Help please. Shrinking meat coral

[navychief]

I really don't know where to begin. My tank has been around for about a year and I haven't experienced any issues until now. I have a toadstool leather, 3 peppermint shrimp, condilactis, pencil urchin, 4 clowns, a few small feather dusters, zoanthids, emerald crab, and a emerald green donut.

I use RC and do a little over 20% WC every two weeks...religiously.
I use a 5 stage spectra-pure filter system.
0 trates/trites
0 ammonia
pH 8.6
SG 1.025
temp 84

The only thing that I haven't been testing for is Calcium, but I have plenty of purple algae growing in the tank. Maybe that's a wrong assumption of good calcium levels.

The problem is my meat coral has been shrinking All the other critters are thriving. When I brought the donut home, it was doing really well for the longest time. Now it is beginning to show the skeleton.

Eeesh!

 

[Lotus99]

I think you definitely need to check calcium. I'm no chemistry expert, but I think alkalinity is used more in coraline formation than calcium. You should be checking both if you have corals.

Are you feeding it? While they don't need feeding, they do benefit from it. Mine likes a 1/4 krill or small piece of squid every now and then.

 

[navychief]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12942326#post12942326 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lotus99
I think you definitely need to check calcium. I'm no chemistry expert, but I think alkalinity is used more in coraline formation than calcium. You should be checking both if you have corals.

Are you feeding it? While they don't need feeding, they do benefit from it. Mine likes a 1/4 krill or small piece of squid every now and then.

I fed him a piece of raw shrimp and he ate it very willingly, but that was when he was full in size. I tried giving him a piece while he's been in the shrunken state, but he doesn't take it. I did isolate him in a clear corning ware dish since the peppermint shrimp were picking at him.

I do agree that I need to get something to monitor cal/alk. But I wouldn't think this would be the issue since the RC water changes are always performed. I do however have a 2 part b-ionic calcium standing by, but I will not dose until I know my current levels.

Do you think there's any problem with isolating him in the corning ware dish?

 

[navychief]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12942326#post12942326 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lotus99
I think you definitely need to check calcium. I'm no chemistry expert, but I think alkalinity is used more in coraline formation than calcium. You should be checking both if you have corals.

Are you feeding it? While they don't need feeding, they do benefit from it. Mine likes a 1/4 krill or small piece of squid every now and then.

I got a calcium test kit. It shows a Ca of 320.

 

[akindbro4u]

your ca is low. it should be in the 400s....

 

[navychief]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12946800#post12946800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by akindbro4u
your ca is low. it should be in the 400s....

I figured it was a little low. I'm going to give the ESV B-Ionic two part a try. I'll dose it per instructions then remeasure in 48 hours. thanks