Problem with toadstools

I'm very new to saltwater and coral. About 2 weeks ago, I got a 75g tank with a 30g sump from a friend. It had about 75lbs of live rock in the tank and another 15lbs in the sump. The tank was overrun with majano, so I took out most of the live rock from the tank. I let it dry, then bleached it and gave it an acid bath. I am going to be putting what was washed in a tub of saltwater with about 25 lbs of new live rock for a couple of months, then put it back in the tank. I left the live rock in the sump so that it would have at least a little filtration. Most of the coral in the tank is doing ok, but one of the toadstools has me a little concerned. Some areas on the top are turning white, and the "tentacles" are not coming out much. Here is a picture of it.




Of course, in this pic, most of the tentacles are out. But they have only been coming out for a couple of hours a day. Sometimes, there are only a few tentacles out. Yesterday, I didn't see the tentacles come out at all.

Yesterday, I also noticed that my other toadstool looked bad. It stayed like this until the lights went out. When the lights turned off, it flattened out, but did not extend its tentacles.


Is this normal behavior or is there something wrong?

My params are:

SG: 1.026
Ph: 7.9
Ammonia: .1 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 2ppm
Phospahte: .1 ish (Using API phosphate test and it doesn't do well with low amounts)
Calcium: 480 ppm
Alkalinity: 8 dKH
Magnessium: 1200
Iodine: .06

 

Sounds like your rock intervention caused an ammonia spike, basically the tank is cycling again, but I think you did the right thing in nuking he majano infested rock.

I would do some water changes and get some bacteria in a bottle, I like Microbacter7 or Dr.Tim's One and Only and follow the directions on the bottle.

Toadstools will develop a waxy coating on the surface to prevent the accumulation of algae and detritus on the coral's surface, the coral must shed this waxy coating which it will eventually do. Placement in moderated flow will assist the coral in shedding the coating. Toadstools are a pretty hardy coral but they will close up for days on end when moved.

 

I've been using SeaChem's Stability and also Purple Up. Those are the only things that I've been adding. I did a 20gal water change this past Thursday. I was planning on doing another 20gal change this weekend.

 

Well I would keep a good eye on your ammonia and nitrite values, until the water changes. Corals do poorly in the presence of a detectable ammonia level. Some bacteria in a bottle will be of more assistance in re-establishing your biological filter than anything else so I would continue the Seachem product. Keep testing the Ca/Alk/Magnesium while you use the purple up. At some point try to get the Magnesium up to 1300.

 

Sounds good. What about the Ph? Also there something that I should add to bring the Alk and Mag up?

 

pH and Alk are fine where they are at right now. Alk of normal saltwater (NSW) is 7 dkh. pH value is dependent on the time you take the test. In the am the pH will be a lower value, in the afternoon at the end of the photoperiod the pH will be highest value. The idea is to prevent large swings between the am (lights off) and pm value. Anything above 7.8 consistently is fine.
To maintain a stable Alk and Calcium level you need to have a stable Magnesium level otherwise you see fluctuations in the Ca and Alk values.

TMI I know.

Keep this link for future references.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

Your tank will take a couple months to settle out water chemistry wise. Try not to chase the numbers with products when a water change will have the same beneficial affect.

 

Great! Thanks for the help!

 

I would stop using the Purple up.It contains elements that cannot be tested.Toadstools as Cheryl mentioned do not like to be touched or moved but they will close up from time to time.As long as it is not disintegrating they should be fine.What kinds of corals do you have??

 

Excellent question! Lol. I don't know exactly. I know...I know... But the guy I got it from forgot what types, and I havn't done a whole lot of checking. One of them looks like a hammer coral to me, but he thinks its a frog spawn.
I sold the green one on the left, but I still have the one on the bottom and the one on the right.


I was told that this is a cats paw, but I'm not sure about that.


I have no idea what this is. lol

 

You have green Palythoa, next a Hammer (Euphyllia) it's an LPS, next is a Pocilliopora an SPS, and lastly a Finger Leather (Sinulara) that has a majano attached to the base.