Hey Hey... time to read eh? Cnid. incomp.   3/14/07
Hey Guys/Girls
<Kyle>
Thanks for everything you do, you have no idea how much it is appreciated.
<Welcome>
My problem is with my 30-gallon tank. I'll give you my stats before I explain the problem. I use R.O water, Calcium 425, Alk 10 KH, PH 8.2  
Salinity 1.026 temp 78. I use 5 drops of ESV iodine a day. (I know my alk is high and cal is low but I have been adding supplements and its starting to balance out)
<Mmm, do you test for this Iodine? I would not add it so frequently (any more than once a week), unless you did>
I have a 15 gallon sump and a Rea sea prism Skimmer. My lights are approximately 16 inches from the surface of my tank. I have a clown fish, a Bicoloured angel,
<Needs more room than this>
a six line wrasse and a cleaner shrimp.
I have been fighting with my polyps for about 3 months now. I was a fish only guy for about 2 years and decided to jump into coral. I bought a 250W Metal halide light thinking I was going to up grade my tank in the summer.
<Mmm, a lot of light for this size/volume...>
I bought a Zoanthus frag and was given a small Acro frag to start. Everything was going well the Zoas and Acro were both growing. So I purchased a frag of leather, xenia green torch coral and was given a clam.
<Whoa, whoa whooooooaaaaah. All these animals in a thirty?>
The clam has been healthy ever since, no rips perfect colour and responds well to light changes. But this was the last day I ever saw my Zoas open. I did some reading and found that Leather lets off toxins that can poison the rest of your coral and a good way to combat this is with Carbon.
<Is one approach... However... adding small specimens... over a long period of time... one at an interval... many other techniques are recommended...>
I bought carbon and put about 3 cups full
<!>
into a mesh bag and placed the bag in a low flow area in my sump. I also relocated the zoas several time hoping they were just not liking the spot they were in. After 2 weeks everything still looked poor and my Acro frag bleached. I also read that Green torch coral is one of the more aggressive species of coral. (like I said I'm still learning)
<Not the easiest way...>
So I decided I was going to remove the leather and the green torch coral and give it away. My tank has been free of leather and torch coral for approximately a month? still no change. A week ago I did a 50% water change hoping it would remove the toxins from the water? still no change.
<All takes time...>
Then I thought its probably the Zoas maybe there are so diseased they won't open.
<They're relatively noxious as well...>
One of my friends (being a nice guy) offered to take them from me and within a week they opened in his tank and looked moderately healthy. I then thought maybe they just aren't compatible with my tank so I asked him to frag some 
zoas for me that I could try in my tank. I dripped them into my tank  and they have been tightly closed for days now. Then I came home from  class today and noticed that there were brown stringy fibbers growing  out of the center of the new polyps.
<Yikes...>
I'm at a complete loss. I have no idea. I hope its just something  small I'm missing but I have read everything I can, and I need help.  
are my lights to close to the tank? My water? If you could suggest  anything I would appreciate it.
If you think pictures will help then i can take pictures and send them.
Thank you very much
Kyle
<You need to know... a bunch... And not knowing you, what you already are aware of, I suggest you start by reading the survey articles on all the groups of Cnidarians you list here... and the related/linked FAQs files... Mmm, start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm
Bob Fenner>

Quarantine?  3/10/07
Dear WWM Crew,
<Jan>
As always, thanks for all of your help!!  It is a great comfort to be able to reach out to you folks and get such great advice and help!
<Yes>
We have a 72G reef tank with about 80 lbs. of LR.  Our water parameters are
(Temp=77deg F, Sg=1.025, pH=8.3, Ca=380ppm, Mg=1290ppm, dKH=6.75, Ammonia & Nitrite=0ppm, NO3= 5ppm).  The tank was set up and cycled last May.   
For about the last six months our live stock has consisted of a pair of clowns (A. ocellaris), a fat mandarin (S. splendidus), and a school of 9 Chromis viridis.  15 various corals, 2 tube worms (Protula magnifica) 2 turbo snails and some (+/- 8) blue legged hermit crabs.  In addition to this we have 3 peppermint shrimp (L. wurdemanni) & 2 fire shrimp (L. debelius) and 2 common cleaner shrimp (L. amboinensis).
We have 3 questions.
1. Our LFS has been holding a Hawaiian Yellow Tang (Z. flavescens) for us for the last 2 weeks in their "quarantine" tank with water dosed with copper.  However, while the Tang has been alone in this tank, the tank is connected to other tanks running on the same water.  Should we quarantine this fish? If so, for the full month or just two weeks?
<I would quarantine this fish, or at the very least run it through a prophylactic FW dip/bath... detailed on... WWM>
2. We are also thinking of adding a Lawnmower Blenny (S. fasciatus) as our tank has plenty of algae on the LR.  Given this fishes need to graze algae, should it be quarantined?  If so, for how long?
<I would quarantine this species for two weeks... some smaller, likely-to-starve Blennioids for a shorter duration>
3. Also, concerning the Blenny & Tang, given the size of our tank and the current livestock listed above, do you see any potential problems with adding either or both of these fish?
<Mmm, no... not really... The fifteen species of corals here (in a 72 nominal gallon volume) should not be added to though... as they are likely "used" to each other... will/would react to new cnidarian life adversely>
Thanks!!
Jan & Ellen  
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Yellow polyps... toxic sys., incompatible mix of Cnid.s  3/6/07
Hey, i had a question about yellow polyps sea mat infections. I have had a 12 gallon reef for about 6 months now and one of the first pieces of coral I bought was a beautiful piece of yellow polyps, and i have slowly been adding a frag here and there.
