Frogspawn didn't open yesterday ... why?

[njudson]

I addition to my frogspawn not opening yesterday my Midas Blenny was hiding more than usual and didn't come out at feeding time when he normally eats like a pig but I did see him swimming around a little later in the night. Not sure if the two things are connected or independent. I've had the blenny for about 2 weeks the frogspawn only 3 days.

Temp - 78
Ca - 420
Alk - 9
Salinity - 1.023
didn't test for nitrates

So I'm thinking I over topped off with RODI and lowered my salinity from its normal 1.025. Is this enough to make my Frogspawn unhappy? Should I just allow it to correct itself through evaporation? Could the blenny have gotten too close to the frogspawn and gotten stung making them both unhappy?

The other fish, corals and inverts in the tank appear totally healthy - ate well and I'm tempted to say looked as good if not better than ever. Tank is only 2 months old. I will let you know how the Frogspawn looks today when I get home from work it looked great the first couple days so hopefully this is just a fluke.

 

[DC_40gallon]

It took my hammerhead over a month to open up when I first got it and my larger frogspawn, I had it nearly 2 weeks before it decided to open up and even then it's been a month now and it still is pretty tight and not fully released and opened all the way up.

Those things can be picky and stubborn. But worth their gorgeous beauty!

 

[njudson]

It opened up very nicely the first 2 days. Looked better than the tank I got it from where I think it was ignored a bit. Probably just needs a little TLC but I am worried maybe it doesn't love the spot I put him.

 

[DC_40gallon]

Might also feed it then. Try either a few pieces of mysis and shoot it into the center for it to get trapped or if you have a powder coral food just give it a good plume of food.

Might be hungry

 

[Sk8r]

Salinity. Bring it up gradually by topping off with salt water. Its feeling like you do if you just drank three glasses of fresh water real fast. A .001 salinity problem is significant to marine creatures. If you don't have an autotopoff, you need one. This prevents salinity bounces. And if you don't have a refractometer, get one. A swing-arm is too chancy to base decisions on. Autotopoff first (autotopoff.com is good) and refractometer second in priority.

 

[cloak]

I don't think it's the salinity. I've seen 10 gallons of freshwater dump into my 60 gallon reef in under a minute due to a "sticky" ATO float valve and nothing bad happened. A little sliming, but that was it. These corals are not that delicate. Even when paramaters are spot on, corals just have days where they don't open up. It happens all the time. No worries.

 

[njudson]

I've got a refracto just didn't use it before topping off to my eyeballed line. My tank is sumpless and I haven't looked into an ATO unit yet since I've had relatively low evap so far but I'm sure by fall/winter I'm going to be interested.

Assuming the frogspawn had a bad day until I see it continue to not open for a while.

No one thinks the normally out and about blenny acting funny at feeding time is related? guess thats good

 

[DC_40gallon]

I agree, as much as a tefractometer is nice to have, it's definitely not required! I use an glass refractometer I bought at a home brew store for $3.95, couldn't be happier.

Autotopoff the same, if you manually tipoff daily, save the money unless it's a huge reef like 125 or bigger IMO.

I would feed it, make sure it isn't around and other corals (could get stung or sting other things).

Give it time and leave it alone. The above is right as I mentioned with mine which took a month to open.
I have a birdsnest right now that the tips are all bloomed out by 75% of the rest of it's body is tucked in. Thing is growing like crazy but just being finicky.

 

[DC_40gallon]

Hey - just thought, how long has it been since you did a water change?

How big is this tank, and how often do you do waterchanges - also when you do water change, how many gallons do you do?

You've got a skimmer on this tank right?

Last question, where in this tank is the frogspawn? Top, bottom, middle? Annnnnd, what kind of bulbs (MH, T5) were on the tank it was in before and what is on your tank now?

 

[njudson]

My tank is a 40g breeder with an AquaC Remora Hang on Skimmer. T5 lighting. I would describe the placement of the frogspawn as mid to low ... picked it more on being a spot with a bit less flow than concern for lighting. The tank the frogspawn was in before had power compacts and I'm not sure on the placement the guy was breaking the whole tank down and selling everything.

Did a ~5 gal water change with Reef Crystals on Saturday. (got the coral friday) This is my standard every other weekend waterchange.

The more I think about it the more I figure that the frogspawn is probably just adjusting to life in its new home. It just worried me that it looked retracted on day 4 after looking perfect on day 1-3 even opening up pretty fully within hours of being in the new tank and my Hammer coral looks plump and fully extended.

I'm going to get my salinity back up to 1.025 tonight and hopefully come home to a happy coral.

 

[sslak]

I don't think it's the salinity. I've seen 10 gallons of freshwater dump into my 60 gallon reef in under a minute due to a "sticky" ATO float valve and nothing bad happened. A little sliming, but that was it. These corals are not that delicate. Even when paramaters are spot on, corals just have days where they don't open up. It happens all the time. No worries.

You start by saying it's not the salinity causing his coral not to open...

Then you say when you lowered your salinity too far it caused your corals to slime and not open....

:thumbdown

 

[DC_40gallon]

Sounds great! I too have a 40b and do a 5 gal wc weekly.

Your doing great maintenance! Keep it up and let the frogspawn alone, all sounds good except it's personality.

 

[jdthomas24]

what about lights? what kind, where are the frogspawn located in the tank? my hammers closed due to a light issue and it took them a week to open back up, i put them under a shady area in the tank and then moved them closer to the bottom.

 

[DC_40gallon]

I've found with any coral to start it shady and then after a few weeks move them up accordingly.

 

[Percula9]

Corals can't osmoregulate like fish can. When you dropped the salinity it caused stress. The coral will open up again. Try and maintain salinity at a constant level as much as possible. The salinity inside their tissues is the same as the surrounding water. If you change the salinity it changes the salinity inside their tissues to match. Fish use their kidneys to excrete salt and maintain a lower salinity inside versus the outside.

 

[njudson]

I've let the salinity gradually rise for the last few days and my frogspawn has looked a bit better each day. Back at 1.025 as of this morning. I think hes gonna be okay and just needs some time. Thanks for the help everyone.

I've never seen a feeding response from either my hammer or frogspawn. Do these tentacles only come out once the coral is big and happy? I know they also mostly come out after dark but people seem to say that if they detect food in the water they will send them out but I haven't seen this. I alternate betwee frozen mysis and Rod's Original blend with some NLS pellets.