Can you help? Why did my Blasto end up looking like this?

MarineGirl411 · #1 07/08/2007, 09:24 PM

Can anyone tell me why my blasto went from this

to this?

redFishblue · #2 07/08/2007, 10:59 PM

What kind of lighting is it under?
I noticed that the ones I had under direct lighting did not do as well as the ones
that were shaded. They sometimes seem to die off even in the best of conditions and tanks.

Chads29 · #3 07/08/2007, 11:22 PM

they really didn't look "good" to start out with... I have had no luck with blastomussa wellsi's, they all have died on me. I will not buy any more.

The blastomussa merletti's that I have purchased are doing great and seem to really grow quickly. Tolerate different lighting spectrums and have been a better choice for me.

Hypertek99 · #4 07/09/2007, 12:05 AM

How fast did it die off???

MarineGirl411 · #5 07/09/2007, 12:59 AM

They are off to the side of my tank under PC lighting. The MH light is in the middle of my tank. It's in lower flow and I do feed them. When I got them and another colony, they hadn't been fed in a very long time. The person couldn't take care of their tank well anymore so they gave them to me. Everything else in my tank is doing great. Micromussa's, Dendro's, SPS, Lobo's. My tank conditions are good and that's why I can't figure out why they are fading away. =( I feel so bad for them. It's not like I neglect them at all. There are a few smaller polyps on the left side of the colony you can see. I want to try and save them if possible. I thought these were really beautiful. I love my babies. I will not ever buy these though. If the merletti's grow well, then I'd try them. I really like the look of Blasto's, but I've seen them start off good, then die. It's been slowly wasting away since March. It's actually been really slow. I can't figure out why.

Hypertek99 · #6 07/09/2007, 02:09 AM

Put it somewhere else where there is a little more flow. And try to feed it every other day. I had an Acan colony that did almost the exact same thing. But now it's starting to grow back.

MarineGirl411 · #7 07/09/2007, 02:13 AM

I've tried that as well. It seemed to make it worse. I do have good flow in my tank. When there was too much flow, it seemed like it was starting polyp bail out. I was also told to place them in low flow areas. I have an Acan as well and it's doing great. =( I just wish the Blasto would pull through.

Serioussnaps · #8 07/09/2007, 11:46 AM

I think it is A) too much flow, B) you have something nipping crawling on them....these are two possiblities. I have some reds that did that but my other two have done well in my tank....growing and really fat. What was your source? Also, Feed them!!!!! It may help pull them through....try mysis.

Hypertek99 · #9 07/09/2007, 04:11 PM

Yes i agree something must be eating them at night. I recently found a parasite isopod in one of my Acans and the acan was doing great then 1 day lost a big chunk. I'm thinking it was the isopod. I caught it and flushed it out so i'm hoping the acan will pull through. Here are some pics of before and after. This was like 3 days difference. I'm keeping a close eye on it and feeding it everyday so hopefully it will heal up.

MarineGirl411 · #10 07/09/2007, 04:43 PM

What could be nipping them? Why would it just nip them and not the micromussa's or the Acan? Should I dip the coral in some Reef Dip? I haven't noticed anything nipping at them. I am contantly looking in there too. There is some sort of segmented worm in there though. On it's rock. Haven't noticed it bothering it though. It's white and very tiny. Not a spaghetti worm.

Hypertek99 · #11 07/09/2007, 05:03 PM

Chances are you are not going to see whatever it is nipping on them. I just got lucky and picked up the Acan and the Cirolanid isopod was kinda hidden under it and i was like hey that's a weird critter so i dipped it in freshwater for like a min and the critter came swimming out. Here is a close up of what i caught.
I have never seen it before until i caught it. My tank has been up for over 7 years.

MarineGirl411 · #12 07/09/2007, 06:25 PM

=( looks bad.

Hypertek99 · #13 07/09/2007, 08:53 PM

Yeah it's a parasite. But i was told it doesn't eat corals. But still you never know??? As i only have 1 fish and it's been in there for like 3 months.

RichConley · #14 07/10/2007, 12:03 PM

What are your Alk and Calcium at?

IME, and I have the same red blastos, they really need almost no light, and no flow. Anything more seems to upset them.

paininthewrasse · #15 07/10/2007, 06:55 PM

yea blastos IME r funny.. I've had many colonys and I'm down to one. I've also noticed they seem todo best at a 90 degree angle from the light rather then flat facing up towards the light

neyugn0w01 · #16 07/10/2007, 07:29 PM

Blastos can and are very sensitive for some odd reason. They were very popular about 1.5-2 years ago. One day they can look great and the next they will start to recede slowly. If I remember correctly, low flow and low light tends to work best. Good Luck.

tmz · #17 07/10/2007, 09:48 PM

I've had some beautifullwelsis that did fine for a couple of years and then! without reason. I've tried them in a variety of conditions and tanks with the same outcome over time. I've seen one that was fading in a large system that when placed in a low flow relatively low light bio cube blossomed.I wan't to know how to keep them better because they are one of my favorites. With their relatively high price and low survivability I guess I'll have to do without them, though.

MarineGirl411 · #18 07/11/2007, 12:15 AM

Hi,
My Calcium is 425ppm and my DKH is 9.0. They are funny. I've seen them in other people's tanks doing the same thing. I honestly don't know what to do. They are not in much flow right now and not much light. The little baby polyps are actually hidden a little from the light. They seem to be doing good. I hope they make it.

Serioussnaps · #19 07/11/2007, 12:46 PM

I agree with Rich and Pain....but feed them dangit it will help mitigate the issue if you can get them to feed. This is also why you do a TMPCC dip on all new corals...if there was an isopod it wouldnt have made it into display by doing this. We live and we learn.

tmz · #20 07/11/2007, 01:56 PM

I've dipped and fed,slows down the recission but won't stop it. My colonies did better before I enhanced skimming. Perhaps they rely on absorbtion at some level similar to xenia and goniopora and need some dissoved organic material in the water.I have also found that they do not respond well to being moved once established and they require very slow acclimation to light when introduced into a system.

MarineGirl411 · #21 07/11/2007, 02:33 PM

I feed them. =) Don't worry. I've been feeding them regularly. I direct feed them as well. I have some Sechem reef dip. Should I put it in there? Or no?

Serioussnaps · #22 07/11/2007, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MarineGirl411
I feed them. =) Don't worry. I've been feeding them regularly. I direct feed them as well. I have some Sechem reef dip. Should I put it in there? Or no?

No, you dip them when you get them/before they ever make it into display. Now you have opened pandora's box. I dont think it is a parasitic issue in your case though, but what do I know?

tmz · #23 07/11/2007, 09:19 PM

I agree prophylactic dips are a must if you have an established display.In addition to TMPCP many use flat worm exit dips to protect stonies from acro eating flat worms and montipora from nudibranchs. I have dipped ailing Welsiies with no ill effectbut it didn't help either.
Tom

MarineGirl411 · #24 07/12/2007, 01:01 AM

I thought if there was something eating it at night though, it might come out of the rock if I did a dip. This was given to me by someone that couldn't take care of their tank anymore. I wish I would have dipped it. I have dipped my other corals though. Yes, I did make a mistake. Oye.

Scythanith · #25 07/12/2007, 02:29 AM

I've had some of my blasto's receed until there was only the slightest amount of tissue left. I didn't move the specimen, and it would come back to it's former glory in a couple weeks.