<Dangerous in such small volumes>
The yellow polyps has slowly decline of there size and numbers. Now there are only a few polyps left and everything else in my tank is doing great.
tanks specs.
calcium- 430
ph- 9.2
<Way too high>
water temp.77 - 79
nitrites- none
ammonia- .3
<Toxic>
nitrates. - 20- 25
<Too high>
The polyps are in strong current flow and have nothing crawl on them but a cleaner shrimp. They are about 12 inches away from a 36 watt power compact 50-50 actinic and daylight. The other things in the tank are, a piece of LPS fairly close to it. Some green sea mats , xenia, button polyps, anemone and a clam.
There are no nudibranchs. i have noticed a long red polyp/worm like thing growing near them.
thank you for the time
Jake Damiano
<You have an incompatible mix of cnidarians in a toxic setting... Please see WWM re all the mentioned factors above and each species "Compatibility", "Systems". Bob Fenner>

What's the secret? Coral Compatibility 2/5/07
Hi there,
<Hello Sameer>
Greetings from India,
<And from Michigan...brrr>
Hope you are having a great day!
This is Sameer from India.
I wanted to know, that when we see the pictures of reef setups on website, we see small tanks which are fully loaded with corals of different types.
These tanks are so filled up that we often don't see the live rocks too!
The websites like http://www.garf.org/ etc, have such tanks which are small but amazingly beautiful.
What is the secret behind such kind of stocking?
<No secrets, just reading/learning.>
Is there no chemical warfare?
How do they control the war?
<There will always be some warfare going on, but tanks such as these are best set-up with coral species from the same family to minimize the war.>
How do they sustain such bio load in such small quarters?
<The corals do not create near the bio load that fish do.>
Also how do they manage the corals from touching each other when the tanks are so filled up?
<Careful placement.>
Because when we read on the FAQ's on wetwebmedia, we see that chemical warfare and compatibility is a major issue between corals and other inverts!
<Yes, corals and anemones should not be kept in the same tank.>
I have read that many times even the same species have warfare!
<Yes, but not quite as  dangerous as mixing species in such small quarters.>
I myself have a nano tank and hope to have different Zoanthids and Mushrooms only!
what are the basic and common requirements for both?
<Read here and linked files above.  Plenty of info here to pass a few nights.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthid.htm>
Also which would you suggest as beginner corals?
<Geez, all depends on tank size, lighting, etc.>
Often when I get Zoanthid frags, they don't open for weeks and the mistake I would do is keep moving them in the tank to adjust to the lighting, later they would just melt away!
<The link above should give plenty of info.  Do read the FAQ's on such, learn from the experiences of others.>
But in the same case Sea Fans and Favites Coral would settle down and open the same day on introduction to the tank!
<Mmm, conditions to their liking.  Each specie of corals have their own requirements, but the one thing they share in common is photosynthesis.>
So, maybe I should just leave them alone and watch them settle down!
<And read/learn.>
What is the *maximum* time (days) needed for them to settle down and open up?
<Another loaded question.  All depends on your system.>
So, I can wait for that period before discarding the animals!
<Do read/learn my friend.>
Thanks in advance!
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
cheers,
Sameer

Coral/Anemone Compatibility 1/29/07
Hello,
<Hi Mike>
As everyone says at the beginning of their letters, "Thanks for all of your help and knowledge that you pass on to those of us who love this hobby."
<Welcome.>
This site really is a great resource and I really appreciate the time, passion and knowledge you all impart to us lesser beings.
Anyway, I just have a quick question that I cannot find the answer to anywhere. The night before last, my bubbletip anemone (huge) decided for some reason that his spot in the tank that he has resided at for the last four years was no longer suitable. As he made his way around the tank, either he or his partner in crime (maroon clownfish) knocked a new frag of plating Monitpora down (I had not "glued" it in place yet, was waiting to make sure it was happy with its spot first). As luck would have it, the Montipora spent the night in the tentacles of the anemone.
I have not seen the polyps of the Montipora since (my sons call the polyps, Cheerios). Is the Montipora doomed? Is there anything I can do to help or do I now just have an expensive decoration for my tank?  
The only other difference in the tank is that the clownfish has been fanning substrate out of the way clouding up the tank. I have been gently squirting the residue off with a turkey baster. I wish now that I didn't have the anemone because I enjoy growing corals, but it has become such a fixture in the tank that I don't have the heart to part with it.
<This is exactly why we do not recommend keeping corals with anemones.
As for being doomed, time will tell.  I'd say it's not off to  a good start for sure.>  
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can impart,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Mike

Nice SW Sys., too many incomp. Cnid.s   1/16/07
Hi WWM Crew.
You've given me great advice in the past. I hope you can help me now. I'll start with my equipment and parameters.
75 Gallon mostly SPS
1 Tunze 6100 and 6095 controller
Berlin skimmer rated up to 250 gallons
wet dry trickle filter
2 250W HQI 15K
2 PC Actinic 125W
Specific Gravity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
PH 8.4
DKH 11
Calcium 450
2 A. Millipora                              2 Monti Digitata
Superman Monti                         Spaghetti Leather
Yellow Branching Porites            Galaxea
Acropora Blue Tort                     Pavona
Chips Acropora                          Turbinaria
Tri Color Acropora                      Green Frogspawn
Pectina                                     Button Polyps
Pagoda cup                              Green Star Polyps
Candy Cane Coral                     Orange Monti Cap
Yellow Sun polyps                      Pocillipora
Christmas Tree Coral                 Chili Coral
Blue ridge Heliopora                   Pulsing Xenias
Brown Hairy Mushrooms
<Yowzah... a bunch/myriad of competing Cnidarian species>
Blue Hippo Tang
2 Tomato Clowns
Blue Damsel
Kole Tang
Fairy Wrasse
Wow I think that's it. My problem is with my Superman Monti two parts of it are turning white. I know that's a bad sign. I have no bleaching on anything else. The Superman Monti's neighbors were the GSP and Button Polyps would either of those have anything to do with its color change?
<Could very well, yes>
Also my Chili Coral doesn't extend its polyps like it used to.
<This Nephtheid is not easily kept>
It is under a ledge receives little to no light
<No problem with the lack of light here... is non-photosynthetic>
and has great flow. If you have any advice or suggestions on either of these problems please help. Thanks again guys.
Omar
<Time to move some of these colonies really... there is too much really non-compatible life types crammed in here... Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcomp2faq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Nice SW Sys., too many incomp. Cnid.s, using WWM    1/17/06
Hi Guys.
Thanks for the fast response. Could you help me identify which Cnidarian species I should remove. I do have a 29 gallon softie grow out tank that I could move some of them to. Any advice is good advice. About the Chili Coral do you have any suggestions on successfully keeping it in a captive reef. It was doing very well for 3-4 months and has grown considerably. I would like to keep it alive if possible. Thanks again.
Omar
<All of this and much more you'll be happy to have exposure to is posted on WWM... Please read there re the Systems and Compatibility of all the organisms you listed. Bob Fenner>

Last Fish...(Not The Best Choice) – 01/11/07
Hey Guys an Gals,
<<Cheers David!>>
My wife and I have a 50 G tank with several corals and 3 small fish.  1- Galaxea (yes I know all about the sweepers) got it cheap and it might be moving out in the near future for trade.
<<Mmm, yes...a very aggressive genus with a very strong “sting”>>
Has whole left half of aquarium to itself.
<<Indeed>>
Q: what is the proper item(s) to feed this coral??
<<Minced meaty marine foods, small mysis shrimp, Sweetwater Plankton, Cyclop-eeze...a mixture of these>>
Looking on WWM using Galaxea as a keyword I only find tentacle warnings.
<<That’s about to change [grin]>>
3- Ricordea Yumas have center of tank, placed a full 11" away from Galaxea.
<<Wise...though the Ricordea can be quite nasty itself>>
1- LT plate coral far right side of tank on sand bottom.
2- Sarcophyton one 1" frag one 4" frag mid-level right side.
<<Keep in mind these can/will grow large (some to a couple feet in diameter) and are quite noxious>>
I use a Coralife lunar light. 1-96w compact fluorescent. 1-96w actinic and 2 small blue
LEDs.  I keep 10000K on 9hrs, actinic comes on one hour before and stays on one hour after.  Blue LEDs are on at night.  Is this lighting enough for what I’m keeping?
<<If the bulbs are close to the water and changed out regularly...just barely I think.  The addition of another 10000K bulb (even a smaller wattage, say 65W) is warranted here in my opinion>>
I have two powerheads for movement one Powersweep 228 and a Whisper 660.
<<Another powerhead would not hurt either>>
Use a Magnum H.O.T. 250 for carbon/phosphate remover.
<<Excellent>>
Running a Coralife Super Skimmer 65g which IMO works awesome, at least one inch of "nasty" in collection cup daily.  I had convinced myself that my fancy for trigger fish was not to be exercised until I read "Have you overlooked these fish" by Gregory Schiemer in the 2006 annual Marine Fish and Reef magazine.  After reading that article I have read everything I can on the Blue Throat triggerfish.
<<An excellent species for reef tanks (have on in my reef), though I consider your tank too small for the long-term health of this fish>>
My tank has a Tomato clown that I have had for 3 yrs and is only about 2 1/2 " (the alpha fish in this new 50. He has been in for a month now).  I added a firefish and Falco Hawkfish the same week I added the clown.
<<Kudos on the choice of Hawkfish...a small species (to about 3-inches), and attractive too>>
Almost two months have passed.  Everyone eats fine.  Firefish is NOT afraid of "Hanging with the big boys" and eats as well as the clown.
<<Good to hear...these shy fishes are often easily bullied to the point of starvation>>
I just went by the LFS and there Screaming "buy me !! buy me !!" is a very small Blue throat, 3-inches.
<<Uh-0h>>
Now, I had already been doing the research and I’m convinced that everything in my tank should get along with some warnings of course.  And this 3" specimen really seems to be "the one last fish" ha ha hopefully. j/k
<<Mmm...>>
I had the store put it on hold.  I got a week to talk myself out of it.  Can you help talk me INTO it?
<<I’m sorry to disappoint you...though it may not seem so now, your tank just isn’t big enough (should be at least twice its size) for this large (grows to more than a foot), robust and active fish.  Many things affect the nature/behavior of fishes in captivity...and in my opinion an all too common practice in our hobby that mal-affects fishes more than many realize is placing them in too small volumes of water.  The argument that “I’ll upgrade when it gets too large for the tank” holds little weight as the fishes often develop behavioral disorders/develop health issues from the “growing up” in a too small system...not to mention these “promises to upgrade” rarely pan out for a myriad of reasons>>
Ya think this fish will co-exist?
