Rose Bubbletip Leather Coral problems...

[delpni]

Does anyone have experience keeping (successfully) Rose BTA or finger-leather corals? My tank has between 80 and 90 pounds of live rock (will be adding more), 4 Chromis, 2 False Percs, 1 Regal Tang (maybe 3 inches), 2 Skunk Cleaner shrimp, and a FAT Green Mandarin (have had him for almost a year now). As for corals, I have a Rose BTA (about 5" in diameter), a Haitian Pink-tip nem (opposite side of the tank from RBTA), a green birds nest (3 months), green flower-pot coral (9 months), a finger-leather coral (almost a year), ricordia (a year), a Derasa Clam (2-3 months), and an Open-Brain (6 months). The lights are VHO (with reflectors) T-5 @ 354 watts (bulbs are less than 4 months old). I have two 1400GPH power heads and 2 Megaflows with a 30 gallon refuge. Params are Nitrate: <12ppm (a bit high), Nitrites: 0, Phosphates: 0, PH: 8.3, Ammonia: 0, Salinity: 1.024, Temp: 78, Calcium: 450ppm. Substrate in display is 3" sand / crushed coral mix. Sorry so long; I want to be as detailed as possible. So here are my two problems:

My Rose BTA has been doing great (eating and full bulbs) for just over a month and my finger leather has been thriving for nearly a year now (it has more than tripled in size since I bought it). Over the past 3 days, I have noticed my Rose bubble tip will not eat, it's not sticky, and instead of spreading open (about 5"), it stays compact at maybe 2 or 3" at best. The finger leather has always been covered in nice brown polyps and over the past 3 days, it has developed bright white tips (only at the extreme tips of each 'branch')...sort of like a bleached hard-coral. Everything else in the tank is doing great, but I'm at a loss as to what could be wrong with these two items. :sad:

 

[lifestudent]

Sorry, but I cannot think of what could be troubling your RBTA.

It might help if you could attach a photo of your RBTA.

 

[delpni]

Lifestudent;619152 wrote: Sorry, but I cannot think of what could be troubling your RBTA.

It might help if you could attach a photo of your RBTA.

I'll try, but at the moment, it's hidden behind a base rock in the back of my tank. :confused2:

 

[lifestudent]

Hopefully it's splitting for you!

 

[kirru]

i dont have a finger leather, though i have had leathers and currently have a toadstool which i believe is a type of leather... my rbta is doing fine and so is the taodstool, which in fact is to big and needs to go... but back to topic, i have had one BTA move under and behind rocks but only to emerge healthy again and to my surprised split, but i think that was a rare thing as it was new, like a day new, to the tank then split, I hope yours is doing the same. its amazing when it pops out.

 

[darcurr]

I had a rose that acted similarly after about 6 months. It just started to hide all of a sudden. I keep moving it back into the light, and it eventually would eat on ocassion, but after about 4 months of struggle, it died. Hopefully not the case with yours.

 

[jennm]

Do you use carbon? There could be some aleopathy going on, aka "chemical warfare" among the corals (and affecting the anemone).

Both of those, leather and BTA, are usually not terribly difficult to keep under the right conditions, and you described specimens that sound like they are thriving, which are usually more sensitive than those.

What size tank is it? And how often and how much water do you change?

Jenn

 

[delpni]

JennM;619231 wrote: Do you use carbon? There could be some aleopathy going on, aka "chemical warfare" among the corals (and affecting the anemone).

Both of those, leather and BTA, are usually not terribly difficult to keep under the right conditions, and you described specimens that sound like they are thriving, which are usually more sensitive than those.

What size tank is it? And how often and how much water do you change?

Jenn

Now that you mention it Jenn, I did recently start using activated Carbon in the tank. I cannot say with 100% certainty, but I'm pretty sure the issue started around the same time as the carbon introduction. Do you think this could be to blame?

 

[lifestudent]

Any updates as to how the RBTA and leather are doing?

Also, will any pictures be forthcoming?

FWIW, I run 1 qt of carbon on my 120 system and that has no negative on my RBTA or leathers. I change 1/2 of this carbon out monthly. I did start out gradually when I started using carbon. BTW, what brand of carbon are you using?

 

[jennm]

delpni;620024 wrote: Now that you mention it Jenn, I did recently start using activated Carbon in the tank. I cannot say with 100% certainty, but I'm pretty sure the issue started around the same time as the carbon introduction. Do you think this could be to blame?

I was thinking the opposite. Quality carbon helps absorb some of the toxins that corals produce, thus reducing the aleopathy.

What kind of carbon are you using?

Jenn

 

[delpni]

JennM;620055 wrote: I was thinking the opposite. Quality carbon helps absorb some of the toxins that corals produce, thus reducing the aleopathy.

What kind of carbon are you using?

Jenn

I am using Marineland Premium Activated Carbon. I will be adding pictures - it's been a CRAZY past few weeks!! The other day at 2am, the hose decided to pop off my pump and flooded almost 15 gallons of water into my living room carpet, kitchen, and clear into my basement...ugh! The RBTA is coming back out, but still not sticky and as for the leather...well, I think it may be improving. I intend to do a 30% water change this weekend.

 

[jennm]

Hmmm...

I'd switch to Seachem Matrix Carbon. Better quality.

Bummer about the flood - been there, done that!

Jenn