Candy Cane trouble?

[Azazael13]

First off if this is the wrong place to be asking I am sorry.

I was give a frag of Candy Cane coral two weeks ago. I put it in the tank and everything seemed fine at first, the little feeders were out quite a bit at first. Well over the course of two weeks it had been knocked off it's area twice so I just put it back where it was.

Well I got to looking at it tonight and there are white rings around all of the stocks (4 of them). Am I somehow killing this coral? The person who gave it to me told me they were pretty much impossible to kill. Hopefully I am not proving him wrong, ideas?

 

[twon8]

i think a chocolate ship starfish will eat corals

 

[drummereef]

Can you list your water params please?

 

[Azazael13]

I will post the params tonight. I do remember my Alk from last nights test is 3 meq/L.

Everything else in my system is fine (Frogspawn, fish, and inverts).

As for the CCS yes they have been known to eat corals. I keep a close eye on mine and make sure he has plenty of other food.

 

[GobyJohnKenobi]

Are these white rings around the base of the polyps where the tissue meets the stalk?

Might be a little tissue recession as a response to changing tank environments.

It will probably go away in a few weeks after it has had some time to settle in. I've had some take months to start looking their best. If it wants to eat, by all means, feed it. I feed each mouth of mine with a mysis shrimp by hand with a pair of forceps until they start to grow and split. It will help it feel more at home. LOL

Don't worry. When they are really mad they contract down until they look like pieces of wet tissue stuck on the ends of the stalks. Then it's time to start worrying.

And they don't seem to get too upset about being knocked around a bit. As long as they don't land on something that will sting them to death.

Any info on placement, flow and lighting it is receiving would help.

 

[Azazael13]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9760875#post9760875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GobyJohnKenobi
Are these white rings around the base of the polyps where the tissue meets the stalk?

Yes that is where they are basically on what I think of as the body of the coral.

Might be a little tissue recession as a response to changing tank environments.

It will probably go away in a few weeks after it has had some time to settle in. I've had some take months to start looking their best. If it wants to eat, by all means, feed it. I feed each mouth of mine with a mysis shrimp by hand with a pair of forceps until they start to grow and split. It will help it feel more at home. LOL

I might have to get some mysis shrimp and try this. Do you wait until the lights go out and the feelers come out, or during the day?

Don't worry. When they are really mad they contract down until they look like pieces of wet tissue stuck on the ends of the stalks. Then it's time to start worrying.

And they don't seem to get too upset about being knocked around a bit. As long as they don't land on something that will sting them to death.

Unless my sand has stingers I don't know about it should be good

Any info on placement, flow and lighting it is receiving would help.

The placement is at the bottom of the tank (standard 55), I have a T5-HO (4x54) with egg crate between the light and tank, the light also is sitting about 2 inches above the top of the tank. As for flow I would imagine that it is minimal flow since the power head (Maxi 1200) is at the top of the tank.

I also checked my levels last night, and while my Alk is great (3 Meq/L) my Calcium is low ~280, so I am going to go out and get some calcium additive tonight I think.

 

[keaton]

White lines mean the candy cane has too little light.

 

[Azazael13]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9768750#post9768750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by keaton
White lines mean the candy cane has too little light.

Too little light? Isn't this a low to medium light coral? Mind showing a reference for that? I just can't imagine that it is not enough light, too much maybe, but definitely not the other way.

I did get some calcium supplement today for it, and feed it some mysis tonight. First time I have seen a coral eat

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Trying to put it politely, get rid of the chocolate chip starfish. It will eat your coral and it sounds like it already is.

 

[wawruck]

chocolate chip starfish will eat anything they can, I know someone that lost a seahorse to one. They are not reef safe at all, and unless you can watch your tank 100% of the time I agree with Gary.