Need help with Trachyphyllia Problems

d2mini

d2mini

Premium Member
So these have normally done great for me. In fact, this one pictured was brought back from nearly 90% tissue loss from when it was being babysat for me while between tank builds. Now, it hasn't lost tissue per say, but it is always extremely closed up, so much so that you can see the white skeleton ridges through the tissue.

This is what it used to look like"¦

20130502_DSC1700_200gReef.jpg


And now it looks like this. This is not my pic but it looks pretty much the same.
102_1005.jpg

At night it puffs up a little bit and extends feeders. So in that sense, it acts normal. I also thought maybe it was sick so I bought another one and it does the same thing! Although the tissues seems to be a lot thicker so it doesn't show skeleton like the one above. And it also puffs up a little more at night.

So apparently there is something about my tank that these guys are not liking and I'd like to figure it out. It started suddenly about 6 months ago. Lighting hadn't changed at the time. I now have mh/t5 instead of LED which I had before and that hasn't made one iota of difference. I also never changed position of it. It sits on the sand bed. The second one i got I tried lifting up a little bit on to some rock and that hasn't made any difference in it, either.

Alk stays around 7.5-8.3
Calc is around 450
Nitrates around 4
Phosphate has ranged during this time period anywhere from .04 to .12

Any ideas???
All my other LPS do fantastic. SPS are doing well too.
 
The first pic is mine before.
Now its so closed up you can see white skeleton through the tissue and its been this way for 5-6 months. And the second trach i added closed up pretty quickly (but doesn't look nearly that bad) and has also been that way for 5-6 months. They are on opposite ends of the tank, too.
I'll try to post a pic later but would still like to here some suggestions. Pretend the there pic above is mine. ;)
 
snorvich said:
How much flow? How much light?
Click to expand...
I have two mp60's in the tank. I'd say they get moderate flow.
Neither is in the direct line of sight since they are on the sand bed and this trach in particular is close to the middle of the tank. I have 250w Radiums over the tank plus 4 t5 bulbs. The tank is 24" deep and the lights are 8" off the water.

Shaummy said:
Have you been feeding it when you see the feeders come out?
Click to expand...
No, and I never did before, even when it was recovering and growing all its tissue back and looking great. Everything my tank gets broadcast fed. I did try spot feeding it during my normal evening feedings but of course it wouldn't take anything. Maybe I can try spraying it with some Reef Chili in the morning when the feeders are out.

Here it is...

20140513_DSC3973_200gReef.jpg
 
I have had similar issues with mine. One day he just closed up. Stayed that way for like 2 weeks. I spot fed some sinking pellets and the next day he exploded open. Over the last week hes been open but not fully poofed up.
 
Do you have angels? I had a potters that loved these things and killed 2. I'm going to try a third now that my harlequin tusk caught my angel off guard one day :)
 
I do have a spot breasted angel, but I have never seen any of my fish pay any attention to either of my trachs or my other corals.

This is a pic of what he looked like this morning. Quite the difference, eh?
I fed him with Reef Chili after I took this shot.

So I wonder why he looks like the previous pic all day long???


20140514_DSC3976_200gReef.jpg
 
When my two brain corals get in a funk, I will spot feed with some mysis and they seem to recover nicely. I agree they just sometimes deflate and not really sure why but they do bounce back.

Hope yours is on it's way back, it looks really nice.
 
Thanks, I wish it would bounce back. I'd say it's been looking just like this since around Christmas. What the heck?!
 
It seems like its a lighting thing if he looks like that in the morning before halides are on. I know you said you didn't think it was, but it makes sense when you think about it.

Keep up feeding him see how it goes. Move to a little bit less light if a deference isn't made. The picture you put up of it when you say it's closed up doesn't even look terrible, I think it's just not needing to flesh out since enough light is getting there.

Also, you said Cal was "around 450". I know trachys and other open brains sometimes don't like calcium that high, more like 425 and lower. That doesn't explain the day vs night deference but you should prob get an accurate calcium reading and adjust if ya need to. Best of luck!
 
It look healthy to me. IF anything I'd guess it's happier at night because the flow is reduced in the tank. But that's just speculation which is all any of us can give you.

SaltyWalter said:
Also, you said Cal was "around 450". I know trachys and other open brains sometimes don't like calcium that high, more like 425 and lower.
Click to expand...

Sorry, not an ounce of truth in that statement.

And the best of hobbyist test kits doesn't have the resolution to accurately tell the difference between 425 and 450.

A Red Sea kit will tell you my tank is over 500 CA. A Salifert says it's 400. This one of my T's in that tank.

t.jpg
 
Reefvet said:
Sorry, not an ounce of truth in that statement.

And the best of hobbyist test kits doesn't have the resolution to accurately tell the difference between 425 and 450.

A Red Sea kit will tell you my tank is over 500 CA. A Salifert says it's 400. This one of my T's in that tank.

t.jpg
Click to expand...


Actually, there's plenty of truth in that statement. I've noticed a huge difference in several years of aquarium keeping, on both the hobby level and when I used to work at a wholesaler. Some, not all, open brains tend to close up when Ca approaches 500ppm. I didn't say at 450, the OP said 'around 450' which could mean its higher.

As for your test kits, I have seen differences like that between tests and have replaced the kits that measured out of whack. A good way to standardize your kit is to test a fresh batch of quality salt mix, most are pretty spot on with what the manufacturer says. I also test against the Hanna checker with every new test kit, and have been pretty accurate. They key to testing is doing every step carefully, I hardly ever get skewed results like you mentioned.
 
SaltyWalter said:
Actually, there's plenty of truth in that statement. I've noticed a huge difference in several years of aquarium keeping, on both the hobby level and when I used to work at a wholesaler.
Click to expand...

Again, you're just posting anecdotal experience. No research means you can't state it's fact.

I've worked in several wholesalers and in aquaculture. I never saw high calcium levels affect LPS.

So you have your experience and I have mine. I think that means it's a draw.

There's no factual evidence to support the claim.
 
I've moved both of them to opposite sides of the tank, both of them at the very ends near the glass, under my mp60's. So little flow and the least amount of light without actually being in the shade under a rock overhang which I don't really have. Didn't make an ounce of difference, they still look exactly the same.

I just don't get what made the drastic difference in appearance and apparent health to go from the first pic in post #1 to the pic i posted in post #7.
 
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