Help, please!

[pacificdiver]

I posted yesterday about my QT setup, but haven't been able to get any feedback yet. I'm hoping for some help here, before things bottom out.

I ordered a cauliflower colt and a candycane online, acclimated, did a 5 min dip in Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer, then into 10G QT. After a few hours the cauliflower seemed to open up, and orient itself toward the LED light source, but this morning, it was slumped over, and stayed that way even after 3 hours of lights on. Can someone help me troubleshoot here? There are no other inhabitants, other than the two corals.

Water specs:

Ammonia, NO2, NO3,PO4, Si =>0
Temp: 76
Salinity: 1.023
Ca: 400
Mag: 1200
Alk: 9
pH: 8.3

Lighting: 12W ABI LED coral spectrum bulb (PAR 38)

I attached photos with LEDs on and off, since the LED tend to wash out details.

If anyone could help me figure out what I can do to get these things looking like they're on the right path, I'd really appreciate it. I don't know much about keeping corals, but it definitely looks like the cauliflower is not doing well.

Thank you!

 

[Snarky Shark]

Salinity typically like to keep 1.025 but shouldn't really affect it that much.

Have you been feeding candy cane? They tend to like mysis or at least mine do.

I have the same type top picture coral (kenya tree?). It did tgat for a few days and then finally came around. It got stressed when touched.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[JustinM]

Your candy cane looks minutes away from death IMO. I don't know much about par38's so can't comment on lighting. What bayer concentration did you use?

 

[heathlindner25]

I would have not have dipped any of those in bayer.

 

[pacificdiver]

I would have not have dipped any of those in bayer.

That's a shame. I had referenced a seemingly well-written tutorial that dosed 5 min in 10ml per 4oz acclimated tank water. What should I have done, in order to avoid this problem? Is CoralRx a more gentle approach?

 

[heathlindner25]

It's Just me ,I don't dip any coral. Imo It's a pretty drastic thing to do to a sensitive animal .

 

[pacificdiver]

It's Just me ,I don't dip any coral. Imo It's a pretty drastic thing to do to a sensitive animal .

I honestly hadn't even considered that, since I pretty much assume that everything coming in is going to have some hitchhikers. I'm going to seriously consider just watching them in QT and treating if I see a problem.

Where do you buy your corals? Are there any online vendors that are reputable for shipping corals that are fairly "pest-free?" I'm limited to online, since my LFS is an incubator for some of the most horrific pests in the aquarium industry.

I can't stand losing animals, especially when I'm the one that caused the loss. Very frustrating. I'm going to have to figure something out or I'm going back to FOWLR.

 

[mcgyvr]

candy cane looks dead as I don't see any fleshy heads at all..


The leather is probably totally fine..
Its VERY common for leather corals to look like that for days or more.. They sometimes close up then shed a layer of skin to clean themselves or tear themselves apart in places to reproduce..
Or just slump like that when put into a new environment..


Give it more time..

 

[pacificdiver]

candy cane looks dead as I don't see any fleshy heads at all..


The leather is probably totally fine..
Its VERY common for leather corals to look like that for days or more.. They sometimes close up then shed a layer of skin to clean themselves or tear themselves apart in places to reproduce..
Or just slump like that when put into a new environment..


Give it more time..

Ok, thanks for the input. I'm going to remove the candycane. It actually hasn't changed appearance at all since being removed from the bag, so I'm wondering if it died in transport. I'll give the cauliflower some time.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[mcgyvr]

yes.. candycane died in transport if its looked like that the whole time.. I'd guess you have a DOA return policy but not sure how long you have waited now,etc...

 

[pacificdiver]

yes.. candycane died in transport if its looked like that the whole time.. I'd guess you have a DOA return policy but not sure how long you have waited now,etc...

Ok, thanks. It arrived Friday am so I should be fine to get credit.

 

[JustinM]

Dipping in bayer is perfectly fine and you should dip everything unless you want pests coming in on coral. Bayer seems to be the most gentle. I have never experienced any issues using it among thousands of others using it as well.

 

[pacificdiver]

Dipping in bayer is perfectly fine and you should dip everything unless you want pests coming in on coral. Bayer seems to be the most gentle. I have never experienced any issues using it among thousands of others using it as well.

Was my dosage possibly too high? I used a tutorial that indicated 10ml per 4oz acclimated tank water for 5min. I'm pretty neurotic about quarantine and preventative treatment, so I opted for the highest concentration recommendation I found.

 

[Snarky Shark]

There are several reputabke online companies for frags but they can habe hitchhikers as well. Also, there is always the chance they can die within shipping. Always best to contact vendor early in the acclimating process.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[mx51]

That's a shame. I had referenced a seemingly well-written tutorial that dosed 5 min in 10ml per 4oz acclimated tank water. What should I have done, in order to avoid this problem? Is CoralRx a more gentle approach?

I have always had good luck with CoralRx. I dip all my coral and have never lost anything do to dipping... just my 2 cents

 

[JustinM]

Was my dosage possibly too high? I used a tutorial that indicated 10ml per 4oz acclimated tank water for 5min. I'm pretty neurotic about quarantine and preventative treatment, so I opted for the highest concentration recommendation I found.

I personally uses about 4ml's to 4 oz but some people use up to 10 like you and as little as 1. I also dip mine for 10 min, then place in a clean container for 10 min then 1 more rinse for 10 min. I have never lost a piece and as far as I know I am pest free.

We are now setting up a coral qt, but that is going to be geared more towards adding snails and coral to keep ich, velvet, brook, etc out of the tank.

 

[Lizard333]

Dipping with Bayer is completely fine. Better safe than sorry. The dip most likely had zero to do with your coral dying. For those that don't dip, you are rolling the dice. There can be a whole host of hitch hikers that are not good for your tank, that can be reduced with simple dips prior to introducing them into your tank.

 

[LuizW13]

I don't have a spare lighting fixture and always thought that dipping the coral was appropriate. I have Coral Revive- i'm okay to dip corals with it, right, or should i buy that bayer product as well?

 

[heathlindner25]

Dipping with Bayer is completely fine. Better safe than sorry. The dip most likely had zero to do with your coral dying. For those that don't dip, you are rolling the dice. There can be a whole host of hitch hikers that are not good for your tank, that can be reduced with simple dips prior to introducing them into your tank.

Never dipped and never got anything negitve, But I have got a bunch of bio-diversity. :hmm4: