Sick Softie - Help!

[emissary]

So, I admit I'm not sure what this thing is. It's a common softie, but I get capnella and kenya tree and other tree corals confused. In any case, it seems to be dying. I thought it was just going through a molt/quiet spell like it does from time to time, but it's not standing back up and parts of it are becoming transparent and dying. No other corals are showing sign of any problems.

 

And yes, I have an algae problem, but I'm not in a good position to deal with it due to my whole temporary set up until I move stuff into my 180 :(

 

 

[davelin315]

Cut off the dying branch, rub it around in a container of water so that the dead and decaying parts are gone and then stick it back in the tank. Or, take the whole thing out and do the same thing. Often this is a result of chemical warfare between the softies. Many of them cannot thrive or even survive when other species are in the tank. I have had battles between sinularias and colts before where one would shrink and the other would blossom, and then they would reverse.

 

Or, you could always try a little Viagra in your water... :P

[emissary]

Ah yes, sinularia. That's what this sucker is. There is a nearby capnella (maybe) that I just found under a rock and pulled back out. I wonder if it got angry for some reason. They've been in the tank together for ... oh, maybe a year or more.

 

 

 

Hey cool, my goby's showing his face for the picture.

[JC Pollman]

I had a similar problem with my softies, though my LPSes were thriving. I did a number of things, and not sure which one worked, but my softies are doing very well right now:

1. Assuming you are using RO/DI water, check your TDS readings. The DI beads will actually leach bad stuff back into the water when they get exhausted.

2. Do several major water changes

3. Clean any foam filters every day

4. Ensure your skimmer is working at max production

5. Reduce feeding to once a day.

6. Blow off your rocks every day

 

Although this seems like a fair amount of work, my softies recovered in less than 2 weeks.

[emissary]

Well it's only that one softie, so I'm not sure there are water quality issues here...

[fishface]

For whatever it's worth:

 

1. It may not be water quality, but since you aren't sure, a water change can only improve conditions for all inhabitants.

 

2. If that coral is the most sensitive one, then it's sort of an indicator for you. If it's water quality, others will also respone if their threshold is hit.

 

3. If it's just chemical warefare, then see step 1 anyway. You would want to keep to a stricter water change schedule to dilute the allelopathic compounds in the water. And place the two condender farther apart.

 

4. Carbon will help, if you have a sump, place a next to where the water drops in.

 

FF

[emissary]

Well the cuts are doing fine though the needle and thread trick didn't work. The thread eventually cut right through the base of the stalk so they're free swimming right now but in a lower-water-movement area so they're just sitting there. Maybe they'll grab on to something sometime.