Need help with frogspawn's!

[Tennyson]

I just bought a frogspawn with four heads for $95. I acclimated it well and set It on the bottom of the tank so it could acclimate to the light. I left to get food for it, I come up, and my stupid peppermint shrimp was eating the smallest heads tentacles! I cannot tell you how ****ed off I was at that shrimp! If I could, I would have killed it right on the spot.

So I just stared In such shock, as it moved onto the other head, it got part of the second head but didn't do that much damage. I scared it away in time. The smallest head that had maybe three or five tentacles eaten is doing ok I guess, the others are good.

So the peppermint ripped some tentacles off, and some drifted away, then my yellow polyps ate it, and died! I want to kill that shrimp!

Will my poor frogspawn be ok where it is (on the sandbed right in front of my. Pep hide out) ? I don't think so, can I just forget about light acclimation and move it up where it won't get eaten? And will the damaged head heal ok? Seems like it, its starting to open again. Can I rest assured that my peppermint wontdo anymore damage if I move it to a safe place? I'm afraid to turn out the lights and risk another attack from the peppermints.

And is there a need to light acclimate if I think the lights in the lfs were stronger than my 96 watt?

Ok, last, there's a coral barnacle on one of the heads, and I think itay be hindering the growth of the head, is that a good enough reason to get rid of it or is it ok? And if I should get rid of it, how do i do it without harming the flesh of the head?

 

[Radioheadx14]

I don't think you need to light acclimate if the LFS had stonger lights that you. I got my hammers from a guy that had them under 400w MHs and I put mine mid way up with my 150w DE MHs with no problem... as for the peppermint... i would try to get him out of there... there is no telling when he will do it again.

 

[Tennyson]

he just did it five minutes ago! Or he was making an attempt at it. I freaked out and tried to obligerate it and grab it with my hands. I think I'm overreacting though. I moved it up where they don't really venture off too, and its guarded by my Midas and clownfish, so hopefully this shouldn't happen again, if it does, I'm getting rid of both of my peppermints.

For some reason, my other duller and shyer pep hasn't done anything. Will it recover from being partially eaten? Not that much was eaten, just about 5.

Any chance my other shrimp harming it also?
I have:
-2 skunk cleaners
-2 non hosting anemone shrimp and a normal anemone shrimp (I don't think these will do any harm)
-coral banded (probably wouldn't do anything)
-and those peppermints.

Thanks

 

[ILoveReefer]

As for lighting it will probably do best higher up in the tank under the pc lighting. As for acclimation to the light I would't worry about that. Frogspawn are pretty hardy and recover well from damage such as this. I would probably do what you suggest and get rid of the peppermint shrimp. Most shrimp will not harm corals but I only have experience with skunks and blood red shrimp.

 

[Lotus99]

My peppermints do the same when I get new corals, but seem to leave them alone the next day. Maybe it's damaged flesh on the corals from moving them into the tank that attracts them.

Of course, your shrimp may be different, and continue to bother the corals.

I nearly killed mine the first time I saw them doing that, I just couldn't bring myself to.

 

[Tennyson]

OK, thanks, I think I freaked out my shrimp when I tried to destroy it when I saw it doing it again. And I moved the frogspawn somewhere else where my cleaner shrimps are, and they are aggressive towards my peps, so I don't think they will bother it anymore.

Anything bad with the coral barnacle living on the flesh of one of the heads? That head with the barnacle looks kind of funny on the side where the barnacle is, and I don't really like watching this feathery thing poking out from the head. How do I get rid of it? Should I get rid of it, will it harm the coral or hinder its growth?

 

[Tennyson]

I'm starting to think that removing my peps from the tank might not be needed. I have left the frogspawn in a high up area where they do not venture off into that often. And its guarded by my skunk cleaners, midas and clownfish, and the heads are kind of high up off the rocks.

And maybe according to Lotus99, this could have been the first time and last time it will do it. What do you mean by its the damged flesh on corals from moving them Lotus99? Do you mean that when they are bought, they are damaged so the peps want to eat it? I don't understand.

I think that as long as its in a place they don't venture off into, the coral should be safe, for now. And when I first put it there, it was right in front of where the peps lived most. But I'll still have to see what else happens with them and the frogspawn.

