Is this exposed skeleton?

[Salamander-Hime]

Hello! Just curious if this is exposed skeleton on the side of my frogspawn and if it is how to go about healing it? It’s looked like this whenever it is closed since I brought it home about 2 weeks ago. Thanks!

 

[Zach B]

Yes it appears to be the skeleton showing. It is either being irritated somehow still if it's been 2 weeks. It maybe possibly healing from a prior injury. What are your tank parameters & what kind of flow is the hammer in? Best of luck

 

[Salamander-Hime]

I would say it’s flow is medium and the parameters are all normal with the exception of high nitrites and nitrates

 

[Tired]

As long as you have some phosphate, and it opens regularly enough to clearly not be bothered by the nitrates, that's no concern. It'll heal up just fine. See if it wants to eat, that'll help.

 

[14 foot reef]

I would say it’s flow is medium and the parameters are all normal with the exception of high nitrites and nitrates

Normal is relative. Please list all test results you currently test for with their values along with the type of test kit you're using.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello! Just curious if this is exposed skeleton on the side of my frogspawn and if it is how to go about healing it? It’s looked like this whenever it is closed since I brought it home about 2 weeks ago. Thanks!

View attachment 2924150

You see skeleton due to polyp recession. Can be due to factors such as :
Poor acclimation
Light too bright causing zooxanthellae to expel
Excess water flow
calcium below 380-400
presence of bugs
High Nitrate and/or phosphate

Most euphyllia retraction due to flow or chemistry issues

How did you acclimate this coral initially?
Key is to avoid the extremes- Extreme flow and extreme light. Coral should not be bouncing or bent over skeleton suggesting flow too high. Subtle to moderate is ample for this type of coral.

 

[Salamander-Hime]

Normal is relative. Please list all test results you currently test for with their values along with the type of test kit you're using.

Just tested last night on my crummy API test kit im upgrading soon and the results were ammonia- 0 Nitrites were >5 ppm and Nitrates were >160ppm... doing a water change tomorrow when my LFS is open to try and get those numbers down

 

[Salamander-Hime]

You see skeleton due to polyp recession. Can be due to factors such as :
Poor acclimation
Light too bright causing zooxanthellae to expel
Excess water flow
calcium below 380-400
presence of bugs
High Nitrate and/or phosphate

Most euphyllia retraction due to flow or chemistry issues

How did you acclimate this coral initially?
Key is to avoid the extremes- Extreme flow and extreme light. Coral should not be bouncing or bent over skeleton suggesting flow too high. Subtle to moderate is ample for this type of coral.

Shouldn't be under extreme flow or light, its in one of the least flow areas in my tank now after a recent moving so hopefully that will help, I know i touched it while moving and some of the tentacles came off so maybe thats the issue?

As for acclimation i did a float acclimation with reduced lighting, I did not dip unfortunately as I didnt know better at the time...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Shouldn't be under extreme flow or light, its in one of the least flow areas in my tank now after a recent moving so hopefully that will help, I know i touched it while moving and some of the tentacles came off so maybe thats the issue?

As for acclimation i did a float acclimation with reduced lighting, I did not dip unfortunately as I didnt know better at the time...

Yes damage would do it. Its not infected - high stressed

 

[14 foot reef]

Just tested last night on my crummy API test kit im upgrading soon and the results were ammonia- 0 Nitrites were >5 ppm and Nitrates were >160ppm... doing a water change tomorrow when my LFS is open to try and get those numbers down

Please make sure you're using quality test kits, also reading the advise from well respected members on this forum like @vetteguy53081
PH, Calcium, Alkalinty, Magnesium, are parameters that you are going to want to start looking at now that your adding corals. Do a search on Reef2Reef or even Google, you'll see that the API kit is not an even low entry choice of test kit in reef keeping. Its limited, and also not very accurate.

 

[Rmckoy]

Could be damage from shipping ,
Could be stressed , flow or lighting not making it maggot
could just be fluctuating parameters

 

[Salamander-Hime]

Unfortunately she’s still not looking great. I moved it back onto a frag plug and onto the sand bed so hopefully she will get better in the lower light/flow conditions

 

[jabberwock]

Afraid it is not going to make it. How old is the tank?

 

[Salamander-Hime]

Afraid it is not going to make it. How old is the tank?

Only a couple on months, but everything else in the tank is super happy so I’m really hoping it pulls through, also turned down the intensity of my lights…. Anything else I can do in the mean time or is this one of those cases where it’s just patience?

 

[jabberwock]

Only a couple on months, but everything else in the tank is super happy so I’m really hoping it pulls through, also turned down the intensity of my lights…. Anything else I can do in the mean time or is this one of those cases where it’s just patience?

It looks pretty far gone. Your tank is very young to be trying to add LPS (or actually most corals). I would suggest you need 6 months before adding softies, and more like 9 months to a year before LPS.

How many gallons... (liters)

 

[Salamander-Hime]

It looks pretty far gone. Your tank is very young to be trying to add LPS (or actually most corals). I would suggest you need 6 months before adding softies, and more like 9 months to a year before LPS.

How many gallons... (liters)

Yeah I unfortunately learned that too late previous LFS said it was fine

also it’s 13.5 gallons

 

[jabberwock]

Yeah I unfortunately learned that too late previous LFS said it was fine

also it’s 13.5 gallons

That is a respectable size for a nano tank. Pretty good water volume. LFS is not a reliable source of truth 99% of the time. Hang in there. Live and learn. You have found a great resource for information in the Reef2Reef forum.

 

[CoralB]

Nitrates should be between 10 and 20 ppm not 160ppm , nitrite should be 0 , a couple months is too new of a tank .has it completed its cycle ? And I would have your water retested with your lfs . I’m not a fan of api test kits .

 

[jabberwock]

Nitrates should be between 10 and 20 ppm not 160ppm , nitrite should be 0 , a couple months is too new of a tank .has it completed its cycle ? And I would have your water retested with your lfs . I’m not a fan of api test kits .

All this debate about API test kits... They are prone to user error and misinterpretation, but they are not as terrible as everyone makes them out to be. If it is all you have, read the instructions for each test every time you do it and run a timer so you are not guessing. Follow every step. If you have the option to have someone else look at it, do it. They don't need to know anything about aquariums, they just need to not be color blind.

 

[Rmckoy]

All this debate about API test kits... They are prone to user error and misinterpretation, but they are not as terrible as everyone makes them out to be. If it is all you have, read the instructions for each test every time you do it and run a timer so you are not guessing. Follow every step. If you have the option to have someone else look at it, do it. They don't need to know anything about aquariums, they just need to not be color blind.

Many of us have used api kits for many years …..

There is one of the best reefers systems here that was recently tank of the month with excessive high nitrates.
i don’t believe high nitrates to be the culprit but shady advice from the previous lfs
I believe stability is far more important vs a target number .

@Salamander-Hime
Keep doing what you’re doing . You will lose some corals and possibly even fish but to learn from these challenges is what makes a better person .