Blastomussa hasn’t opened fully for 4 days or so

[dimitri92]

Hello everyone,

Got this blasto two weeks ago or so. Was doing great and opening up. Then all of the sudden it stopped opening up all the way
I’ll give you a before and after photo

Could something be picking on it? Like a crab or hermit or cleaner?
My tank is roughly 90 gallons. And has been running for 60 days or so. It has ocean direct sand and Tampa bay saltwater sand and also seeded with Tampa bay live rock about 14 pounds or so of that rock on top of the 45 pounds of Marco rock. My tank has really matured very fast since that addition. I dose brightwell aminos about 1-2 times a week since I don’t have many corals and dose alk about every other week to keep it at 9. I added chaeto to the refugium about two weeks ago which has made my phosphate go down from .19 to .05 in two weeks. But it didn’t really affect my nitrates.
I also dose microbacter 7 once a week and add cheatogrow from bright well once a week as well. I have not dosed any trace elements since my tank is so young and only has a few very corals. Zoas, a blasto(that’s not opening) a toadstool and green star polyps.

I’m using an old Kessil light from 2011 which is still great. I only have that light in my tank for now so I definitely don’t have too much par.

I run one maxspect 4000 gyre on the left side of the and that goes from 10 % to 30% then to 50% in intervals of ten seconds

The blasto is on the left side under the gyre not getting very strong flow at all and it’s also at the very bottom. Of the tank in the half way in the shade

I added carbon 3 days ago or so. Maybe that was the issue? I have since removed the carbon from the aquarium. All other corals are open, happy and growing new polyps on my zoas already which have only been in there for a week.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.026 Milwaukee checker
Alk: 9 - Hanna checker
Mag:1460-1500 Red Sea test kit
Calcium:400 Red Sea test kit
Nitrates: 10-15 Red Sea
Phosphate: .05 Hanna checker
Ammonia:0 Red Sea test kit
PH: 8.2-8.4 Red Sea test kit

Help me what’s wrong with my blasto

 

[dimitri92]

This was from last week when it was open and happy. We

 

[dimitri92]

Lastly I feed the tank twice a day either mysis or chromaboost from reef nutrition also feed algae pellets for the cleaner shrimp and my conches and hermits. Once a week I feed oyster feast and reef roids or Red Seas neon green coral food.

I did a 10 percent water change on Friday 3 days ago and then today I did another 10 percent water change when I was cleaning out the sump today.

 

[steveschuerger]

Magnesium is higher than what they normally like, but mine runs that and my lps are happy. Rest of params are ok, with Ca at 400 being on the low end of ok.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Have you tried moving it? If not I would try moving it. The flow might be too low and something could be bothering it that flow can't get off. Or it might want a little more light or flow. Your parameters look pretty good. I think I have like 7 different blastos and none of mine stay closed for multiple days. I have 2 mini colony sized pieces and one or two polyps might close a day but they open back up at some point.

 

[dimitri92]

Have you tried moving it? If not I would try moving it. The flow might be too low and something could be bothering it that flow can't get off. Or it might want a little more light or flow. Your parameters look pretty good. I think I have like 7 different blastos and none of mine stay closed for multiple days. I have 2 mini colony sized pieces and one or two polyps might close a day but they open back up at some point.

I attempted to move it on top of the rock it’s sitting under for one day but it didn’t seem to make any difference. So I moved it back to keep it consistent and not stress it out while it’s already stressed out. The blasto seemed to liked it in that spot last week when it was nice a puffy.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Thats a very tiny light over a big tank, and the coral looks like its in the shade. I wonder if its getting enough light.

Not to mention that the tank looks like it was built last week, corals normally don't like brand new tanks. Better to let the tank mature a little.

The flow sounds a little low too, I have 2 gyres in my 40 breeder which are both going at 50% constantly.

 

[dimitri92]

Thats a very tiny light over a big tank, and the coral looks like its in the shade. I wonder if its getting enough light.

Not to mention that the tank looks like it was built last week, corals normally don't like brand new tanks. Better to let the tank mature a little.

The flow sounds a little low too, I have 2 gyres in my 40 breeder which are both going at 50% constantly.

In my earlier thread I posted about how I have other corals growing that need more light like my zoas they are all happy. So I highly doubt the blasto that can survive with basically no light isn’t getting enough light. Also like I said earlier the gyre shoots 4000 gallons an hour. I highly doubt you have two of those in your 40 gallon breeder randomized flow is always better than constant flow. Watching the other corals that are very close to it I can see them moving in the flow and liking the movement. blastomussas do not like high flow, as I mentioned earlier it was open and liking the flow last week.

Lastly the tank has been up for nearly 3 months since early January not last week. And these are the first corals to go in. Which are all novice lps and zoas and a toadstool leather. Since I got the super live rock from TBS is the only reason I added these easy to care for corals. In the third month.

I appreciate your thoughts and opinions though.

 

[dimitri92]

On further inspection I believe it may be an outside entity like a crab or something unseen that must have ticked off the blasto. Should I dip it? I have three dips coralrx, iodine from bright well, and the red seas dip x.

 

[CrimsonTide]

What does it look like currently?

 

[dimitri92]

What does it look like currently?

I have solved the issue! It is little baby Aptasia! I noticed them after looking very very close I got all of them but one tiny one which I will try again later. I also removed the old frag plug and used a new one.

 

[dimitri92]

I got aptasia x and a new peppermint shrimp. Removed the old plug used a new one then blasted them. I still see one baby that I’m gonna try and get tomorrow after the blasto has recovered from being out of water and fragged onto a new plug.

 

[CrimsonTide]

I got aptasia x and a new peppermint shrimp. Removed the old plug used a new one then blasted them. I still see one baby that I’m gonna try and get tomorrow after the blasto has recovered from being out of water and fragged onto a new plug.

That makes sense. Aptasia will bother things. I have a boat load. I've got some nudibrach coming soon to eat all of mine.

 

[dimitri92]

a week or so has gone by and my blasto is on the mend. Hopefully will be fully opening in the next few weeks. I ended up getting a small paint brush and used that to spread superglue gel over all aiptasia. After this I did a lugols iodine dip the next day to help it recover from any damaged tissue.

 

[CrimsonTide]

a week or so has gone by and my blasto is on the mend. Hopefully will be fully opening in the next few weeks. I ended up getting a small paint brush and used that to spread superglue gel over all aiptasia. After this I did a lugols iodine dip the next day to help it recover from any damaged tissue.

Looking better!!!

 

[dimitri92]

Happy as a clam. I’ll keep updating as this little blasto gets better!