is this brown jelly disease or anything else?

[Jblank44]

I am currently trying to figure out what is closing up my tank, i am changing a lot. :sad1:

set up:
-14 gal biocube

changes being made:
-moved powerhead to agitate the top of the water surface more
-buying a small powerhead to eliminate 'dead spaces' and cause more flow
-buying a media basket for chamber 2
-buying a protein skimmer
-buying a refractometer
-filling basket with chemo-pure, purigen, filter floss.
-may upgrade pump

parameters:
sal: 30.5
Nitrate: under 5.0 ppm range
Nitrite: around 0 ppm
Ammonia: around 0 ppm
Ph: around 8.0, was a little under normal
Temp: 78° (not exactly sure as i am going by the heater, not good i know)
Age: about 6-7 months
Lights: last changed last month


Excuse my ignorance for lack of knowledge, doing my best to learn and I have been doing extensive research during my spare time.

Anything helps!
Thanks,
Jacob

 

[staindsoul]

pics and what fish you have stocked would help. a 14 gallon lps wont need much flow. what small power head are you buying?

 

[SPotter]

What kind of lps are you talking about? as stated above most lps dont require a lot of flow so that could be part of the problem. Also, is you sg really 30.5? thats pretty low and could be another part of the problem. any pics you have would help too.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jblank44]

pics and what fish you have stocked would help. A 14 gallon lps wont need much flow. What small power head are you buying?

 

[SPotter]

Frogspawn and hammer corals dont like a lot of flow or very intense lighting. It looks like this getting hit with a lot of flow and with the expopsued skeleton at the base doesnt look promising. What kind of lighting do you have, what is your photoperiod and your salt level is around 1.021 and should be up around 1.025. What about your other livestock? How are they doing?

 

[Reef Bass]

Is that a retracted frogspawn?

When dealing with stony corals, it's very important to keep your alkalinity, calcium and magnesium levels on target. You don't mention your levels of any of those. You're looking for alk of 8-10, calcium 400-450, mag around 1300. With a smaller tank, it's easy for those to get out of whack quickly.

 

[Jblank44]

Is that a retracted frogspawn?

When dealing with stony corals, it's very important to keep your alkalinity, calcium and magnesium levels on target. You don't mention your levels of any of those. You're looking for alk of 8-10, calcium 400-450, mag around 1300. With a smaller tank, it's easy for those to get out of whack quickly.

okay i will get stuff to test those, how do you maintain those levels?

 

[markalot]

You were told in the other thread to get your salinity to 1.025 - 1.026 or 35. You also indicate you purchase your water at a store. See, that's part of the problem, you are at the whim of whoever mixed that water. If they made a mistake then that mistake in in your tank.

Water is the most important thing in our tanks.

Read: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Good luck, and have fun with the research and learning how to take care of things. It's really the best part of the hobby.

 

[Jblank44]

You were told in the other thread to get your salinity to 1.025 - 1.026 or 35. You also indicate you purchase your water at a store. See, that's part of the problem, you are at the whim of whoever mixed that water. If they made a mistake then that mistake in in your tank.

Water is the most important thing in our tanks.

Read: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Good luck, and have fun with the research and learning how to take care of things. It's really the best part of the hobby.

thanks! I've figured out the salt stuff and that will be changed.

 

[Jblank44]

would it be a good idea to dip my corals for a few weeks?

 

[Reef Bass]

There are a number of ways to maintain alk, ca and mag levels. For zoanthid and soft coral tanks with a low calcium demand, water changes alone are often sufficient. For tanks with animals that use calcium from the water to form their skeleton (stony corals), water changes may not be enough, and when testing shows levels getting low, one needs to dose. Dosing can be done manually or automatically. In your case simple manual dosing with kalk or any of the prepared solutions would probably be fine. Testing will tell you how much to dose, or you can use any of the online calculators, like the one on RC, to give you a starting point.

+1 for good luck and enjoying researching and learning.

