wasp Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 What the others said, nice tank! The trachyphylia is quite close to the hammer. At night the trachyphylia will put tentacles out, could it by any chance be stinging the hammer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted February 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Wasp do you mean the coral under the clams? I actually don't know it's correct name :oops: . I bought it as a modern coral. If that's the one even with maximum extension at night it can't reach the hammer. At the moment I'm just trying to make water quality as good as possible. I've removed some of the algae on that rock around the hammer and will continue to work to eliminate it. Although you can't see it in the photos there is now some coralline algae starting in various spots which I'm hoping will help. Thank everyone for your help! Much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollergirl Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Nice tank Sapphire, loving the rockwork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhacque Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 I'm particularly impressed with how flat the substrate is! :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 wish my tank looked like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted February 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Thanks Wilson - but there's clearly a LONG way to go yet... I was hoping to have it looking more 'finished' (if there is such a thing - maybe I mean less bare) before posting pics but am grateful for all the help from everyone Update anyway: Certainly seems as though Reef was right re brown jelly disease as this morning there was yucky brown jelly like stuff on the exposed skeleton of the hammer. Have bathed in iodine solution (thank you John!) and fingers crossed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Hope it goes ok, Make sure you give it lots of water current so it can blow away the dead flesh . I found that once you get the brown jelly disease you have less than 20% chance of it making it. Best solution is to see if you can cut away the dying bit and some good part as well to make sure the brown jelly has not spread.. to cut the dying bit away you need a hack saw. start cutting the bottom of the shell upwards so you get a nice clean cut. Wait a few days first to see if the coral keeps dying. keep us posted, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Wasp - how do I get the calcium to fall - I've been doing weekly water changes of just over 10% and the only calcium that's added is in the Red Sea Coral Pro Salt that I use. OK well since you are not specifically dosing calcium, there are only 3 possible causes for the high calcium relative to alkalinity - 1. too much calcium in the Red Sea Salt, 2. salinity too high causing all elements to be high, or 3. test kit is not accurate. You say salinity is right so that only leaves the salt mix or the kit, you could start by getting someone nearby to check your water with their kit, or if that is not possible most shops are happy to test your water if you take in a sample in a (clean) jar, to detirmine if your own kit is telling you the truth. If it is, then it can only be your salt mix, perhaps you could do less water changes plus add a little more alkalinty than you are at the moment, you will find calcium will naturally fall over a period of time. But having said all that, a mild calcium imbalance will not be the cause of the hammers problems but still is a good idea to get this right. Wasp do you mean the coral under the clams? I actually don't know it's correct name :oops: . I bought it as a modern coral. Hmmm... Perhaps I should have said Cynarina, or some kind of "meat coral", anyway, I meant the one just below & to the right of the hammer. Also, if the hammer has brown jelly disease, this does not just happen to a healthy coral for no reason, there will still be some underlying problem. If you have not had the hammer too long, it could have already been in a weak state when you got it, but if you have had it for a while there is something wrong for it and efforts to cure it will likely be unsuccesful if the basic problem is not corrected. I have a slight difference in opinion from Reef about current, you need to blow the infected material away, but on the other hand hammers don't like much current. To me anyway, what I would do is have it in light current but blow it several times a day with a turkey baster or such, to blow any infected material away. I still also think it should be moved to the bottom of the tank where it will get a lower light level. I'm right with reef about fragging it though, if it has several heads it will be a simple matter to break them apart and the non infected ones can easily be saved. You will also be surprised how fast the newly seperated heads will start to bud out into new heads also. Just by way of encouragement, I have several times been given various euphylias with brown jelly type infections, and they have always recovered, so it can be done . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks for such a thorough reply Wasp! I am going to get John to test my water with a refractometer to see what he gets, as I know my hydrometer is not the most reliable way to measure sg. All i can say is that the readings I get are consistent - and that could be consistently wrong! The red sea salt has 450ppm Ca, so if theres further Ca in the tap water I guess that could make it high? I'm thinking that the problem may have stemmed from the alkalinity being far too low for a while - even though I'm correcting it now (in the middle of the 2.9 to 3.6 meq/L range on my test ) it may have low enough long enough to cause damage. Maybe the brown jelly has just come after the damage was already done? Anyway as of this morning there is very little (if any) brown anywhere - I've been bathing in iodine solution - but the coral has receded alarmingly. There really isn't much healthy tissue on the outside of the skeleton. I'd be very keen to try and frag it but it is a ridge coral so doesn't have heads as such - can I still do it? Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmxmatt Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hey Sapphire Just so you know, I have used a bucket of that pro salt, and have just switched back to the original red sea salt as it made my Cal go 500+ I think perhaps that pro salt is meant for less frequent water changes, and I know you and I both have done more frequent water changes to try and get PO4 and the likes down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Good point Fmxmatt - maybe I'll get the other salt this time - I need some more soon anyway. Have got a hacksaw - i think I'll be following Reefs instructions tonight and seeing if I can frag this coral. I'll try and remember to get some photos. I think probably it's the last chance it's got.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 W W! What a great tank, Dear! You still have to buy her shoes... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 You still have to buy her shoes... :lol: Nah .... I'd rather have a coral..... or a refractometer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks for such a thorough reply Wasp! I am going to get John to test my water with a refractometer to see what he gets, as I know my hydrometer is not the most reliable way to measure sg. All i can say is that the readings I get are consistent - and that could be consistently wrong! The Red Sea Max ones are consistently wrong, but once you know by how much you can allow for it. I mix water to about 1.021 on its scale, knowing it will be 1.025. You can borrow my refractometer if you want and see what error yours has, then just mix accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 lol good luck for the coral hope it all go's ok keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 I think perhaps that pro salt is meant for less frequent water changes the pro salt has more calcium in it as it was designed to be used with RODI water (which of course has no calcium left compared to tapwater). Red Sea produced it as to many aquarists complained about low calcium levels even after doing a water change. the levels then messured around 380 with the standard salt using RODI water. so if your calcium is to high just switch back to standard salt mixes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 The Red Sea Max ones are consistently wrong, but once you know by how much you can allow for it. I mix water to about 1.021 on its scale, knowing it will be 1.025. You can borrow my refractometer if you want and see what error yours has, then just mix accordingly. are you using pro salt or normal red sea max salt conch? I use the red sea max 'normal' salt and mix to the directions to get 1.025, (refractometer) and have never had a problem with the scale being wrong. Normal red sea max salt doesn't seem to have high calcium levels, as i dose my tank with additional calcium and i'm mixing with tap water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 I'm talking about the Red Sea float-type Hydrometer being consistently wrong rather than the salt mix - although I wouldn't guarantee that either. I'm using Pro Salt to 1.025, but my levels are often below 450ppm - usually more like 400ppm - in fact I'm supplementing Ca at the moment. I suspect the LPS and ravid Blue Acro might use quite a bit of it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hey Sapphire Just so you know, I have used a bucket of that pro salt, and have just switched back to the original red sea salt as it made my Cal go 500+ I think perhaps that pro salt is meant for less frequent water changes, and I know you and I both have done more frequent water changes to try and get PO4 and the likes down Pro salt is designed for use with RO water only. If you are using Christchurch tap water then you should use the normal salt mix as your ground water probably has a high mineral (calcium) content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Actually it doesn't have much at all. I struggle to get a hardness reading, even, although I know water quality varies around town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmxmatt Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 I'm using RODI now, hence why I grabbed a bucket of that stuff, although I'm going back to the normal stuff, much cheaper From what I've tested in Hornby, the tap water is Nitrate free, but shows 0.03 PO4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 maybe use pro salt one week and normal salt the next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 so the normal 'red sea max' would also be fine with ro/di water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmxmatt Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Yeah tons of people use it with RODI The benefit of the Pro salt is that its calcium buffered and in most cases doesn't require calcium dosing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Pro salt is designed for use with RO water only. Most salt is designed to use with ro water. not sure about the asian cheap stuff. Using pro salt might be better suited for tanks with high calcium requirement. Any how if you have a tank with a high calcium requirement it does not matter what salt you use as you will still have to add lots of calcium after a few days. The fact that some tap water is low in po4 and has zero nitrate you should still only use ro or di as it will contain lots of other trace elements which is already in most salt mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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