vlangel
Premium Member
Hi folks, I guess it happens to all of us but my tank has been through a rough patch this past month. Its kind of crazy because I just got TOTM for February on NR. Pride goeth before a fall, I suppose.
It started with some of my coral receding. My yellow polyps I got from Hermansae, my gsp (who has trouble with gsp???), and clove polyps. My guess is its a lack of nutrients to feed them. I do 21 gallons a week water changes on my 56 gallon system plus I have a skimmer rated for 180 gallons. Finally the macro algae are growing great guns no doubt sucking up a lot of nutrients. My PO4 is .125 and nitrates are 5 so there are some nutrients.
The seahorses are my priority so if a coral can't flourish in the conditions for the ponies its too bad for the coral. That is why I wont feed the coral. Any food I feed the coral with could potentially also feed dangerous bacteria which is a seahorse's enemy. In fact I am treating my female in a hospital tank right now for a bacterial infection which is also part of my tank's woes. I really don't even have a theory why she got sick, as I have been on top of tank maintenance. She is slowly responding to antibiotics though. It can take 2 months to get a sick pony healthy again, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So thats where I am. It happens to all of us eventually. :-(
It started with some of my coral receding. My yellow polyps I got from Hermansae, my gsp (who has trouble with gsp???), and clove polyps. My guess is its a lack of nutrients to feed them. I do 21 gallons a week water changes on my 56 gallon system plus I have a skimmer rated for 180 gallons. Finally the macro algae are growing great guns no doubt sucking up a lot of nutrients. My PO4 is .125 and nitrates are 5 so there are some nutrients.
The seahorses are my priority so if a coral can't flourish in the conditions for the ponies its too bad for the coral. That is why I wont feed the coral. Any food I feed the coral with could potentially also feed dangerous bacteria which is a seahorse's enemy. In fact I am treating my female in a hospital tank right now for a bacterial infection which is also part of my tank's woes. I really don't even have a theory why she got sick, as I have been on top of tank maintenance. She is slowly responding to antibiotics though. It can take 2 months to get a sick pony healthy again, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So thats where I am. It happens to all of us eventually. :-(
O4-X Biological Nitrate & Phosphate Reducer (elmers has it) and it has helped. I have been dosing way under the recommended amount with good results and will pick it up a little more once I feel comfortable that the corals and fish are ok.
