Hexadron's Nitoralis [Retired]

[NanoTopia]

I PM'ed you Jordon.

[Hexadron]

I PM'ed you Jordon.

 

Thanks Christine. Replied.

[Mr. Microscope]

Nice looking frags. They look very well healed/should hold. Good luck!

[Deleted User 4]

How are the frags coming along?

[Hexadron]

Not good unfortunately. They took a turn for the worse a few hours after taking the pics. Most have bleached out or have RTN I have moved them to the display tank as I know parameters are more stable in their due to the extra volume and live rock/superior filtration.

 

I have been testing each day and parameters are all where they should be, but regarless the frags are not doing well. A few look like they may pull through, and i'm doing my best to stay positive, but have preparfed for losses.

 

I think the worst part is, is no matter what I do - I am helpless. It's heartbreaking seeing them go like this. I think it was just the stress from shipping. I recall when I opened the bags they smelled quite bad, but seeing as they looked okay I didn't think much of it. I picked Friday to receive them as the weather calling to be 61 outside (at the time I ordered), but ended up going up to 86.

 

I'm hoping I can bring some back.

[BadCrab]

Stay positive! It's awesome that you are being honest about potential loses. Are you just waiting it out at this point?

[Mr. Microscope]

D'oh! Just try to keep them in as stable water as possible. If you see them go from bleached to browned out, then you're good an they should recover. I believe feeding SPS can help to bring them back faster. It'll probably take months for them to recover, but it can be done. Good luck!

[jedimasterben]

How clean is the water? Is there any DOC in it, or is it all 'new' water?

[Hexadron]

Stay positive! It's awesome that you are being honest about potential loses. Are you just waiting it out at this point?

 

D'oh! Just try to keep them in as stable water as possible. If you see them go from bleached to browned out, then you're good an they should recover. I believe feeding SPS can help to bring them back faster. It'll probably take months for them to recover, but it can be done. Good luck!

 

Thanks guys

 

I am not going to make it sound better than it is. I am going to wait it out and if by Friday I have any losses, I am eligible for a full refund, but even so - I am still very sad

 

I have been keeping up with testing and observing regularly. Here's my params:

 

dKH - 8.7

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 1

Phosphate - 0.02

SG - 1.026

Temp - 78 F

 

From reading of various articles, what you said is correct Mr. Microscope. At this point with the corals in the state they are in - they will gain more nurishment from feedings such as Amino Acids/Trace Elements and from the water column. Without any PE though, they won't be able to get much nurishment from foods that are larger sizes.

 

To help them recover I have been dosing 1 drop of ZeoFood7 to help with this, while keeping a close eye to make sure nutrients don't get out of whack.

 

Thanks for your concern guys, I'll keep everyone posted on the status.

[Hexadron]

How clean is the water? Is there any DOC in it, or is it all 'new' water?

 

Hmmm, well the water is 'clean' as in very little Phosphates, Nitrates. Algae has a tough time forming, which is what I worked hard to control. Keep in mind my tank has been running for nearly 3 months, so it's not a substantially 'new' tank.

 

I did do a 50% water change prior to adding them to the Display Tank to replenish Trace Elements. I dose Zeostart3, and Zeobak to keep up bacterial populations up and to feed them. I have also dosed 1/10 of a capsule of Reef Vitality by Fauna Marin, which is a particulate food for corals (mainly SPS) to aid in recovery as well. I kept the dosage very small as I am also dosing Zeofood7 and don't want to Overdose on Amino's.

[jedimasterben]

 

Hmmm, well the water is 'clean' as in very little Phosphates, Nitrates. Algae has a tough time forming, which is what I worked hard to control. Keep in mind my tank has been running for nearly 3 months, so it's not a substantially 'new' tank.

 

I did do a 50% water change prior to adding them to the Display Tank to replenish Trace Elements. I dose Zeostart3, and Zeobak to keep up bacterial populations up and to feed them. I have also dosed 1/10 of a capsule of Reef Vitality by Fauna Marin, which is a particulate food for corals (mainly SPS) to aid in recovery as well. I kept the dosage very small as I am also dosing Zeofood7 and don't want to Overdose on Amino's.

