cycled and NH3 etc measured daily. Parameters measured: NH3, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate all zero, pH=8.2, alk=3-3.5, Ca=440-460 by multiple tests and confirmed by LFS. These have all been completely stable. I do a 3 gal change weekly from well aged emergency water (RO+ Red Sea Salt; powerhead, heater and UV sterilizer). Original lighting was Current Dual Satellite PC resting on top of glass top. I have 2 small ocellaris and a tiny boxfish; CUC of 6 assorted hermit crabs and about 8 assorted small snails (although some snails seemed to have disappeared), 1 money cowrey, 2 maxima clams, assorted soft and SPS corals, acan, zoas. Tank is run with the original stock skimmer and pump, an MP10 and stealth heater; I use the stock top off bottles and the hinged glass top that came with the wood top frame. I have a small refugium in the center rear chamber with a JB Nanoglo light that is on continuously; a bag of Chemipure is on a custom shelf above the cheato. I don't have a quarantine tank. Temperature is very stable at 78.5-79.5 (digital--confirmed by glass); SG=1.023-1.024.5 (measured by refractometer). I wipe off the glass daily with a Mag-Float. I add 5cc each of Reef Code A & B every 1-2 weeks, but it seems pretty unnecessary as the Ca has never been less than 420. I feed Phyto N & T 3 times a week and have seeded the tank twice with copepods.

 

I know that I pushed the envelope stocking the tank, but everything seems very stable and I spared no expense or effort in the set up and monitoring. Very few things have died: my peppermint shrimp passed away May 23, but it never seemed very lively or ate well since purchased on May 3; a small ricordia kept falling off its rock and getting tumbled around and finally died June 6. One of the ocellaris jumped into the top off section and died--replaced it with the smallest one I could find at LSF. All livestock purchased at LFSs--no mail orders.

 

March 30 Lobo added to bottom of tank in full light. Couldn't resist--saw it in the LSF and had to have it--it had only been in the store 1 day when I purchased it.

 

post-50043-1276890276_thumb.jpg

 

April 22 changed lighting to Acan 101 all LED designed for the Solana 34. This light was suspended just above the glass.

 

Tank and critters seemed very happy and stable. I was out of town May 10-21 and my husband kept the tank topped off, skimmer cup emptied and fish fed, but no water changes. Tested everything when I got back and it all was still zero on waste products, stable pH, Ca and alk.

 

May 27 Lobophilia appears to be bleaching around one area. LFS advised that perhaps the new light was too intense for the lobo, so 2 days later I moved the lobo to the rear of the tank where it was partially shaded and raised the light fixture up about 5 inches above the tank. Seemed odd that it took over a month for the light to be a problem.

 

This has not helped at all and the lobo looks like this today:

post-50043-1276890564_thumb.jpg

 

Now, the stylophora, acrophora, digitata and frogspawn corals are all going great, as are the clams. The fish are very happy and active as are the crabs. I just noticed that my frag of pavona that was near the top of the tank has lost its polyps on the top, but still has some on the sides, so I have moved it to the bottom of the tank now as well (see to the far right of the lobo in second photo). The only other complaint I have is there seems to be some dark green algae on the sand that the CUC does not eat up (compare the two top photos), as well as some stubborn algae on the glass near the sand line.

 

The whole tank looks like this:

post-50043-1276892524_thumb.jpg

 

Any ideas on the fading/bleaching of the lobo? Could the LEDs be too bright? Or is there some parameter that I am not measuring that I should be? Any suggestions on how I might save this piece. Any ideas on getting the sand clean?

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

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cheryl jordan

I wonder if you are over thinking this issue. Your parameters look good and everything else in the tank looks healthy.

 

Sometimes corals just die, there is a reason but, if you are not seeing any decline in your other corals and clams, your tank is probably fine.

 

I can not grow birdnests, one of the easiest corals there is, but they hate me and my tanks.

 

For the sand how about some Nassarius snails.

 

 

:)

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I wonder if you are over thinking this issue. Your parameters look good and everything else in the tank looks healthy.

 

Sometimes corals just die, there is a reason but, if you are not seeing any decline in your other corals and clams, your tank is probably fine.

 

I can not grow birdnests, one of the easiest corals there is, but they hate me and my tanks.

 

For the sand how about some Nassarius snails.

 

 

:)

thanks for the advice--I guess as a vet, I feel that I should be able to save everything and I hate to lose such a beautiful specimen. I'll get some Nassarius snails and see if they like to clean the sand.

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If the lighting is the only variable you changed, then logically the lighting is the problem. I'd say the LEDs are probably more than the Lobo is willing to handle, and a month before showing signs of distress is not unreasonable for brain corals.

 

Try and find a shaded spot for him, lower the intensity of the LEDs or raise the fixture further - although at some point you have to weigh the health and vigor of your entire tank against that of one coral.

 

Good luck, I love Lobo's. :)

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Does your clowns try to host it? I found my clown trying to

host my pagoda plate at night, the rubbing could bother it. You could always ask a friend or lfs to try to salvage it while you try to figure out the issue before it's completely gone.

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Does your clowns try to host it? I found my clown trying to

host my pagoda plate at night, the rubbing could bother it. You could always ask a friend or lfs to try to salvage it while you try to figure out the issue before it's completely gone.

 

 

Unfortunately, my clowns won't even enter the frogspawn or star polyp corals. I'm too nervous about keeping an anenome for them, because if it dies, it would probably kill the tank.

 

Anyway, the lobo is now in a shady area and we'll see if it recovers. As long as it is still eating, I'm going to give it some time in the shade. If it stops eating, then I will take it back to the LFS.

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