Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > Coral Forums > Soft Coral Keepers

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10/25/2007, 04:19 AM
willhoward willhoward is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Posts: 68
Question Soft coral help (Kenya Tree)

Hi all, I need some help please

I bought a Kenya Tree coral from a friend who decided to sell his complete setup. The coral was doing well in my friend's tank and I thought it would be a great addition to my tank.

After about a week in my tank, the Kenya Tree is "losing its backbone", it doesn't want to stand up and has become somewhat smaller. If it pushes against rocks, there is a type of slime on the rock if you move the coral (maybe it should be like that, I don't know).

Now the facts:
My friend's tank has been running for about 5 months. My tank has been running for 10 months. I know my lights are old, but I want to upgrade from tubes to MH within 2 months. I also havn't got a sump, which I also plan to upgrade.

I've also noted that NO coraline algea has started to grow in my tank, not on the LR or on the glass, while my friend's tank is overrun with the purple stuff.

My parameters is:
pH: 8.0 - 8.2
NH3: 0mg/L
NO2: 0 - 0.3mg/L
NO3: 12.5mg/L

I don't know what the calsium, phosphur or alkalinity is, coz I havn't got test kits for those. I don't know what the relations is between mg/L and ppm.

My system is still overrun by hair algea. I feed little, and do regular water changes, I think it is my lights. Can any give me some advice on how to save the coral? Is it already dead, can it be saved? Do I temporarily need to remove it? What is killing it?

Thank you!
  #2  
Old 10/25/2007, 09:50 AM
sir_dudeguy sir_dudeguy is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: mesa, az
Posts: 10,277
First off, what type of lights do you have? If its just a normal strip light, you wont be able to grow anything besides algae. If you've got pc's or something though, then i'd say that you dont have enough flow...you say its leaning over and wont stand up... Thats exactly what my kenya does in too little of flow.
__________________
TAKE...LUCK!!!
  #3  
Old 10/25/2007, 10:13 AM
willhoward willhoward is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Posts: 68
I've got:
~ 2 x 35W flurecent tubes, 2+ years old (1 x white, 1 x actinic blue)
~ 2 x 35W power compacts, about 1 year (1 x white, 1 x actinic blue)
~ 1 x 35W thick blue flurecent.

I know, I know, I'm planning to upgrade to MH within the next to months, and yeah, can't get rid of the algea!

But back to the kenya tree .... I've placed him right under one of the power compacts, so I think he gets anough light, as I've read they don't need that much light (do they?) About the flow, he is about 30cm from a 1200lph (±300gph) powerhead which has a diffuser on its nozel. Not enough flow?

What other parameters should my water be? Do I need to feed him or does he filter the water?

When I turn the lights on, some of the branches still "bloom", does this mean there is still hope and he's save-able?

Thanx so far!
  #4  
Old 10/25/2007, 11:25 AM
elkinsda elkinsda is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 194
Check your flow!

I dont think they really need as much light as most other soft corals.

Kenya Tree depends more on obtaining outside food. Microplankton, marine snow, and dissolved materials.
  #5  
Old 10/25/2007, 05:31 PM
seapug seapug is offline
clams are your friends.
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 4980 ft.
Posts: 1,836
sounds like your tank is suffering from some neglect, especially with the lighting and water quality. Sorta like taking a person from a nice home and putting them in a trash dump then wondering why they look sad.

I'd do the lighting upgrade ASAP and get control of the hair algae problem. Do some water changes. if you ever have detectable nitrite with a test kit then you have ammonia issues which means something is way out of whack with the filtration.
  #6  
Old 10/26/2007, 02:25 AM
willhoward willhoward is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Posts: 68
I've bought another test kit which can test NO2 more specifically, and my NO2 came up as 0

I also bought a Ca test kit yesterday, and by Ca is between 540 - 560mg/L (apparrently 1mg/L = 1ppm) I use Seachem Reef Advantage weekly - might have used it too much

I've placed the kenya tree in more direct flow, and I must say, it seems a little bit better.

seapug: that is just the thing, I've not been neglecting the tank, I put in soooo much time and effort weekly, but went wrong about it:
~ I bought the tank on budget, didn't have money for decent lights or sump
~ Couldn't find RO water near, so used tap water with dechlor (never knew it didn't remove the NO3!)
~ Had too little flow

I've fixed all of these except the lights and sump, so the tank is recovering, but I'm still struggling with it
  #7  
Old 10/26/2007, 08:18 AM
adunne adunne is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: enfield ct
Posts: 137
Any update?

You should 100% consider purchasing an RO/DI and start doing frequent water changes! Kenya tree corals are very hardy corals and are difficult to kill. It can recover!

I agree with elkinsda in that they will benefit from feeding as a supplement/addition to the light!! so consider some micorplankton or marine snow.

If you have mostly soft corals do not be so concerned with Ca.

Is it still to high? i would stop dosing it! and be extremely cautious if adding a buffer for alk!!! You are likely near a precipitation event if you add to much buffer.


Get the ro and do water changes to bring down your nitrate's. Do you know what your phosphate level is as an elevated level will feeeeeed the algae! consider testing that as well! If it is high there are products out there that will absorb it. I personally use a phonban reactor and it works beautifully!!

hope this can be some help
  #8  
Old 10/26/2007, 12:37 PM
seapug seapug is offline
clams are your friends.
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 4980 ft.
Posts: 1,836
sorry, I think I might have come off the wrong way there-- when your tank isn't looking good, it's not always an issue of laziness. What I mean is there's some aspect of water chemistry that has been neglected. I went through a bad hair algae outbreak despite spending endless hours doing water changes and everything else I could fathom. Hair algae is typically a sign of a phosphate issue that can be pushed even further by bad lighting. I'm not sure how well stocked the stores are near you in S.A., Phosban reactors are pretty cheap and easy to set up.

In the meantime, ruthlessly attack the algae manually followed by water changes. Allowing to grow unchecked compunds the problem and will make it take even longer to go away once you do your upgrades. Make life as difficult as you can for it until you get your new lights and sump. Your fingers and a toothbrush are a cheap way to start.

Oh, and that Kenya Tree-- keep in in the cleanest, highest flow and light area you can. They are pretty tough.
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009