I thought that you placed them into a coral QT tank, and not your DT. My bad

 

You'd still be very, very low on DOC since the system is fishless.

[Spirofucci]

i wouldn't worry too much about all those sps. As long as your water and lighting are good, they will color up just fine. I have had many sps come in looking incredible only to look like crap the next day.....some color up right away and some take weeks or even months......

 

I love that shot of the bank of Radions........I guess someone forgot to tell those Canadians that LED's especially Radions cannot grow decent sps with good color.........

[TristanC]

Damn, hope everything pulls through man. Just goes to show no matter how much time and effort we out into our tanks, sometimes shit just goes south for no reason.

[BadCrab]

I love that shot of the bank of Radions........I guess someone forgot to tell those Canadians that LED's especially Radions cannot grow decent sps with good color.........

 

Halides are fer growin, Leds are fer showin'

[Deleted User 4]

Hmmm was there ever live rock in the tank when you started the cycle? Or did you start with all dry rocks?

[Hexadron]

I thought that you placed them into a coral QT tank, and not your DT. My bad

 

You'd still be very, very low on DOC since the system is fishless.

 

I did have them in there for a short period of time. As I seen things were going south, Christine suggested I place them in the Display Tank where things are more stable.

 

I realize that fish poop is a good source for coral food, but that's why for now I am supplementing with marine organics and amino's.

 

i wouldn't worry too much about all those sps. As long as your water and lighting are good, they will color up just fine. I have had many sps come in looking incredible only to look like crap the next day.....some color up right away and some take weeks or even months......

 

I love that shot of the bank of Radions........I guess someone forgot to tell those Canadians that LED's especially Radions cannot grow decent sps with good color.........

 

Thanks Spiro Here's to hoping. Canada Corals (where i ordered) are being really great./ I think they agree that it was due to the heat when shipping. Just goes to show, even with their packing skills sometimes shipping just doesn't work out.

 

I'm praying they at least brown out a bit. I think the mille and echinata are goners for sure though. The others appear to have more of a tan look (not 100% bleached)

 

They have quite a killer set-up! They do take great care in their corals, and would still recommend them to fellow Canadians, but since i'm nearly on the other side of Canada from them, maybe between that and the weather it just wasn't in the cards this time.

 

Damn, hope everything pulls through man. Just goes to show no matter how much time and effort we out into our tanks, sometimes shit just goes south for no reason.

 

Thanks Tristan It's frustrating as hell though!

 

Halides are fer growin, Leds are fer showin'

 

Well the colors did look nice before they were shipped

 

Hmmm was there ever live rock in the tank when you started the cycle? Or did you start with all dry rocks?

 

Nope, only dry rock. I don't have all the funky life that comes on the live rock, but i do have established nitrifying bacteria which means my dry rock is essentially live rock now.

[Deleted User 4]

I see. Yeah, I've noticed that tanks tend to start with all dry rocks, have a hard time establishing fully cycled water....

 

Unless you add some live old rocks(at least a yr old) to get the cycle going....that's just my belief though because from my past experiences whenever I started with fully processed live rocks, corals are much happier in the early stages of a new tank. My Ada tank was almost the 1st time I've ever went with all dry rocks...there may be lots of Copepods etc, but I still would have to say my tank isn't 100% cycled/established.

[Hexadron]

I see. Yeah, I've noticed that tanks tend to start with all dry rocks, have a hard time establishing fully cycled water....

 

Unless you add some live old rocks(at least a yr old) to get the cycle going....that's just my belief though because from my past experiences whenever I started with fully processed live rocks, corals are much happier in the early stages of a new tank. My Ada tank was almost the 1st time I've ever went with all dry rocks...there may be lots of Copepods etc, but I still would have to say my tank isn't 100% cycled/established.

