Unhappy Candy Cane Coral - Help Please

[Ponyboy_icw]

Hello everyone,

Hoping that someone can give me some ideas as to why my candy cane coral isn't happy.
I have had the coral since the beginning of June, it's been moved to a larger tank (Fluval Flex 32.5) and has been in this tank since the first week of December.

Water parameters have been consistent from the old tank to the new one:
Salinity - 1.024
Temp - 26 C (78.8 F)
pH - 7.9
dKH - 9.7
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 15.9 (higher than normal, but I just increased feeding this last week)
Phosphate - 0.06
Calcium - 524
Magnesium - 1280

Livestock in tank:
2x clown fish
1x tailspot blenny
1x royal gramma
1x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x mexican turbo snail
2x nassarius snails
1x emerald crab
2x toadstool leathers (small)
1x pulsing xenia
1x finger leather
1x rasta zoanthid
1x red zoanthid (also not fully opening after 3 weeks in tank)
1x kenya tree
2x discomosa mushrooms (2 varieties, multiple mushrooms)
1x candy cane (not doing well)
1x watermelon chalice
1x raja rampage chalice

I have also added some general pics of the tank so you can see placement etc.

Thank you & happy reefing!

Ian

 

[SlugSnorter]

nitrate a bit high, ph a bit low, slowly increase ph through your weekly WCs , you don't seem to have many fish, so maybe cut feeding back a tad

 

[Naso110]

Is it a high flow area? Mine are in many tanks and really don't like alot of flow. Also may do better if you stand it up, bury the base of the skeleton in the sand.

 

[Kellie in CA]

My guess would be too much flow. Is that pump blowing right at it?

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

nitrate a bit high, ph a bit low, slowly increase ph through your weekly WCs , you don't seem to have many fish, so maybe cut feeding back a tad

I was feeding once every 3 days previously and have upped that to once every 2 days. I alternate between using flake and mysis shrimp (1/3 cube).

 

[SlugSnorter]

I was feeding once every 3 days previously and have upped that to once every 2 days. I alternate between using flake and mysis shrimp (1/3 cube).

I mean volume of food, there should only be a few scraps after each feeding

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

My guess would be too much flow. Is that pump blowing right at it?

I just moved the power head down a couple days ago to help with the gha growing on the sand, I'll move one or the other to a less flow area and see if that helps. Thanks.

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

Is it a high flow area? Mine are in many tanks and really don't like alot of flow. Also may do better if you stand it up, bury the base of the skeleton in the sand.

I will try moving it, I'll likely have to cut some of the skeleton off to stand it up, the skeleton is quite long and my sand bed is shallow. Any advice on what to use to cut the skeleton? I don't have a pair of bone cutters.

 

[Minhaj Qazi]

i had Candy Canes in worst condition when i started hobby. never knew pH is also imp so i was running Gas Heater in room to keep temp high as it was sub zero outside ta night, The Moment Spring Started i switched off gas heater and put a Pipe from outside Air Pump to Skimmer Ventury , pH rose and Candy Cane came out of stress. Also feeding Roids as its LPS helped.
Corals Grow better at lower temps of 77-78 max. Alk is better at 8.5 to 9 MAx. Rest its OK. Stability is Key. My sick candy single head now have over 100 heads.
Flow also seem Direct on Candy cane which is not recommended at All.
Happy Reefing.

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

i had Candy Canes in worst condition when i started hobby. never knew pH is also imp so i was running Gas Heater in room to keep temp high as it was sub zero outside ta night, The Moment Spring Started i switched off gas heater and put a Pipe from outside Air Pump to Skimmer Ventury , pH rose and Candy Cane came out of stress. Also feeding Roids as its LPS helped.
Corals Grow better at lower temps of 77-78 max. Alk is better at 8.5 to 9 MAx. Rest its OK. Stability is Key. My sick candy single head now have over 100 heads.
Flow also seem Direct on Candy cane which is not recommended at All.
Happy Reefing.

Thank you, I also feed reef roids once a week. Mix and broadcast feed the tank. I'll move the power head or coral and hope for the best. I can't get a real pH reading as I'm using an API test kit for pH and I don't trust it's accuracy at all.

 

[Dburr1014]

I just moved the power head down a couple days ago to help with the gha growing on the sand, I'll move one or the other to a less flow area and see if that helps. Thanks.

You sure you have GHA growing on the sand? Is it possible to be something else on the sand? Do you have close up pictures of the Algae?

 

[DeniseAndy]

I would get it off the sand. That usually just bothers them. Put is on a low rock and try to get it standing so polyps are up. They like lower flow, but I find they tolerate light easily.

 

[LordofCinder]

from the pictures it looks like the tank is in the ugly stages. Ugly stages is not a 'stable' environment.

From the pic, the water surface looks completely still, which can lead to lack of oxygen problems.

And as mentioned above, it doesnt normally like to be on the sand.

I would guess its a mixture of issues, not just one thing. i would suggest to be patient, leave it alone, and focus on getting the tank in proper order. Its not melting...

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

You sure you have GHA growing on the sand? Is it possible to be something else on the sand? Do you have close up pictures of the Algae?

You sure you have GHA growing on the sand? Is it possible to be something else on the sand? Do you have close up pictures of the Algae?

It was hard to get a good picture so hopefully this short video will work, I'm quite certain it's gha.

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

from the pictures it looks like the tank is in the ugly stages. Ugly stages is not a 'stable' environment.

From the pic, the water surface looks completely still, which can lead to lack of oxygen problems.

And as mentioned above, it doesnt normally like to be on the sand.

I would guess its a mixture of issues, not just one thing. i would suggest to be patient, leave it alone, and focus on getting the tank in proper order. Its not melting...

It's likely still in the ugly stage, I've tried to eliminate as much of the ugly stage as possible by following the BRStv suggestions on lowering it.
The surface is being agitated by the return pump outputs, you just don't see it in the pictures.
Thanks for the reply, I will show some patience just worried that I'll lose that candy cane which has lots of heads.

 

[Ponyboy_icw]

It was hard to get a good picture so hopefully this short video will work, I'm quite certain it's gha.

 

[Minhaj Qazi]

Thank you, I also feed reef roids once a week. Mix and broadcast feed the tank. I'll move the power head or coral and hope for the best. I can't get a real pH reading as I'm using an API test kit for pH and I don't trust it's accuracy at all.

u can put a fresh air tube from outside airpump in skimmer ventury to raise pH.

 

[SlugSnorter]

u can put a fresh air tube from outside airpump in skimmer ventury to raise pH.

ehhh... only if your tank isnt properly aerated

 

[ekandler]

I would personally say a couple of your parameters are off. I don’t know if you had it like this in your old system, but it’s possible it was just hanging on and the stress of the move set it over the edge.

Salinity - 1.024 (should be 1.026, try to get that up)
Temp - 26 C (78.8 F) (that’s too high, 78 max)
pH - 7.9 (that’s low but not the biggest issue)
dKH - 9.7 (this is too high. Should be targeting sea water conditions unless you have enough experience to play with it. Go for 8.5)
Calcium - 524 (I’d keep this between 400-500, targeting 450)
Magnesium - 1280 (mag is underrated I think. Anything less than 1300 isn’t ideal. Target 1350 with a range of 1300-1400).