Small string like thing coming off of Frogspawn

[ChadRaay86]

Like the title says, I have a small three headed frag of frogspawn that seems unhappy. I out it in my tank about a week ago and it puffed up and extended right away. Over the last week I've noticed that I can see the mouth and that the tentacles (if thats what their called) would not expand as much as before. I also noticed that an almost transparent string like thing was extending out of the coral.

I'll be getting three beautiful frags of hammer and frogspawn tomorrow from a friend and wanted to make sure things weren't out of wack with this guy before getting new frags.

Tank is a 300DD, Temp 78-80, Salinity 1.023-1.024, LEDs on 8 hours a day (new lighting schedule is coming this weekend) and the placement of the coral is on the bottom in the sandbed with moderate flow/lighting.

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[usmc121581]

My question to you is, were those frags keep in a tank with different light? You say you have LED's? I have heard of people's coral not doing good under LED lighting, I have witnessed people's corals dying because of this type of lighting. I am in know means knocking on LED's I am just not a fan of them. Also what are your water parameters?

 

[Au Alum]

Could it be a vermitid snail on the side of the frogspawn? I have heard that the mucous string they send out can bother corals. This might be causing the less than ideal polyp extension.

If it is vermetid snails you can just break them off or epoxy them up.

 

[ChadRaay86]

My question to you is, were those frags keep in a tank with different light? You say you have LED's? I have heard of people's coral not doing good under LED lighting, I have witnessed people's corals dying because of this type of lighting. I am in know means knocking on LED's I am just not a fan of them. Also what are your water parameters?

I might have them set a tad bit too high. I tried easing them on over the week, but I might turn down the intensity. They were under T5s previously without an issue, so it might be the intensity is bothering them. I have it sitting on the sand bed at the moment, is that a no no? Water parameters are good minus my nitrates being a bit higher than I'd like. I'm going to do a 10 percent water change tonight and do a calcium test tomorrow (haven't bought that one yet). Thanks for the help

Could it be a vermitid snail on the side of the frogspawn? I have heard that the mucous string they send out can bother corals. This might be causing the less than ideal polyp extension.

If it is vermetid snails you can just break them off or epoxy them up.

Interesting, I looked at a bunch of pictures on google and that might be it. I'm going to pull the frag out tonight and take a look at it thoroughly, It could be a vermetid snail, but it did just have full extension a week ago...

Thanks for the help, I would have never thought a snail might be to blame I'm still way to new at this

 

[ChadRaay86]

Just tested phosphates this morning, that was/is the issue. I went ahead and bought a GFO reactor and have ROWA? In there. I also got some new macroalgae to help the battle. Hopefully I can keep everything happy until the phosphates come down.

On another note, I bought ESV B-Ionic 2 part today as well. After a 10 percent water change I was at 420 calcium, so it needed to come up a lot

 

[aleggett321]

My frogspawn will do that every once in a while. Apparently they shed a mucous layer as a self cleaning mechanism. They'll close up for a day or two and then open up normally. I'd give it a couple of days before I'd worry too much or make any changes.

 

[ChadRaay86]

My frogspawn will do that every once in a while. Apparently they shed a mucous layer as a self cleaning mechanism. They'll close up for a day or two and then open up normally. I'd give it a couple of days before I'd worry too much or make any changes.

I think one of my new frogspawns is doing that right now. My phosphates are way to high as it is (for any coral) so I'm attacking it now as opposed to later. Hopefully I can keep them happy, because they are my favorite corals at the moment

 

[usmc121581]

Glad you found what may be the issue. With the lights sometimes when you get a coral that was under one type of lighting and put it under another type if can stress the coral. But hopefully you found the issue and it can get corrected.

 

[grcforce327]

wouldn't hurt to bump the salinity up to 35ppt.

 

[ChadRaay86]

Glad you found what may be the issue. With the lights sometimes when you get a coral that was under one type of lighting and put it under another type if can stress the coral. But hopefully you found the issue and it can get corrected.

I turned the LEDs on my tank waaaay down for the moment to encourage them to come out. I've got two hammers and a frogspawn that come out nicely (not good but okay polyp extension) and another smaller frogspawn that doesn't seem to be thrilled in its new home. Hopefully a combination of the lights, adding two part and a runnning GFO and more macroalgae will improve the situation.

wouldn't hurt to bump the salinity up to 35ppt.

Whats the specific gravity of 35ppt? What would bumping the salinity do exactly? I'm always receptive to changing things up for the benefit of my tank inhabitants

 

[wampuscat]

Your salinity is a little low, I would bring it up to 1.025. But do it slowly, just mix up some saltwater to 1.025 and instead of adding ro/di for top off add the saltwater instead. It would be best if you could drip it into your sump slowly like you would do your top off water. It would also bring up your calcium/alk/mag for you also.

HTH

 

[ChadRaay86]

Your salinity is a little low, I would bring it up to 1.025. But do it slowly, just mix up some saltwater to 1.025 and instead of adding ro/di for top off add the saltwater instead. It would be best if you could drip it into your sump slowly like you would do your top off water. It would also bring up your calcium/alk/mag for you also.

HTH

Hmm, I never thought 1.024 was low. Mine fluctuates (at the moment) between 1.023 and 1.024, so it'd probably be better to have it a little higher. When my filter socks start to get dirty (I change them every day or every other day depending on their dirtiness) the water level in my tank drops and the ATO puts more RO in then necessary. Thats why I started changing socks more frequently in the first place.

To maintain calcium and alkalinity I'm dosing ESV 2 part, but I'm sure the extra saltwater would help my Magnesium levels. I'll replace my RO water in a 5 gallon jug with saltwater and let my ATO take care of raising levels