Frogspawn dying?

[bureau13]

OK, I'm getting a little desperate with this thing. I've had this nice four or five head Frogspawn for about two months. Most of this time was spent in my 55 gal waiting for my 240 gal to be ready for livestock. During the last couple weeks in the 55, I noticed that it wasn't as full as it used to be. Could be a number of things...temps are a bit high (82ish) and I know there is a bit of a nitrate and phosphate problem. Also, it is a bit too near a leather that I have (maybe a Devil's Hand? Not completely sure). Anyway, I've moved it to the 240 gal now, its not next to the leather, temps are still a bit high, but most everything else seems pretty decent: salinity is 1.24, pH 8.2, phosphates and nitrates are nice and low (phosphate undetectable, nitrate about 5) and alkalinity is around 9 or so. The one parameter that is quite a bit off is Calcium...last test was 310, I'm trying to bring that up. Also, its about a third of the way up in a deep tank and only power compacts (the HQIs aren't hung yet). However, here's the weird part...the thing is completely withdrawn into the skeleton during the day. At night it starts to come out a bit, but no more than a half inch extension. Its getting moderate flow and nothing is picking on it.

Any ideas what is wrong, and what I can do about it? I'm trying to entice it out with some food right before lights out. Would the low Ca cause this, or just prevent growth? I am working on the lights, but I wouldn't have thought too little light would cause it to completely withdraw in the day and peek out a bit at night, that seems backwards.

Anyway, any help will be appreciated, I'm going to be hating life if I lose this guy.

jds

 

[SilverShark]

My guess is on the low calcium. I lost a frogspawn and a torch once and the only conclusion I could come up with was low calcium.

 

[lechee12]

do you have any clowns?? maybe they annoying it to death?

 

[bureau13]

I actually do have a pair of gold-striped maroon clowns, but I've never seen them venture anywhere near the frogspawn. They're hanging out in a BTA right now, and never go too far away from it.

jds

 

[CeeGee]

That calcium is extremely low.

What salt are you using?

 

[bureau13]

Instant Ocean. Believe it or not, it was actually lower than that before I started fortifying it with some B-Ionic 2-part that I had lying around. There's not much in the tank that is consuming it either, it just seems to be mixing up really low.

jds

 

[CeeGee]

It would take 10 years of b-ionic to get the level up to what it needs to be. Try a product like seachem's reef complete and the keep the level "in place" with b-ionic.

You will also need to check magnesium in that IO. Low mag will make it very hard to get your calcium to the proper levels.

Every time you get a new bucket of IO do tests on the first batch and figure out what you need to add to get the levels in check. I use reef crystals as it is much closer to the proper levels.

 

[bureau13]

Reef Complete eh...I will get some of that. And I did just order a Magnesium test kit. Good advice about testing the first batch up front. I get IO for $28 for a 160 gal bucket so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

jds