How and when do I feed the heads of the frogspawn? I fed one head that formula one food (from the other thread by SD Guy) but that was because its smaller, and I can just shove it in the mouth. But the other heads are covered with more tentacles, so I can't really do that, and the other heads can't bring the food into their mouth with all their other tentacles in the way.
Is there a certain time I feed them when their tentacles are'nt in the way? Or could the other heads be full?

And is that barnacle on the coral bad still from the above post?

And are calcium levels of around 340-360 good, or should I try and raise it up more with Kent's liquid calcium? Can a coral die if there is little calcium in the water?
Can the calcium levels drop quickly if I also have a brain coral that also needs calcium and from skimming? I just did a water change yesturday, and I think the salt is the source of all my calcium because I don't add anything but saltwater and food.

Thanks

 

[ILoveReefer]

I think what lotus meant by damage is there is inevitable damage to the coral during transport and handling. However small and insignificant the damage may be the shrimp may have picked up the scent and decided to investigate and maybe sample it.

To feed frogspawn i usually fill up a small bowl with tank water, place desired amount of fish food in that small bowl mix it a little and suck it up into a turkey baster. Gently squeeze the turkey baster over the frogspawn "not touching the heads." You don't really feed the coral they can do that themselves. The turkey baster is used just to direct food in their direction before your fish eat it all. This method can be applied to practically all corals. They should be feed when there tentacles are out and fully expanded even if you don't see there mouth. Once a week should be fine.

Calcium should be maintained at about 460-480 ppm. Your calcium is too low and you should definitely raise yours. Calcium builds strong bones in the coral world too. Frogspawn are pretty hardy and probably will survive in the short term in a low calcium tank. Higher calcium levels are needed for growth by all lps and sps corals. Calcium should be monitored closely. Some calcium may be lost to skimming but im too sure on that. Most calcium will be used by your coral and for coralline algae. Most salt mixes don't provided sufficient calcium in there mixes.

As far as the barnacle question goes, I'm not certain if he'll harm the frogspawn or not. Barnacles are filter feeders and there diet doesn't consist of coral. However there maybe a little competition for space and may end up smothering the head of frogspawn, stunting, or altering the growth of the head of frogspawn in a battle for location. But they also may live in harmony with one another. Hopefully someone will chime in here that has expiernece with a barnacle living on a piece of euphyllia or any other type of coral for that matter.

 

[Tennyson]

OK thanks! I'll make sure to add calcium by today. If not today, then by tommorow for sure.

The frogspawn is doing great now. I was away for last night, but I don't think my peps harmed it at all, so all is well for now. Thanks

 

[Tennyson]

OK, calcium was added last night. Everything is going great, and problems solved.

I got sick of seeing that barnacle poking its feathery thing out, so I got tweezers, and grapped its feeder arms off. I'm still waiting to comfirm its death, it will probably live, will have to see.

I think two heads have two or more mouths, does this mean that its going to go from four heads to six or seven? How long would this take if this is whats going on?

Thanks

 

[Tennyson]

I've been trying to spot feed my frogspawn heads with meaty foods, but its not swallowing them hat well. The food is about three times bigger than the mouth, so I figured it was too big, but I don't even see them trying to eat it. I have been succesful feeding 3 times. Is there a way to make the mouths open up so they can eat easily, or a certain time I should feed them so they will accept it?

Thanks

 

[Dustin1300]

I could not believe the price you paid....My lfs for that many heads would be in the 40-50 range....But they don't really do it to profit, they just love it for what it is!

 

[Tennyson]

My lfs isn't about profit also, its just because it was so rare in that store, they only get a frogspawn in almost every month, but it might not even be the right color.

I felt ripped off, I went to my other lfs the other day to pick up some food, and they had one for two heads, same color for only $30, but I still like my bigger one.

I noticed that my frogspawn's mouths were open during the night, but are closed during the day, should I feed it at night then? Its kind of inconvenient at night, anything I could use to make them accept food during the day?

Thanks

 

[amaya]

i dont feed mine and are doing great.the pepp. are only eating dead tissue or maybe an aptasia anemone

 

[Tennyson]

Well, I'll still feed my frogspawn, just not as much now (if you've read my other thread). About 1-2 times a week, I really want it to grow.

What corals can these guys touch without killing them besides hammers, other frogspawns and torch's? Or is that it? Bubble corals, ricordea, alvepora, gorgonians, or is it only the three I listed earlier?