<<The tankmates are fine...it’s the housing that’s inappropriate I’m afraid>>
I have some small crabs, snails and such, and a sea hare that shows himself seldom (know about the possible ink too).  I am not worried about the clean up crew; they can be replaced if they disappear although I have read they will most likely be safe from the trigger.  My wife said "You know that’s the last fish right?" She reads WWM too.:)
<<Best to make it an appropriate selection then>>
Please help us with our decision.
<<I’ve given you my position on the matter...not what you wanted to hear I’m sure...but truly best for the trigger in my humble opinion>>
David Conway
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

Anemone vs. coral ...Free Range Condys ...Time to Relocate.   1/8/07
Hello,
<Hi Jay, Mich with you today.>
great site, I have learned a lot from your site.
<Thank you!  Always good to hear that someone has been able to use the site to educated themselves!>
But I think I have made a mistake on my own, and need some advice.
<Most mistakes we make ourselves.>
I recently purchased an expensive Pagoda, not thinking-because I never had any trouble in the past, but now I am scared, I have 2 Condy anemone that like to move a lot, like every 2 days.
<Yikes!>
Should I fear for the safety of my Pagoda?
<Ahh, yeah!>
And should I loose the Condy's?
<I would find them a new more appropriate home.  Please make sure whoever provides for the Condys is aware of their care requirements.>
Thanks, Jay
<Welcome! -Mich>

Coral Aggression/Toxicity/Location/Separation...And Drinking Beer! – 01/04/07
Equipment:
72 gallon bowfront – Upgraded from 30 gallon in June 06- Oolitic sand as substrate
10 gallon sump / refugium (below tank) with deep sand bed (Oolitic) and spaghetti algae
Charcoal in sump (using Black Magic but switching to Chemi-pure and Poly-Fitter)
<<Both excellent products>>
Aqua C Remora Pro Skimmer with overflow box
Circulating 700-800 gallons per minute (Mag Drive pump)
<<...!?  I think you mean per hour>>
Two powerheads (one rotating) for circulation
TEK T-5 Light 6 -54 watt bulbs (two actinic)
90 pounds of live rock
Livestock:
30 snails
30 Blue -Legged hermit crabs
1 Mithrax crab
<<Do keep an eye on this...can be problematic, especially as it gets larger>>
1 Sea Hare
2 Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
1 Feather Duster worm (Sabellastarte sp.)
9 Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
1 Percula Clown (I think)
1 Six-line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
1 Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
1 Colt or Tree coral (dropped 5 branchlets which are taking) (Cladiella?  Capnella?)
<<I don’t think this is Cladiella>>
12 Mushroom corals (Actinodiscus sp)
Orange/Red Zoanthids / Sea Mat
12 Red Mangroves
<<Really?>>
Parameters:
Spg- 1.027
<<I wouldn’t go any higher than this...and would prefer 1.25-1.026>>
78 degrees Fahrenheit
Ammonia – 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 15 ppm
<<Not “all that bad” but you should try to keep this around 10ppm or less to provide a bit more of a buffer against a higher spike>>
pH 7.8
<<A tad low for my liking>>
KH 4.8 per Salifert test (still trying to figure out what this means, Mardel dip strip shows Alkalinity at 300)
<<Trash the dip strips...useless.  Go with the Salifert test kit...and let your alkalinity drop to 4 or below (see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alkalinity.htm)>>
Calcium over 600 per Hagen test (?)
<<Doubtful this is accurate as this much calcium coupled with your alkalinity level would have likely resulted in a precipitous event...though your current pH value may be suppressing the reaction due to the “increased room” for more carbonates in solution at this lower pH.  I suggest you validate this reading with a “quality” test kit (Salifert would be fine) and if this is a true reading, take steps to bring the calcium and alkalinity levels down before making any adjustments to pH>>
Phosphate – 0
Silicate – 0
Total and Free chlorine - 0
No additives other than dechlor currently being added.
<<Hmm...would have thought sure you were adding/dosing calcium/alkalinity products.  All the more reason to double-check/validate those readings and if necessary, determine the cause for the high levels>>
5 gallon water changes done 1-2xs weekly.
<<You might find 10-gallons changed bi-weekly to be just as beneficial as well as less stressful on/irritating to your tank inhabitants (from the constant chemical reactions taking place).  This would also give you more time to “age” the water before adding it to the tank>>
Hello and Happy New Year!
<<Greetings to you in kind!>>
I’ve spent the day - ok, I’ve been on your website for nearly a week continuously now-
<<Hee-hee!  Tis lots to read/absorb>>
reading the FAQs on Corallimorpharians << Corallimorpharians>> and I’m still a little confused; I hope you can clear a couple of things up for me.
<<Let’s see what I can do>>
All the stuff I have questions about have a picture posted on this webpage:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/14939320@N00/
if you wish to see them (yes, I’m a dork, as my teenage daughter will happily tell you).
<<Ahh teenagers...>>
I couldn’t change the order of the pics to make it easier for you, so I marked them: “***”.
<<I see this...thank you>>  
I’ve got a rock that has some orange cup-type Zoanthids on it.
<<Mmm...these may well be zoanthids, but based on the length and spacing/number of tentacles I’m inclined to think these are Palythoa.  These would have similar care requirements but are generally considered more noxious than zooanthids and also happen to produce one of the most potent toxins in the animal kingdom>>
Attached to the same rock are a couple of bluish mushrooms with some green fluorescence.
<<I see this...much to close together...one or the other will likely win out/kill the other>>
I upgraded the tank from a 30 gallon to a 72 in June.
<<Cool!>>
In the 30 gallon the Zoanthids were not happy-always closed up and whitish for awhile, but all the shrooms appeared to be spreading and looked well.
