Candy Cane Not Growing

[SelectedByNature]

Any advice for Candy Cane coral care? I've had a green/kryptonite Trumpet coral for about 3-4 months and it doesn't seem like it's dying, but it has probably shrunk more than it ever grew.

 

I tried placement all over the tank with various light/flow. Tried feeding and not feeding. 

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated...

 

Thanks,

[dandelion]

It took mine forever to split from one head to three. I think it's  just a slow growing coral.

[SelectedByNature]

8 minutes ago, dandelion said:

It took mine forever to split from one head to three. I think it's  just a slow growing coral.

Great thanks.

 

What type of lighting/flow do you have yours under?

[gena]

I've had them under all different types of lighting. High, low, medium.  Didn't make much if any difference.  I think alkalinity/calcium is the key with these.  They like it on the high side.  They are fast growers from my experience.  I don't feed them either.  They do occasionally "catch" floating mysis that I feed my fish.

[SelectedByNature]

4 minutes ago, gena said:

I've had them under all different types of lighting. High, low, medium.  Didn't make much if any difference.  I think alkalinity/calcium is the key with these.  They like it on the high side.  They are fast growers from my experience.  I don't feed them either.  They do occasionally "catch" floating mysis that I feed my fish.

Hmm interesting. What do you consider high alk and Calcium?

[gena]

9 minutes ago, SelectedByNature said:

Hmm interesting. What do you consider high alk and Calcium?

10+ on Alkalinity.  Calcium in the 400s.  I use Red Sea Coral Pro (which has high levels) and I supplement daily with a 2 part dosing product.  Specifically B-ionic. 

[SelectedByNature]

9 minutes ago, gena said:

10+ on Alkalinity.  Calcium in the 400s.  I use Red Sea Coral Pro (which has high levels) and I supplement daily with a 2 part dosing product.  Specifically B-ionic. 

Okay sounds good. I shall up my alk a bit and see. My calcium is normally 420+.

 

Thanks!

[patback]

Yup.  I've had 3 different types 4 different times and mine never grow.  Coraline grows on the stalks quicker than they split and I honestly think it stops then from branching any more.  

[gena]

1 minute ago, patback said:

Yup.  I've had 3 different types 4 different times and mine never grow.  Coraline grows on the stalks quicker than they split and I honestly think it stops then from branching any more.  

Candy canes are my spirit coral.  They grow like crazy for me .

[SelectedByNature]

5 minutes ago, patback said:

Yup.  I've had 3 different types 4 different times and mine never grow.  Coraline grows on the stalks quicker than they split and I honestly think it stops then from branching any more.  

 

2 minutes ago, gena said:

Candy canes are my spirit coral.  They grow like crazy for me .

Weird. Maybe just one of those "that doesn't grow in my tank" things... Which I hate! Unscientific! Haha

 

There were clearly reasons behind these successes/failures.

 

Perhaps they take a very long time to get "settled" and then take off? 

 

Pat were you running alk above 10 at the time out of curiosity?

[patback]

2 minutes ago, SelectedByNature said:

 

Weird. Maybe just one of those "that doesn't grow in my tank" things... Which I hate! Unscientific! Haha

 

There were clearly reasons behind these successes/failures.

 

Perhaps they take a very long time to get "settled" and then take off? 

 

Pat were you running alk above 10 at the time out of curiosity?

I'm gonna be honest....i don't own any test kits.  

5 minutes ago, gena said:

Candy canes are my spirit coral.  They grow like crazy for me .

Can I send a few pieces down to you for you to grow them for me.

[gena]

1 minute ago, patback said:

I'm gonna be honest....i don't own any test kits.  

Can I send a few pieces down to you for you to grow them for me.

Hahaha...what colors do you have?  I just have turquoise and neon green.  I had a pink and green that was nasty mean to other corals.

[patback]

5 minutes ago, gena said:

Hahaha...what colors do you have?  I just have turquoise and neon green.  I had a pink and green that was nasty mean to other corals.

I have a green and pink and green.  The pink and green almost died when I moved out and didn't take care of it for a couple months but they are pumping back up slowly but surely.  

[SelectedByNature]

The got mine 4 months 9 days ago and i just found a pic from when I got it and it definitely looks better than it does today

 

 

[gena]

2 minutes ago, SelectedByNature said:

The got mine 4 months 9 days ago and i just found a pic from when I got it and it definitely looks better than it does today

 

 

I bet your Alk is low.

