Heartbreak hotel

Delphinus · #1 12-10-2007, 03:40 PM

I can't be sure it's not allelopathy. But it's not quite that easy. I don't really keep a lot of softies. About a half dozen zoanthid colonies and some patches of GSP (hitchhiker's that came in on something). And for what it's worth, all were introduced well after this phenomenon began. Coming into this, I was an SPS guy. I only have non-SPS now because I grew tired of having an empty tank. Look at my tank picture from 2004 - the only softies are a patch of green zoanthids about 30-40 polyps in size. All those corals you see - all have since perished. Also there are many many tanks out there with both SPS and zoanthids, and for that matter, with more colonies and/or larger colonies than what I have.

I still haven't ruled out the anemones however. But ... it's not a slam dunk there either. Look at Cprowlers' tank, or Gary M.'s tank over at RC ... several others on RC that I correspond with have the same species but not this problem.

marie · #2 12-10-2007, 03:55 PM

Maybe try taking the acro out (if it's not too far gone) and puting it into a bucket of fresh mixed salt water with a powerhead, heater and a light of some kind on top

I don't think a person can measure success by how many mixed tanks work but by measuring how many mixed tanks fail

To be honest I don't think it could be anything else. You've measured for everything else and everything is where it should be. Therefore it is something you can't measure for and with all the other inhabitants being healthy and growing it isn't something toxic (to them)

untamed · #3 12-10-2007, 03:57 PM

I've had a large carpet anemone with my SPS for years and years. The anemone absolutely kills any SPS that it comes into direct contact with...but if there is no direct contact, there is no issue.

Tom R · #4 12-10-2007, 04:37 PM

I think I have been fighting this problem for years. I call my setup a mixed reef. Generally speaking it is just the progression for starting in salt water with softies then moving to LPS and finally saying I think I am ready to give these SPS corals a go.

I have not changed my rock or eliminated any of the original softies or SPS. I have sold and traded a number of them to make room for the SPS. I have also grown to like the look.

On the other hand I have continually fought with the SPS trying to get the results I see in so many of my friends fabulous SPS tanks. Their Colours, polyp extension and general well being are what I strive for yet never obtain. My tanks look good to most people, however I just do not get the results I am looking for. The madding thing is I have a 180G and 125G plumbed to the same sump. I am running the same water through both systems. The 180G is 5 years old and made up of my original salt water progression, it has a 1 1/2" sand base and one hugh Toad Stool. My 125G is 2 years old Bare Bottom and only the remnants of softies left on the rocks taken from the main tank. The SPS in it generally have full polyp extension. I have noticed that lately the polyp extension has become somewhat less but is still more than the 180G. At the same time many of the softy remanent have developed into colonies of cabbage and sinularia.

More and more I believe in chemical warfare as being the cause. It is either that or I am just not able to keep SPS. (some people are gardener and some are not)

Jason McK · #5 12-10-2007, 04:44 PM

Tony, So was this system just finished the cycle when the Milli was put in it?

Delphinus · #6 12-10-2007, 04:56 PM

Hi Jason, I sure hope so. I've only been monitoring nitrates but there has been a reduction in the initial levels.

But to be clear, I only moved it in there a couple days ago. It was in a different system before that. You know how sometimes when you put your hand in the water, some SPS will slime up a little and you see it as sort of a stringy aura around the coral? This guy was doing that within 3 days of having been purchased, except without me putting my hands in the tank to trigger it. I was just hoping that it was just adjusting to something but it just seemed to worsen.

I moved it on the off chance that there was something in that tank that was bothering it, ie., doing nothing would have ensured that nothing changed. So although moving it into this new tank may be a mistake in and of itself, at least I felt I "was doing something about it."

Who knows, I mean, sometimes a coral just doesn't make the transition from ocean to captive life and this is nothing more than that. It's just that .. I've seen this progression now so often it's driving me crazy. Sometimes a piece will do well for months on end, and grow really well too, then suddenly, bam, it's number comes up. Others are like this and basically succumb more or less instantaneously. To be honest it's the ones that do well for a little while and then suddenly let go, that truly mystify me, more so than the ones that don't do well right off the bat (those ones just confirm to me that "Yep ... something is still not right here." The other ones will make me think I've turned the tide, then I'll go buy some more pieces, and then bam, the phenomenon returns and I'm left wondering why I didn't just learn my lesson and pass over the pieces in the store).

Jason McK · #7 12-10-2007, 05:09 PM

It sounds to me that the coral, when in the origonal system was defending itself from something. If it was sliming up. Either that or just like you said just didn't make the transition well.

Why not try some Frags. Start off with digitata. Stuff a phosban reactor full of Carbon and run it 24/7 then add a frag or 2.

Quinster · #8 12-10-2007, 05:15 PM

Check back to when Gools was TOTM and check his tank load, HUGE LPS and also HUGE SPS, tonnes of growth on both, and even softies from time to time (including an overflow encased in GSP), the only items he didn't have which you do Tony is Clams and Anemones.

marie · #9 12-10-2007, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom R

I think I have been fighting this problem for years. I call my setup a mixed reef. Generally speaking it is just the progression for starting in salt water with softies then moving to LPS and finally saying I think I am ready to give these SPS corals a go.

I have not changed my rock or eliminated any of the original softies or SPS. I have sold and traded a number of them to make room for the SPS. I have also grown to like the look.

On the other hand I have continually fought with the SPS trying to get the results I see in so many of my friends fabulous SPS tanks. Their Colours, polyp extension and general well being are what I strive for yet never obtain. My tanks look good to most people, however I just do not get the results I am looking for. The madding thing is I have a 180G and 125G plumbed to the same sump. I am running the same water through both systems. The 180G is 5 years old and made up of my original salt water progression, it has a 1 1/2" sand base and one hugh Toad Stool. My 125G is 2 years old Bare Bottom and only the remnants of softies left on the rocks taken from the main tank. The SPS in it generally have full polyp extension. I have noticed that lately the polyp extension has become somewhat less but is still more than the 180G. At the same time many of the softy remanent have developed into colonies of cabbage and sinularia.

More and more I believe in chemical warfare as being the cause. It is either that or I am just not able to keep SPS. (some people are gardener and some are not)

I'll make you a deal Tom, you can have all my corals and rock in exchange for new clean live rock

.

Oh and you have to take my foxface and regal angel as well

Tom R · #10 12-10-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marie

I'll make you a deal Tom, you can have all my corals and rock in exchange for new clean live rock

.

Oh and you have to take my foxface and regal angel as well

Well Marie I will have to give this some thought. Is there a time limit on the offer?

Tom R