<<Don’t discount the toxicity/noxious nature of the Corallimorphs either...quite nasty in their own right>>
The 30 gallon had high nitrates, constant problems with hair algae, no skimming, and poor lighting.
<<I see>>
The water was “nutrient rich” (although I’d be more inclined to say polluted).
<<Thank you [grin]>>
The current tank is better equipped to provide a healthy environment (specifics below <<I’ve moved these to the beginning of this query>>), although I’m still having a hair algae/nitrate struggle.
<<Quite common...and if both are not “out of bounds” dare I say, often quite acceptable too>>
The Zoanthids have opened up and are a deep orange color (except when the cleaner shrimp prances around on top of them).  The shroom= not happy.  Looks kind of banged up and never fully expands.
<<Likely the polyps and corallimorphs are taking turns beating each other up>>
I occasionally spray slurry of Cyclop-eeze at the shrooms in the tank, and all respond other than these unhappy-seeming ones.  Directly above the shroom/zoanthid rock is a small tree coral (Capnella, perhaps?),
<<Perhaps...though the “slimness” of the branches could mean a Lemnalia species or possibly a Litophyton species>>
a surprise hitchhiker that has gone in size from so tiny you barely saw it to about 5 inches during the day.  It has started shedding branchlets in the area of the zoo/shroom rock.
<<Mmm, yes I see these>>
Question 1 is probably obvious- do I move the rock with the zoanthids and shrooms attached away from the tree coral, or is this problem likely to continue as it’s a conflict with the zoanthids and shrooms that are on the same rock?
<<The close proximity of the zoanthids and the corallimorpharians is resulting in increased chemical warfare.  One or the other on its own would be a problem if placed to close to the Capnella/Lemnalia/Litophyton...but the two in conjunction and “at war” is downright ghastly>>
If so, what do I do or expect to happen?
<<You need to provide some separation on “all” counts.  Move the rock and also see about removing the corallimorphs from the same rock as the Zoanthids>>
Question 2- in another spot on my tank, I have a rock full of shrooms that is exploding- started off with three little guys and now they’re expanding and budding.
<<These organisms can often spread to plague proportions...burning/killing other corals along the way>>
They seem happy, but there are a few of the shrooms that are extending their stalks as if trying to reach the light.
<<Hmm, most have quite low lighting requirements.  I’ve even seen the more colorful specimens (shades of blue, red) turn brown under lighting that was too intense.  Perhaps they are seeking better water flow/more food.  Though they may not look it, they are quite active “feeders” and benefit from occasional feedings of finely minced meaty foods>>
Should I move them or leave them where they are since they mostly appear to be doing well?
<<If they are not showing any deleterious effects I would leave them as they are>>
I understand they don’t like to be moved.
<<As is the case with most any coral/invert...can be very stressful acclimating to the new location>>
Question 3- I’m planning a trip to the LFS on Saturday and would like to pick up some more corals.  I’m trying to read all the FAQs on compatibility and get an idea what would be a good addition to the tank... but again, getting confused.
<<Let me suggest rather than trying to learn everything about everything...that you find something you like and then do specific research on that species/specimen>>
One place it says coral xxx is ok with shrooms as long as you give them 6-inches space, in another place I see that coral xxx causes problems with mushrooms no matter where they are.
<<Differences in opinions, experiences>>
I understand there are many, many variables.... but am struggling to find a place to start.   Any quick word of advice on this?  
<<Why, yes I do...  Research/pull your information from a variety of resources; the reef bulletin boards/forums, other hobbyists/LFS in your area, WWM, keyword searches on the NET, etc., and then use your own good judgment to make a decision>>
Also, this is probably the 5th email that I’ve sent over the last year or so to you guys and gals- thanks so much for doing this.
<<We’re here because we choose to be...a “labor of love” as Anthony C. use to say>>
I’d happily buy each of you a beer, but will have to settle for drinking one in honor of each of you.... how many do we have in the crew currently?
<<About nineteen presently...but rather than have all that fun by yourself, perhaps we’ll meet-up at some pet-fish conference somewhere and you can make good on your offer...[grin]>>
Maybe my liver would appreciate me donating the cost of a beer each to the website instead :-)
<<Hmm...I/Bob might debate the sanity of that logic [grin], but more monies for future dive adventures is always welcome!>>
Thanks ,
Stephanie in Santa Cruz, CA
<<Is a pleasure to assist.  Eric Russell in Columbia, SC>> <I'll gladly accept beer, or beer-equivalents. RMF>

 

Re: Coral Aggression/Toxicity/Location/Separation...And Drinking Beer! – 01/05/07
(NOTE - New answers in this post are enclosed with brackets [[ ]] )
Hi Eric,
[[Stephanie]]
Thanks for the detailed reply!
[[You're quite welcome]]
12 Red Mangroves
<<Really?>>
Is this too many?
[[Seems like a bunch to me]]
They're still very small, but I do tend to be the queen of overkill.  Figured if one had the ability to reduce nitrates, 12 is even better... (teenage daughter, again, rolling her eyes).
[[Mmm...I have my doubts as to their true efficacy re measurable nitrate reduction in our systems.  Seems to me their growth rate/nutrient uptake is too slow to be any real benefit.  But I'm sure they aren't hurting anything...and if you like the look...]]
I actually don't think they're doing any good.
[[My argument exactly...much more efficient to employ an in-line vegetable refugium and culture a fast growing macro-alga such as Chaetomorpha]]
Parameters:
Spg- 1.027
<<I wouldn't go any higher than this...and would prefer 1.25-1.026>>
How quickly can it be lowered?