[SelectedByNature]

3 minutes ago, gena said:

I bet your Alk is low.

Thoughts?

[SelectedByNature]

My parameters fluctuated a lot (my tank is only 5 months old) and I was doing larger regular WCs with RS Coral Pro salt.

 

But I always tried to keep alk above 8. I think I'll try to keep it around 10 for a while to see.

[gena]

Not as low as I would have expected.  Are you dosing at all or is that all water change swings?  I haven't tested mine in awhile.  Now I want to go test my alkalinity LOL. 

Just now, SelectedByNature said:

My parameters fluctuated a lot (my tank is only 5 months old) and I was doing larger regular WCs with RS Coral Pro salt.

 

But I always tried to keep alk above 8. I think I'll try to keep it around 10 for a while to see.

If you don't have any SPS in your tank, try keeping it at RSCP levels with dosing daily in between to avoid the swing.  I bet you'll see a difference .

[SelectedByNature]

4 minutes ago, gena said:

Not as low as I would have expected.  Are you dosing at all or is that all water change swings?  I haven't tested mine in awhile.  Now I want to go test my alkalinity LOL. 

If you don't have any SPS in your tank, try keeping it at RSCP levels with dosing daily in between to avoid the swing.  I bet you'll see a difference .

 

 

No SPS. Haha I hope too! Candy Cane isn't my favorite coral (possibly due to the lack of growth) but I want to give it a fighting chance at least. 

[gena]

Just now, SelectedByNature said:

 

 

No SPS. Haha I hope too! Candy Cane isn't my favorite coral (possibly due to the lack of growth) but I want to give it a fighting chance at least. 

Do you have zoas?  They love the same conditions as candy canes, in my experience.

[SelectedByNature]

3 minutes ago, gena said:

Do you have zoas?  They love the same conditions as candy canes, in my experience.

Yes. Lots. However admittedly some sorta shriveled and fell off the rocks/are gone now. But I've had like 10-15 types of zoas and only two just withered for whatever reason. 

 

My other zoas/palys seems to be doing good.

 

My biggest growth has been like 3-4 polyp frags that in 2-3 months have doubled. Most haven't noticeably grown but always seem open and healthy to me (granted I've only been reefing for 5 months).

 

This is my tank from a last weekend. You can see Trumpet looks (at best) the same.

[gena]

Everything looks pretty healthy in the picture.  I don't see any issues.  Love that blasto down low .  I would move the candy can over to the right.  Same rock but in the white patch there just below the power head.  Looks like it'd have more room to expand there.  They grow in a ball shape.

[MrJoel]

I have a Neon green Candy cane and is has also not really grown that I can tell. Almost all my other corals have grown. The exceptions are the Candy cane which has either not grown or maybe had the heads shrink and my rainbow monti that just wasted away.

Keeping an eye on this thread. I am hoping to get some insight into getting my candy cane to grow. =)

Also I see you are also using Aquarimate. I love that app.

[gena]

For what it's worth, my neon green don't grow nearly as fast as my turquoise.  I would say the turquoise grow twice as fast.

[SelectedByNature]

Just now, gena said:

Everything looks pretty healthy in the picture.  I don't see any issues.  Love that blasto down low .  I would move the candy can over to the right.  Same rock but in the white patch there just below the power head.  Looks like it'd have more room to expand there.  They grow in a ball shape.

 

Haha. It was originally there for 3 months! I was concerned it was in a higher flow area so tried moving it away from the circular flow pattern to see. It hasn't seemed any better where it is now of course (1 months ish).

2 minutes ago, MrJoel said:

I have a Neon green Candy cane and is has also not really grown that I can tell. Almost all my other corals have grown. The exceptions are the Candy cane which has either not grown or maybe had the heads shrink and my rainbow monti that just wasted away.

Keeping an eye on this thread. I am hoping to get some insight into getting my candy cane to grow. =)

Also I see you are also using Aquarimate. I love that app.

The app is neat. I just refuse to log my expenses

 

Yeah Candy Cane is a bit of a mystery so far.

1 minute ago, gena said:

For what it's worth, my neon green don't grow nearly as fast as my turquoise.  I would say the turquoise grow twice as fast.

Perhaps im just the typical impatient newer reef hobbyist!