Forty Fathoms

thekingcobra

I have a Toadstoll that hasnt been up to par in quite some time. I used to let it stand on the bottom of my tank in the sand bed and it was doing great with the exception that it would keep getting knocked over all the time.
About 4 months ago, I cemented it to the LR with some putty stuff I got from Jim. Ever since, slowly its been going down hill. It doesnt stand up straight anymore, it lays over to one side, the little hairs or tenticles that used to come out from the top (crown) havent been out in a month or more, its color has faded too, and last mut not least, it seems to be shrinking in size.
Have I cut off some kind of air, or food supply or something by permanently secureing it to the rock? I molded the putty around the bottom of the stem to attach it originally to keep it fixed to the rock.
Any ideas? should I break it free from the rock and put it back down on the sand again?

Also, while I have your attention. I have 2 feather dusters/worms things. Also both cemented to the LR. The brown one is great, it opens daily and looks well...But the other one is a pink one that I got from Jim last spring that I have seen actually out of its tube 3 - 5 times. Its always in the tube, but I knowits still alive because sometimes (when I'm lucky enough) I can actually see just a bit of the pink just inside the end of the tube. Is this normal?
Also one last thing...I dont seem to be able to keep certain kinds of corals. Hammers, frog spawn, and open brains to be exact. The last for awhile then the soft flesh just dissapears on the hammers and frog spawn or in the case of the open brain, it receeded back until the last lil piece of the flesh fell off of the stoney part. Is this a water quality thing or do I have a coral predetor in my tank?
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55 Gal
40+ lbs LR
1 x blood shrimp
2 x pepermint shrimp
1 x purple tipped anenome
1 x toadstool leather coral
1 x Pearl bubble coral
3 x Zoo coral
5 x turbo snails
10 x hermit crabs

jimskoi · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject:

For the leather.Using the putty on the lR that its attached to does not affect the coral.Since you have changed the spot where it was.It will probally close up for awhile.
Leathers all close down from time to time to grow.It will eventually shed some skin.

As for the hammers etc..Have you checked you calcium?It my be too high or low.Do you add calicum?They are not hard to keep.

The feather dusters also shed there feathers from time to time.
Please keep us posted.
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"Its all fun and games until the glass breaks"

Nebthet · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 212

What are your parameters normally like?

Are you using tap water or ROI?

Do your hermit crabs have a dendency to walk all over your hammer and frogspawn and pick at the receeding flesh?

What is your flow like? are they getting direct or indirect flow?

Where do you have them placed?

I found with my first hammer, when I had it it did better when it was positioned halfway up the tank, getting indirect low flow and there were no big hermits to bother it.

I have had more difficulty keeping hammers and frogspawn when they are kept on the sandbed, in either low or medium flow.

thekingcobra · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:08 pm Post subject:

Straight Tap water. Have never used an ROI. Havent checked the calcuim either...

I dont think there is anything eating them, nothing has touched my pearl bubble or shrooms. And the Cabbage seems fine too.
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55 Gal
40+ lbs LR
1 x blood shrimp
2 x pepermint shrimp
1 x purple tipped anenome
1 x toadstool leather coral
1 x Pearl bubble coral
3 x Zoo coral
5 x turbo snails
10 x hermit crabs

Systemtool · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 58 Location: Kingston, ON

Are you on a well or city water? If its city water there might be an issue with chlorine or excess nutrients?

thekingcobra · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:55 am Post subject:

Yepper, city water
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55 Gal
40+ lbs LR
1 x blood shrimp
2 x pepermint shrimp
1 x purple tipped anenome
1 x toadstool leather coral
1 x Pearl bubble coral
3 x Zoo coral
5 x turbo snails
10 x hermit crabs

Nebthet · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 212

Now that we know you are using city water, are you doing anything to treat it. To help get rid of the excess nutrients and chlorine??

It will help a little bit, but not a lot. If you know someone who has an RO/DI unit who you are willing to give a little money too, see if they would be willing to fill up a few jugs of water each month for you to do water changes with.

It will help your tank, and it gives them some money for the cost of electricity and stuff the unit needs to use.

jimskoi · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:07 pm Post subject:

Ummm!lol.
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"Its all fun and games until the glass breaks"

thekingcobra · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:18 pm Post subject:

Right.........thanks...I'll keep that in mind Rolling Eyes

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55 Gal
40+ lbs LR
1 x blood shrimp
2 x pepermint shrimp
1 x purple tipped anenome
1 x toadstool leather coral
1 x Pearl bubble coral
3 x Zoo coral
5 x turbo snails
10 x hermit crabs

bob · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 39

How's those hammers etc. fairing out?
Any improvement? Mine flourish, dividing and growing with only water changes, and straight up well water the well calcuim is 350 on average. I moved my frogspawn up and down the rock wall, and it's happy anywhere i put it. The red /grey open brain i've had for 2 years now.I thought it died a while back, it withdrew till you could see its skeleton nearly, i just left it and two months later, its bigger than before. But you know, I absolutely cannot keep any button polyps alive, who knows why.

thekingcobra · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:15 pm Post subject:

I think I found the problem about a month ago. The toadstool still hasnt come back to being normal yet...but I'm hanging in there hoping maybe someday...afterall its not dead yet. As for the hammers, frogspawn and others they all died off. I realized when I was swaping tanks that my water temp was pretty high. My temp gauge was toast and I hadnt noticed (and honestly I cant say for how long). Anyway to make a long story short...the water temp was ranging from 80 to 82. I'm guessing it did none of the corals any good. Even in the new tank I am still having a prob keep the water cooler. It is usually 80 or just under. I think its time for a new heater. Also my fish room sits right acrossed the hall from my laundry/ furnace room which doesnt help any.
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55 Gal
40+ lbs LR
1 x blood shrimp
2 x pepermint shrimp
1 x purple tipped anenome
1 x toadstool leather coral
1 x Pearl bubble coral
3 x Zoo coral
5 x turbo snails
10 x hermit crabs

bob · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 39

My tank averages 79-81 degrees all the time, but that may have caused a bit of trouble

joeyt66 · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:06 pm Post subject:

80-82 is a fine mine runs 80 all the time. It is in the high range but shouldn't cause that big of a problem . Unless it is dropping a lot at night and increasing alot during the day
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"There now I shouldn't need to buy anything else thats expensive " Ya right!!!!