[[One one-thousandth of a unit every 24 hours is fine (e.g. from 1.027 to 1.026)]]
I've been trying over the last week to lower it by doing water changes with 1.23 water.
[[Yikes!  A typo I hope? (1.23 vs. 1.023)]]
I'm not seeing any decrease yet, and was considering trying a 2 gallon change with RO freshwater... bad idea?
[[Better to try with a smaller volume...just do 1-gallon changes with "buffered" RO water (allowing a little time between for the water to mix well) until you see a drop in specific gravity]]
pH 7.8
<<A tad low for my liking>>
Calcium over 600 per Hagen test (?)
<<Doubtful this is accurate as this much calcium coupled with your
alkalinity level would have likely resulted in a precipitous event...though your current pH value may be suppressing the reaction due to the "increased room" for more carbonates in solution at this lower pH.  I suggest you validate this reading with a "quality" test kit (Salifert would be fine) and if this is a true reading, take steps to bring the calcium and alkalinity
levels down before making any adjustments to pH>>
I'll order new Calcium and pH tests immediately from Marine Depot
(Salifert), so that I can verify these results on a reliable test before I attempt to make changes.
[[Excellent...and let me prompt you to consider an electronic meter for measuring pH.  Aside from initial/periodic calibration requirements, these meters are convenient to use giving instant and accurate readings that are more reliable; in my opinion, than those obtained with the hobbyist reagent test kits]]
I've got a rock that has some orange cup-type Zoanthids on it.
<<Mmm...these may well be zoanthids, but based on the length and
spacing/number of tentacles I'm inclined to think these are Palythoa.  These would have similar care requirements but are generally considered more noxious than zooanthids and also happen to produce one of the most potent toxins in the animal kingdom>>
<<You need to provide some separation on "all" counts.  Move the rock and also see about removing the corallimorphs from the same rock as the Zoanthids>>
Ack.  Just my luck. I did some Googling of "Palythoa", which led me to "Palytoxin" and was exceedingly displeased at what I found.
[[Don't be "too" alarmed, Palythoa are very prevalent in the trade and most folks manage keep them without personal harm...though our pal Anthony Calfo, author and coral-fragger extraordinaire, did manage to poison himself on three different occasions while handling these organisms.  But no worries...you hardly notice the twitching when you talk to him (just kidding!)]]
I don't relish the idea of hammering away at a rock to separate the mushrooms from the highly toxic things that can cause death in 3 minutes....
[[As long as you don't have any open wounds/sores that come in contact, and as long as you wash-up well afterwards I think you'll be fine]]
Any suggestions before I evacuate all children and small animals from my household?
[[Save the beer!]]
Do I need to wear protective gear, like a Hazmat Suit?
[[Hee!]]
Seriously, what kind of precautions or process do I need to follow before I break out the chisel?
[[Only as just outlined...with the addition of protective eyewear>>
Do I need to separate the different corals underwater, and do I have to wait awhile before I put them in the display tank?
[[You can remove/split the rock out of water (double-up a heavy towel on the kitchen table and go to work), and the corals can be returned to the tank immediately after...though I recommend having a container of clean seawater available to dunk in to rinse off the excess slime that will have been generated by the corals during handling.  And if you really don't want to split the rock, you can use an old carpenters wood chisel to "cut" a thin slice of rock from under the corallimorphs to remove them (the carbonaceous rock actually cuts pretty easily this way)...then use Superglue to attach it/them to another rock]]
Thanks again- any chance anyone from the Wet Web Crew will be in the Santa Cruz/San Jose area for conferences any time soon?  Gotta save up my money for beer for 19 :-)
[[Hmm...Bob travels up and down the coast attending many of the various fish-dos there...and if I know him...he'll be glad to drink up for all of us!]]
Stephanie
[[Regards, Eric Russell]]

Re: poor English, our time, efforts   12/12/06
Crew
<Hey Brian, JustinN here with you today. I apologize for what may be construed as a rude response here, but your message is incredibly poorly constructed. Misspellings, run on sentences, sentence fragments, missing punctuation, lack of capitalization, basically every standard that we request from our user base. For links, please start with this one: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QueryCorrsRefPg.htm Please correct your email following these guidelines and shoot it back our way, at which point we will gladly respond. There is simply not enough time (or patience!) in the day to correct all such emails as these. Thanks, JustinN>
  Well hello again..
  Sorry about the last rude e-mail im just frustrated being new with soft coral's or any coral for that matter and there compatibility's.
Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:26:01 -0800 (PST)
WWM (Justin)
  Sorry about that Justin . I was in a hurry before my wife came home.
  Thank you for your time.
  Brian
<No problems, Brian. Thank you for taking the time to correct your correspondence. Such work really does accumulate for those of us on the crew, and can become frustrating at times. I apologize again if I came off as rude, my intents were not as such.>
Compatibility Kenya tree, Purple Mushroom, Pulsing xenia ?'s Or a link 12-11-06
Crew
<Brian>
Well hello again..
Sorry about the last rude e-mail I'm just frustrated being new with soft corals or any coral for that matter and there compatibilities.
<Is ok>
The first coral i started with is a Kenya Tree Coral. I have had this only coral 6 week's now and <I> would like to add more soft corals. So your asking yourself why this e-mail?
Well <I> didn<'>t want any war fair <warfare> going on later down the road. I read WWM daily and people add corals they shouldn't and they end up with dead coral's or there whole tank Gone.
I'm sorry <I> have way <too> much money in my tank and fish<es> to just throw some corals together and say look at my reef, then days, weeks later its all gone..