 

I have to disagree in my case as it's been nearly 3 months since I got it wet, and from testing i have confirmed that nitrifying bacteria is indeed present. I realize I don't have copepods, and other special forms of algae and all that, but none of that is required to house corals. It may have helped my tank cycle faster, but with me going to dry rock, that's why I chose to wait so long to add any life to the tank.

 

I have made sure as well to feed the bacteria as there is no constant natural source of ammonia/waste for them to eat. So I think my bases are covered there

[nicholc2]

I've always started with LR myself. All the stuff that comes in as hitch hikers is half the fun. Not to say that dry rock is bad or anything. If I had started with that, I wouldn't have bubble algae right now. But I also wouldn't have my little stars, feather dusters, worms, and some pretty sic plating coralline algae. I'd say in a dry rock system I'd probably add fish before I did coral just to have that little extra umph of bacteria required to keep their DOC in check.

[Deleted User 4]

So the frags, were they in the qt tank then transferred to the display tank? Or was it in the display tank at the very start?

That's too bad that they're dying...hope it's not too late.

[nicholc2]

I have to disagree in my case as it's been nearly 3 months since I got it wet, and from testing i have confirmed that nitrifying bacteria is indeed present. I realize I don't have copepods, and other special forms of algae and all that, but none of that is required to house corals. It may have helped my tank cycle faster, but with me going to dry rock, that's why I chose to wait so long to add any life to the tank.

 

I have made sure as well to feed the bacteria as there is no constant natural source of ammonia/waste for them to eat. So I think my bases are covered there

I'd say in your case you just got a bad case of the shipment blues. Still hoping all recovers. I wouldn't give up on the two that are real bad until you see them start growing algae on the skeleton. As long as that isn't happening there is still some tissue there even if we can't see it. Once that happens, though, that means it's bare skeleton and won't likely heal.

[Deleted User 4]

I've always started with LR myself. All the stuff that comes in as hitch hikers is half the fun. Not to say that dry rock is bad or anything. If I had started with that, I wouldn't have bubble algae right now. But I also wouldn't have my little stars, feather dusters, worms, and some pretty sic plating coralline algae. I'd say in a dry rock system I'd probably add fish before I did coral just to have that little extra umph of bacteria required to keep their DOC in check.

 

I added fish in before I added my nems....and I still think the water wasn't yet fully established.

Again though, I didn't add any sort of bacteria but I did add some old established water from the very start.

[nicholc2]

I added my clown and hammer at the same time, but the rest later. Me thinks somebody who may or may have not started this thread needs to add some fishies.

[Hexadron]

I'd say in your case you just got a bad case of the shipment blues. Still hoping all recovers. I wouldn't give up on the two that are real bad until you see them start growing algae on the skeleton. As long as that isn't happening there is still some tissue there even if we can't see it. Once that happens, though, that means it's bare skeleton and won't likely heal.

 

That's what i'm chalking it to as well.

 

All I can go by is what my parameters are, and they are all where they should be. I have adequate flow with my mp10 and my Maxspect Razor can definitely handle SPS. Even if my bacterial population weren't up to par, I would be showing Ammonia most likely, which isn't present - at all.

 

I am not giving up. It's so hard to tell if it even has tissue or not. I read a great article over at Advanced Aquarist and I learned quite a bit. What it seems is that due to stress a fair share of my corals expelled their zooxanthellae, and appear bleached. I am thinking due to temperature from shipping most likely. Anyways, in the article it states that even though a coral may appear completely white/skeleton showing it can still have zooxanthellae present and may recover full - in time.

 

If I see algae growing I will know for sure

 

Thanks for the responses everyone.

 

I added my clown and hammer at the same time, but the rest later. Me thinks somebody who may or may have not started this thread needs to add some fishies.

 

I think I will in the next while. I want to focus all my efforts on the corals for now though.

[nicholc2]

Keep the lighting levels low for now. Better to brown them and build them back up than to bleach them and them not come back. Think of it as a parent with a child that has a cold. Nothing you can do about it other than give some love and wait til it gets better.