oh my....what a night

nemo79 · 11-22-2006, 08:07 AM

On thursday my hubby got a large colt coral and I had a bad feeling about it...can't tell ya why but I did.

Anyways it never opened up, it completly shrunk, layed limp, got really dark in colour and started falling apart. I left it alone hoping it would acclimate. No such luck. Last night I came home to find a foggy tank with pieces of the colt in different places in my tank. Everyone seemed ok, except my scooter blenny. He was very light in colour and all his fins were close to his body.

So I thought I would remove the colt and see if I could save it, well it made a mess in my tank. it started falling apart in my hand and it had started getting a reddish brown slime on it. Well I removed all the mess, and added fresh carbon. My husband was so mad he told me to throw out the remains of the colt as I didn't have a quarentine tank ready, and it was late. It smelled really fishy. Well thank goodness for clean up crews because they got the tiny flesh I couldn't and within an hour and half the tank was clearing.

I don't know if my blenny is ok. He ate last night but I didn't see hime after that nor early this morning. Hope I did everything I could. I'd rather lose the colt then everything in my tank...What a loss.

amcarrig · 11-22-2006, 08:15 AM

Sorry to hear about the colt. Just do a small water change and keep running carbon for now. Karma for your loss.

Tangster · 11-22-2006, 08:15 AM

You sure it as a colt ? they are as a rule a very forgiving coral to start out with.. They will shrink and set flat to its rock when touched and or moved But to fall apart that fast ?? You have any parameters problems ? Ammonias Nitrites maybe ? how long has the tank been up and running ? As for a quarantine tank ? never used one myself and as for quarantining a coral ? I just iodine dip all of mine if they came from a unknown source But thats a learned habit and developed skill not something many feel uncomfortable in doing ..But if it was a healthy Colt at the store and it disintegrated that fast you have another problem

grubbsj · 11-22-2006, 08:49 AM

Tangster,

Can you talk more about the iodine dip of corals?

I use a quarantien takn for all fish, but not for corals or inverts..... mistake?

Thanks,
Joe

nemo79 · 11-22-2006, 10:09 AM

ummm, nope no perameter problems. Just tested the water 2 days b4 putting it in and everything is great:
ammo 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phos 0
ph 8.2
cal 380ppm
alk 8dkh
sg 1.024 (slowly upping it)

I think the colt we got had actually just arrived at the store and before I could tell my hubby no, wait a few days he had already bagged it. I wasn't very pleased. You think it's necessary to do a water change?

amcarrig · 11-22-2006, 10:18 AM

If the coral fell apart in your water, I would definitely do a water change. Leathers do excrete toxins after all

nemo79 · 11-22-2006, 10:32 AM

Oh boy. Will it be okay even if I do it tonight? I didn't have any water made up! Should I do a large water change or a small one. What should I look for in signs of distress and can fish be affected or just corals.

amcarrig · 11-22-2006, 10:43 AM

The only thing that's definitely distressed is the tank owner!

No big rush on the water change so long as you're currently running carbon. Do a small water change (about 5 gallons) and take your time mixing your water

nemo79 · 11-22-2006, 10:54 AM

Yes very distressed. Lost $70 on a leather I wasn't interested in and now I may lose my blenny...if I find him. He was the only thing that didn't look good last night. Well my finger leather was shrunk up but has been for 3 days...he's all waxy and small which is normal because he is growing. I personally don't want anymore leathers as I am happy with the finger leather. My hubby loves big corals and we do need a good sized coral for one side of my tank but Not another leather. What a mess it was and maybe I could have saved it but I was very stressed. My rics, frogspawn and finger are more important to me. Ummm can barily stay at work. I just wanna go home and make sure all is okay.

amcarrig · 11-22-2006, 10:56 AM

I'm sure that everything is fine. Like I mentioned, running carbon gives you a huge advantage over those that don't run carbon so you can rely on it to take most if not all of the garbage that the leather may or may not have released into the water.