So some question's if you wouldn't mind helping me out again, please.
<No problems, I'll give it a go>
A friend has fagged <fragged> his Pulsing Xenia. Its the purple greenish one. No idea its name.
And he's giving me 1 Purple mushroom to start with..
Will everything be OK with these 3 coral's in my 125gallon??
<Oh yes, all should be fine. Lots of real estate available.>
Tank specs are..
PH 8.4
Cal 425
Ami 0
Nitrate 10ppm
Nitrite 0
Sal 1.024
Phis 0
AL 3.5
<Ok>
Other wise some opinion's or link's for me to read would be great. Thanks for your time and killer website..
Brian
<I would suspect that with these 3 species, all would be fine. The real troubles in mixed reef gardening tends to come as specimens get larger, and are more established in the tank already. In future correspondence, please do properly space out sentences as well as spelling and grammatical checks. Thanks for your patience, Brian. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Lighting and coral compatibility    11/27/06
Hey everyone! Great site, I read it every night!
<Hello, and thanks for the kind words>
      I apologize in advance for the long email!
<S'ok, details are good>
   I have a standard 75 gallon glass aquarium with an 18 gallon refuge/sump. No mechanical , a DIY skimmer that am pretty happy with, aside from maintenance( constant tuning), I run carbon and poly filter, faithfully do 10 gallon water changes a week. There is 104#'s of live rock, 2 to 3 inch live sand bed in the display. In the refuge I have an 1" of live sand and a huge mat of Chaeto.( no rubble, should I add this?)
<Not necessary, but likely wouldn't hurt anything... more biota to take root>
On the refuge I run one 65 watt 12k pc light. I can run two, does Chaeto need it? It seems to be doing fine...I just answered my question didn't I?
<Indeed>
There is a pair of gold banded shrimp, an emerald crab, a few blue leg hermits, and some snails breeding like crazy!) No fish yet, there is an abundant population of little shrimp, stars, worms and snails that I don't have the heart to let fish eat!
<Hehe>
The tank has been running for 3 months since I moved, before that about 5 months. I carried some of the water with me so it wouldn't be as much of a shock and actually kept the live rock/sand under water in about a thousand rubber maid containers!
<Oh, yes. I just made this adventure myself, with a 40 gallon and 20 gallon saltwater tank>
I use only distilled water, is there any problem with that, is R/O better?
<Distilled can work, but usually requires more buffering than RO... RO or RO/DI is usually recommended>
Here's where you will cringe...I have a red open brain in the sand bed, fed every other day and doing well. A red/brown sinularia fl. a green toadstool, and brace yourself. a huge LTA.
<I take it you know the general consensus on this type mixed garden, then. I'll leave that be. *grin*>
I know, a bad mix. The open brain is blocked off from the anemone getting to it by live rock, also helps keep excessive current from hurting it.
<Likely won't stop the anemone if it decides to go on a walkabout>
The LTA settled in a spot and hasn't yet moved, I know at some point he will. My questions are; I have two 175 watt 20k metal halide. Should I incorporate two 12k 65 watt pc.s also for dusk/dawn, will this be too much for the leathers, open brain? I am switching from 520 watts of pc lighting because I like the metal halide shimmer, don't have to buy bulbs as often, or nearly as many. I am hoping to find a happy median for the corals and the anemone.
<I would use the PC's as actinic supplementation, if it were me/mine. As long as the leathers are acclimated to the new lighting, all should be fine.>
My other question is , how can I go about getting more corals without messing up the mix much more horribly? From what I understand, a mix of LPS and softies is possible with good skimming, poly filters, carbon, good water flow, water changes and distance between them, as long as there are only a few of one and a majority of the other.
<You've hit the idea on the head, here. Starting frags small, adding what you want, and then not adding anymore also has a great deal to do with success here.>
I am willing to part with the Sinularia fl if I have to, but that's about it. Are there any zoanthids I can keep? Would I be better off sticking with more softies or LPSs at this point? Any suggestions on corals I could try would be appreciated.
<...All posted on WWM.>
My sinularia fl is growing well, polyps are extended and religiously sheds its skin, been in the tank for 2 and a half months. But is sagging, I have tried different current patterns around him and nothing seems to work, he is far from any other coral, low in the tank and gets pretty good current. He was the first in the tank and has never stood upright, except at night when he shrinks up.
<Perhaps its too low in the tank? Not enough light getting to it?>
My water; 1.026, ph 8.1/8.2, am, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 to 5 ppm.
No detectable levels of phosphate, alk 11, cal 480, mag 1500, temp 78/79. I use instant ocean salt mix. What can I do!!? Thank you so much for your patience with me!
<No problems, is what we're here for. I went ahead and removed run-on sentences and questions stated in paragraphs improperly for you. In future queries, please do try to use proper English convention for writing, as all queries are posted for all to see. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Mushroom Anemone and Soft Coral Help   11/24/06
Hi again Justin,
<Hello again, Ben, hope this evening finds you well.>
Thank you for the quick reply and for your help.
<Anytime, is what we're here for.>
If chemical warfare is at play here do you recommend removing certain corals? Or is there a way I can prevent it or minimize it?
<Short of removing the leathers, your best bet would be chemical filtration such as ChemiPure somewhere in a flow path.>
The Mushroom anemones are not cupped upward, its just the stems that seem to be reaching upwards, does this seem right?