 

[Reef Bass]

I dip all new arrivals. But after that, unless I have a specific reason to do so, like seeing pests or necrosis, I don't. Dipping can be somewhat to very stressful, depending on the dip.

 

[SPotter]

would it be a good idea to dip my corals for a few weeks?

no dips are for parasites and pests. you clearly have a water quality issue and this can all be fixed with improved tank husbandry....weekly water changes, stable and proper water parameters.

I saw your other thread and you are asking and getting the same answers there as you are here so at some point you have to realize that what we are saying will help. I saw your lighting set up and photo period and IMO, your photo period is too long @ 12 hrs for a small tank like that.

Here are some things that I think you need to do:
1. Bring up your salinity to 35 and keep it there.
2. Reduce your photo period to 8 hrs
3. Move the pieces to a shaded area in the tank where they arent getting as much light and sheltered from the flow of your power heads
4. Take the advice that you are getting on here. We all have different levels of experience in this hobby but together we have a lot of knowledge to help you but we can only help if you listen.

Here is what LiveAquaria has listed for frogspawn and hammer care.....

Lighting: Moderate to High
Waterflow: Medium
Placement: Bottom
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Whenever my frogs and hammers arent looking too good I have moved them to a calmer and more shaded area in the tank. With a few days they begin to improve.

 

[Jblank44]

I dip all new arrivals. But after that, unless I have a specific reason to do so, like seeing pests or necrosis, I don't. Dipping can be somewhat to very stressful, depending on the dip.

I was thinking about getting the seachrm dip and dipping my frogspawn, toadstool and zoas.

 

[Jblank44]

no dips are for parasites and pests. you clearly have a water quality issue and this can all be fixed with improved tank husbandry....weekly water changes, stable and proper water parameters.

I saw your other thread and you are asking and getting the same answers there as you are here so at some point you have to realize that what we are saying will help. I saw your lighting set up and photo period and IMO, your photo period is too long @ 12 hrs for a small tank like that.

Here are some things that I think you need to do:
1. Bring up your salinity to 35 and keep it there.
2. Reduce your photo period to 8 hrs
3. Move the pieces to a shaded area in the tank where they arent getting as much light and sheltered from the flow of your power heads
4. Take the advice that you are getting on here. We all have different levels of experience in this hobby but together we have a lot of knowledge to help you but we can only help if you listen.

Here is what LiveAquaria has listed for frogspawn and hammer care.....

Lighting: Moderate to High
Waterflow: Medium
Placement: Bottom
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Whenever my frogs and hammers arent looking too good I have moved them to a calmer and more shaded area in the tank. With a few days they begin to improve.

Thanks, it's not that I'm not taking your advice, I'm making changes with all advice I've been givin, just trying to learn more and more so I know whn certain things happen.

 

[Jblank44]

no dips are for parasites and pests. you clearly have a water quality issue and this can all be fixed with improved tank husbandry....weekly water changes, stable and proper water parameters.

I saw your other thread and you are asking and getting the same answers there as you are here so at some point you have to realize that what we are saying will help. I saw your lighting set up and photo period and IMO, your photo period is too long @ 12 hrs for a small tank like that.

Here are some things that I think you need to do:
1. Bring up your salinity to 35 and keep it there.
2. Reduce your photo period to 8 hrs
3. Move the pieces to a shaded area in the tank where they arent getting as much light and sheltered from the flow of your power heads
4. Take the advice that you are getting on here. We all have different levels of experience in this hobby but together we have a lot of knowledge to help you but we can only help if you listen.

Here is what LiveAquaria has listed for frogspawn and hammer care.....

Lighting: Moderate to High
Waterflow: Medium
Placement: Bottom
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Whenever my frogs and hammers arent looking too good I have moved them to a calmer and more shaded area in the tank. With a few days they begin to improve.

Thanks, it's not that I'm not taking your advice, I'm making changes with all advice I've been givin, just trying to learn more and more so I know whn certain things happen.