Help Candies wont Expand!?

[bluespotocto]

They are looking much better then that first photo. They arent really sinking in any more but i do the notice the skin is starting to come up from the bottom. My salinity was a bit low it was around 1.020. I raised to about 1.022. Could that have been my problem?

 

[kingfisher62]

Could be! but I would still look into those nitrites and ammonia levels.

 

[bluespotocto]

I dont know why they would be high. Nothing has died every one and every thing is accounted for. I did add about 4 fish in the last 3 weeks and added 4 corals in the last 2 weeks. I am going to check the parameters again tonight.

 

[scolylover]

my candies were upset with me too because they fell... for me they wouldn't open up for a couple of weeks... have you tried feeding them? slowly mine opened up that way... when it was upset it was receeding as well... hope everything turns out okay.

 

[jnbrex]

40 Nitrates is too high for any hard coral to survive for long.

 

[bluespotocto]

Ya i fed mine and then they look really good but then about couple hours later they sink into them again. I also checked my parameters again and they are still a little high. Is it possible that it could be going through a mini cycle? It also might be my test kit. My test kit is API. Has any one ever had problems with there test kits?

 

[bluespotocto]

Also another thing to add is i dont think it is my parameters doing it to it possibly. I got this really nice green candy about 2 months ago and it started dieing right away and this was before i knew any thing about corals. Now within the last 2 weeks it has been coming back extremely well and all my other LPS are looking really good. Its only this darn candy!

 

[kingfisher62]

I find that my candy cane is pretty hardy. I had a tank crash one summer on vacation everthing looked like crap but my candycanes were unaffected!

 

[bluespotocto]

I have looked around for any one who has died in a cave or somehing i can find any thing. I could only think now that it is from my wet/dry filter or my test kit isnt working. Is it possible that my 2 filter blocks in the sump could have stuff on the inside of them and that is causing the bad parameters?

 

[LPS_Blasto]

It's possible. Do you have a LFS nearby? Take a water sample in and ask them to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Wet/dry filters and canister filters are the two worse things you can use to filter a reef tank IMO. Either convert the wet/dry to a sump or remove it altogether.

 

[bluespotocto]

Well i just did another water changed and siphoned all the gunk out of my wet/dry filter. I checked my parameters and everything is 0 except my nitrites which arent that high. Some thing has to be wrong with my test kit or i might be doing something wrong because my nitrates says i have a 160 nitrates. The good thing all my corals are looking much better. I have new mouths popping up every where on my acan! My torch is a little odd still it will be out and look good then about an hour later it will be all small.

I really want to convert my wet/dry into a little sump. I know i will need LR. Is that all i need? Do i need some algae or something? A light? I dont think i will need a baffle because wont it run through my return pump and chop up all the bubbles?

 

[kingfisher62]

Sounds like you want to turn it in to a refugium. I never had one I only dream of having one but the thought of water pumping out of my tank and then back in scares the hell out of me . I would always be concerned with a flood and ruining my hardwood floors. I know millions of people do it , it is just one of my hangups!
I do not know much about them but some people keep a deep sand beds in them with LR rubble and macroalgaes such as chaeto.Yes you will need some sort of lighting.

 

[LPS_Blasto]

Dude, if you want help, take a picture of that wet/dry and post it here. I'll help you convert it to a refugium. It's easy, I just need to know what you have to start out with. Most wet/dry filters are acrylic or plexiglass. You can use Weld-on #40 to glue plexiglass baffles into the wet/dry and turn it into a refugium.

Yes, you want live rock and macro algae. Get cheato or some other type. You don't need much light. Get a small spot light and screw a 20w - 40w compact fluorescent swirly bulb into it.

 

[bluespotocto]

I dont think i want to turn it into a fuge. I want to turn it into a sump. I cant get a picture of it because it is to close to the wall. My only question is is can i put live rock in there in place of the bio- balls and that would be good?

 

[fstar25]

1.022 seems pretty low. Are you using a hydrometer or refractometer to test that. I would get it up around 1.024-1.026.

Good luck.

 

[M88A2]

i noticed u didnt post your mag? my mag was low and i saw some lps losing flesh. you should invest in a mag test if u dont already have one.

 

[bluespotocto]

Ya i dont have a mag. testing kit. I am going to go to my LFS this weekend for them to test every thing. Do they charge for that and if so how much?

 

[bluespotocto]

Well i got all parameters to 0 except my nitrate is still around 35ppm. All my other LPS are looking good my brain and acan both have new heads popping up every where. My torch is coming all the way out. My old candy that was dieing but started coming back isnt looking its best and my candy that is dieing is still kinda sinking into is self but it is also slowing coming up to the head. I still have no idea whats wrong with them. Do candies more light then any other LPS?

 

[timr]

Could be that the amonia spike was too much for them to survive since they were new. Established corals in my experience can survive poor water quality much better than something recently introduced.

 

[bluespotocto]

I guess i will keep watching them and target feed them to try and keep them alive.