<I'm not sure I understand here... do you mean that they are stretching their base towards the light, but still extending normally? Still sounds like they're struggling for light here...>
I have looked at the Commodity Axis website who are the manufactures of my tank and the lighting output is one 18watt PC actinic bulb and one 18watt PC 7,100k Daylight bulb are these sufficient for the corals that I have? If they are not what would you recommend?
<Mmm, is borderline at best, in my opinion in the case of the mushrooms, definitely lacking for the leathers... Doubling up the lighting would likely be sufficient for what you wish to keep.>
In regard to the water current the powerhead is attached to the undergravel filter. The actual powerhead sits at the bottom of the tank and has a tube that goes up towards the surface, I have placed a wave maker to the tube which moves via a gyro that turns when the water is pumped through and deflects the water current around the whole tank. I could send a picture of this device if that would help?
<Good description, I don't think a picture will be necessary>
Would you recommend removing the undergravel filter? Once a week I hover the gravel and do a 10% - 15% water change with water that I have purchased from the fish store.
<Mmm, if it were me/mine, I would. Your husbandry methods sound adequate for the setup though.>
Lastly the test kit I used for the carbonate and alkalinity was a Salifert carbonate/alkalinity test are you familiar with these test kits?
<Am familiar, but have never used one personally unfortunately. Does this test describe them as different? As I understand it, the carbonate hardness of water is a measure of the alkalinity of the water.>
Thank you again for your help, I look forward to hearing back from you.
Hopefully I can fix this problem before its gets too bad.
Kind regards
Ben    
<Before you start rushing out to get rid of the leathers, I would try employing some form of chemical filtration as mentioned previously, and consider removing the undergravel filter. Aside from the lighting issue, I remember that you stated your nitrate reading is stable at 20ppm. This could also be lending to the degrading appearance of your corals. Out of curiosity, do you employ a protein skimmer, or any external forms of filtration, aside from the undergravel filter? Glad to be of help! -JustinN>

Hello guys.. HELP ..  Cnidarian incompatibility   11/8/06
       I have a big problem, I notice Saturday night that my frogspawn had dropped a little piece of tentacle..
<? Developed? Do have such morphology...>
I moved him because where it dropped was near my Kenya tree..
<What is it with the double periods?>
I checked all testing.. everything fine.. 0 on ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ph at 8.2 calcium at 480
<Too high>
showed normal range for alkalinity 1.7-2.8 and salinity 1.022 a tad low..
<More than a tad... the ocean never changes this much where Euphylliids are found>
Ill get that up temp around 76..I do use tap water.. small town I don't have R/O available and haven't invested in a unit as of yet. I do dose my tank with Seachem Reef Complete and Reef Plus in my top off water weekly.  Sunday got up checked on my babies and my Kenya looked to have a spot in her branch that looked discolored and dried looking.. I assumed maybe a piece of the frogspawn must of landed there and burned her.. well not far from her is a colt coral that Sunday I also noticed had a area that looked like it was losing tissue. I put in a dose of iodine by Sunday night the colt had a brownish film in the area that
has tissue lose... I decided to cut the infected area off to keep from getting the rest of the coral.. yesterday morning the colt was laying on the rock but its polyps were extended.. I get home from work last tonight and the colt is covered in this brown film.. I also noticed that my other colt on the other side of a 55 gallon tank also had this film on it, I did a ten percent water change.. added new carbon and now looking I see a piece of this brown stuff on my Kenya tree.. my frogspawn that has two heads.. one am assuming where the pieces were dropping looks shriveled up and I can see some skeleton.. the other head.. where the mouth is is bubbled up.. I don't know what the heck is going on.. I do have some iodine on site.. should I dip the Kenya tree.. the one colt looks like a lost cause..
<I would not... but... the best... would move the mal-affected Soft Corals elsewhere>
I have a group of xenia in there they are not affected..
<A good clue here>
my mushrooms.. not affected all zoos not affected.. I haven't changed anything or added anything in weeks..
<Useful info.>
also have a waving
hand, star Polys and button polyps.. they seem fine..
<The "winners">
55 gallon tank.. Coralife 48 inch 265 watt pcs double 10000k daylight and 10000k actinics. I usually put on the actinics around 730am and add the daylight at 830am and lights are off at 1030pm ten gallon hob refugium w skimmer. canister filter. Sometime in the wee hours this morning after going crazy reading trying to find some information.. I decided to move my frogspawn.. with his mouth bubbled up I thought that maybe he could expel something.
<Telling>
So I moved him near the intake hose of the canister filter and away from any other corals. I did try to blow off some of the slime from the colt last night but it almost looked like it was its tissue instead of slime. This morning I can see the one colt is completely covered with it again, the one I assumed was a lost cause but holding on till I get some kind of confirmation. The other colt that had it on one branch now looks as if its shedding tissue.
<Is>
I plan on doing 10 percent
water changes everyday for the next 9 days. The Kenya tree the branch that had the burn looking mark.. that branch has fallen off.. maybe this is her way of trying to heal.. any direction that you have would be greatly appreciate.
<... You have a more or less classic Cnidarian allelopathic event in progress... all the groups/Classes mentioned trying to outcompete each other... the weakest per this set of conditions, mix losing... the Alcyoniid>
One more thing last week I noticed a red slime growing on my canister return tube.. its gone now .. don't see it anywhere in the tank.. do you think when this fell off it might of got in the current and dissolved from a big piece but sprayed these corals and affected them this way?
<Possibly related events... but not possible to say which preceded the other>
Just trying to give you all the information that I can in order to find out what is going on and how to possibly save anything. I don't have a QT tank so Im limited.. (will be looking into getting one). Thanks guys for a great site
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>