Hey guys,
I'm having a very big problem with my watermelon chalice. Actually with both the watermelon, and another random chalice too. So the background is as follows:
I bought this chalice colony at the frag swap, it was a very large beautiful colony. I put it in my tank and it was growing-quite well in fact. In some places it put on nearly a half inch of growth in a month or so.
For about the past 3 weeks, or maybe more, I've noticed tissue reccession, and it seems to be accelerating. I moved it to get it more light, and that didn't seem to help, so now (last week) I moved it to get very little light, and it's getting even worse. It is glued to a rock, and in the bottom 1/6th of my tank (probably 3-4 inches off the sand, and under a ledge getting diffuse or even reflected light at this point. My water parameters are as follows:
Salinity-1.025, (calibrated refractometer) measured with zero detectable variance
Nitrate-0-2pmm, (salifert), for the last month or so with zero detectable variance
PO4-0.00ppm-0.07ppm max (hanna photometer), varies per day, but usually averages 0.02ppm, and hasn't ever exceeded 0.07ppm in months. Very little variance overall from the average of 0.02ppm. I run gfo in a reactor to handle P04.
Ca-this one varies, but not out of accepted parameters. 350-422ppm (hanna photometer). generall averages around 400, with (i'd call it high) variance. To correct I dose brightwell 'calcion'
Mg-this also has a seemingly high variance, and on the high side of acceptable parameters. this averages 1375-1425ppm (salifert). when this is low, I dose Brightwell 'magnesion'. The day to day variance of this can be pretty high, but as I mentioned it's recently stabilized on the high side.
ALK-high variance, ranges from 165-185ppm (9.24-10.36 dKH)(hanna photometer). I generally have to dose alk every other day. I use baking soda mixed in RO.
pH-8.2-(milwaukee meter, permanently placed). outside of the normal daily day/night swing, this is very stable, with no detectable variance.
Temp- 78.5-80.1 degrees F.
Salk mix is ESV, changed from reef crystals about a month and a half ago.
Nothing ever creeps outside of acceptable tolerances, but as posted can have variance within the tolerances.
Lights are 2 ecotech radions, run on "natural mode", from 9:00am to 11:30 pm.
flow is 3 ecotech mp40s. By know you all know I'm a wrasseaholic, so the livestock in mostly wrasses of the genera: Halichoeres, Cirrhilabris, Parachielinus, and Macropharyngodon. Others include: Coral beauty, bluespot jawfish, 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 zoster butterflys, and other assorted, but common reef tank fish (if this matters I can provide a complete list). there are also 3 clams.
The corals are a complete eclectic mix, and my sps does well. Very well in fact-my millies, monties, stylos, etc. Look fantastic, and are growing quite well.
My lps-trumpets, frogs, hammers, look great. Just these chalices, my blastos, and cyphastrea are looking like crap, receeding and generally dying.
My leathers look ok-and that was one of my questions, I've heard of alleopathic concerns for other corals when dealing with leathers before.
The system is a 120g, with a 40g refugium run in reverse light schedule. About 120lbs of live rock, or maybe more. It is also vodka dosed (daily at 5.9mL), I run a skimmer, and recently restarted using zeovit. All dosing is done using Brightwell products except alk.
To this day I've not found one damn good article or advice about this problem with chalice other than "chalices are finicky sometimes." That is bull**** and I'd appreciate something a little more scientific/or even "old wives tale"/explanatory.
A more complete coral and fish list can be provided if you all think it will help. My tank gets the full panel of tests above every other day, and gets tested for alk, salinity pH, and temp every day. I have loads of data if you need that too. PLEASE HELP ME SAVE THIS CHALICE. I love chalices and would hate to lose this one, and I'd like to be successful with them so I can get more. Thank you guys! Sorry about the long post guys, but this is the kind of info I like to see about a system when others are asking questions.
I'm having a very big problem with my watermelon chalice. Actually with both the watermelon, and another random chalice too. So the background is as follows:
I bought this chalice colony at the frag swap, it was a very large beautiful colony. I put it in my tank and it was growing-quite well in fact. In some places it put on nearly a half inch of growth in a month or so.
For about the past 3 weeks, or maybe more, I've noticed tissue reccession, and it seems to be accelerating. I moved it to get it more light, and that didn't seem to help, so now (last week) I moved it to get very little light, and it's getting even worse. It is glued to a rock, and in the bottom 1/6th of my tank (probably 3-4 inches off the sand, and under a ledge getting diffuse or even reflected light at this point. My water parameters are as follows:
Salinity-1.025, (calibrated refractometer) measured with zero detectable variance
Nitrate-0-2pmm, (salifert), for the last month or so with zero detectable variance
PO4-0.00ppm-0.07ppm max (hanna photometer), varies per day, but usually averages 0.02ppm, and hasn't ever exceeded 0.07ppm in months. Very little variance overall from the average of 0.02ppm. I run gfo in a reactor to handle P04.
Ca-this one varies, but not out of accepted parameters. 350-422ppm (hanna photometer). generall averages around 400, with (i'd call it high) variance. To correct I dose brightwell 'calcion'
Mg-this also has a seemingly high variance, and on the high side of acceptable parameters. this averages 1375-1425ppm (salifert). when this is low, I dose Brightwell 'magnesion'. The day to day variance of this can be pretty high, but as I mentioned it's recently stabilized on the high side.
ALK-high variance, ranges from 165-185ppm (9.24-10.36 dKH)(hanna photometer). I generally have to dose alk every other day. I use baking soda mixed in RO.
pH-8.2-(milwaukee meter, permanently placed). outside of the normal daily day/night swing, this is very stable, with no detectable variance.
Temp- 78.5-80.1 degrees F.
Salk mix is ESV, changed from reef crystals about a month and a half ago.
Nothing ever creeps outside of acceptable tolerances, but as posted can have variance within the tolerances.
Lights are 2 ecotech radions, run on "natural mode", from 9:00am to 11:30 pm.
flow is 3 ecotech mp40s. By know you all know I'm a wrasseaholic, so the livestock in mostly wrasses of the genera: Halichoeres, Cirrhilabris, Parachielinus, and Macropharyngodon. Others include: Coral beauty, bluespot jawfish, 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 zoster butterflys, and other assorted, but common reef tank fish (if this matters I can provide a complete list). there are also 3 clams.
The corals are a complete eclectic mix, and my sps does well. Very well in fact-my millies, monties, stylos, etc. Look fantastic, and are growing quite well.
My lps-trumpets, frogs, hammers, look great. Just these chalices, my blastos, and cyphastrea are looking like crap, receeding and generally dying.
My leathers look ok-and that was one of my questions, I've heard of alleopathic concerns for other corals when dealing with leathers before.
The system is a 120g, with a 40g refugium run in reverse light schedule. About 120lbs of live rock, or maybe more. It is also vodka dosed (daily at 5.9mL), I run a skimmer, and recently restarted using zeovit. All dosing is done using Brightwell products except alk.
To this day I've not found one damn good article or advice about this problem with chalice other than "chalices are finicky sometimes." That is bull**** and I'd appreciate something a little more scientific/or even "old wives tale"/explanatory.
A more complete coral and fish list can be provided if you all think it will help. My tank gets the full panel of tests above every other day, and gets tested for alk, salinity pH, and temp every day. I have loads of data if you need that too. PLEASE HELP ME SAVE THIS CHALICE. I love chalices and would hate to lose this one, and I'd like to be successful with them so I can get more. Thank you guys! Sorry about the long post guys, but this is the kind of info I like to see about a system when others are asking questions.
