Why does my Condy look this way?

Yeah, I just started vacation yesterday and today seem to have absent brain syndrome. I have been on seven cylinders all day. Wow. Maybe I otta hold off on commenting or advising for the rest of the day!!!!! Boy o boy.....

 

Here are some pictures to help out.

90G SW | 10G Bio-ball Sump | 125# LR | 2 T5 Fixtures | 1 Corallife Fixture | 4 T5 54w Actinic lights | 2 T5 54w Power Glow lgihts | 1 #4 Hydor Koralia| 3 #3 Hydor Koralias | 2 Peppermint Shrimp | 1 Damsel | 1 Percula Clownfish | 1 Frog spawn w/ about 10 heads | 1 Purple Tip Condy| 1 Candy Cane w/ 2 heads | 11 or so Zoanthids on a frag disk | 1 Xenia w/ 3 families | 1 Hard coral ( don't remember the name right now) | 1 Cleaner Pack |

Test water, clean tank and change water every week on Sunday. I add water when needed due to evaporation.

Water is in a 25-30G circular tote w/ 1 small powerhead and a bubble maker thing. I add water, then add Prime water conditioner, then add Instant Ocean salt mix. The water mixes anywhere from 24 hours to up to a week before I put it in the tank

I try to keep SG at or around .022-.023.

Feed the Clown and Damsel about every 2 or 3 days. Feed the Condy about once every 2 weeks.

I have a Hagen Full master test kit, like this. Contains Ammonia, Calcium, Nitrate, Phosphate, Carbonate Hardness, Nitrite, pH (High Range and Low Range), and Iron tests.

Looking at the top of my tank from above my tank working from the back of the tank to the front I have

<1 T5 HO Fixture> On from 10am to 10pm
Marine-Glo Bulb (Actinic lighting)
Power-Glo Blub

<1 T5 HO Fixture> On from 9am to 11pm
Marine-Glo Bulb (Actinic lighting)
Marine-Glo Bulb (Actinic lighting)

<1 Coral Life Fixture> On from 10am to 10pm
Marine-Glo Bulb (Actinic lighting)
Power-Glo Blub

This last Sunday I tested

NO2: 0.1 or Lower
Ca: 440
No3: Less then 5
Ammonia: 0

 

Well.......Hmmmm. Looks like everything is pretty much on track. The NO2 is showing more than 0 so it appears you may have a mini-cycle going on. That might be stressing it. Also, your SG is on the low side for a condy. They like 23 to 25. But there is always variation to that parameter. I keep my SG at 1.027 or a little greater. It is all about what they are used to.

Now, I am sure you know that when one of these dies it can take a while, it isn't overnight. But when they go, it is disastrous to your tank. In any case, I want you to keep an eye on it's base and make sure it's keeping color. Also, it's ability to attach will be decreased towards the end.

What are your phosphates at BTW?

 

PO4: between .5 and 1

 

I just did a 20% water change.

Moved the Condy to a higher location, seems to like its new spot and it clenched on to rock within seconds.

Here are some pictures. The tank is still cloudy though.







SG is still around 1.022 and that is were I have been wanting to keep it until you told me otherwise. I just made a new batch of water. I will keep raising SG slowly over time and see where everything does best . So starting tomorrow, I will do a small water change everyday to raise my SG.

Also, tomorrow I will be doing all my test again.

 

I just testing phosphates again and it is now between .5 and .25.

 

if you consistently have PO4 you may want to look at either getting some macro algae going or a PO4 reactor PO4 causes some really weird/nasty stuff to happen

 

Yea, but from my understanding, I should always have 1 or below.

Edit: And I just changed my water and it went down.

 

I think it is your phosphate levels that are affecting it. I would get a phosphate reactor and see if that improves things. They are not very expensive. High phosphates will kill anemones. Phosphat-E also works really well. I have used that to keep my phosphates down. It works to bind the phosphate and allow skimming and/or filtration to remove it entirely from the system. My first course of action would be to get that under control. In the meantime, work on raising your SG a bit to make it more comfortable but by no more than .001 per 24 hours.

 

I have a protein skimmer now. But I'm going to have to get a bigger one ASAP.

Edit: Would putting in WAAAAY TOO MANY brine shrimp do this and cause the higher PO4 Levels?

I have noticed tiny little white-ish things in the tank the other day. Kind of reminds me of what they look like on the package.