Dying Frogspawn - Please Help!

[Ohhithere]

Hi, I'm farely new to the reef hobby, and I have only had this tank up for 1 1/2 months. I had seen this frogspawn at my LFS on the day I got the tank and wanted it. It was priced at $150. Four weeks later I went back to my LFS and it was still there so I bought it. It looked pretty good to me at the time, but I don't have the experience to know what "good" is. I have had in my tank now for around 2 weeks and it has not opened up and I am worried that it is dying. Now I'm 14 and $150 is a lot of money to me so I would rather get what I need to help it than lose it. My tank is 36 inches long, 11 inches back, and 14 inches tall. I have two Sicce voyager nano 2000s for power heads both placed in top corners(one in the back left and one in the front right. I have a 24 inch Current Orbit marine pro. My parameters all look good and I have other corals doing well. Thanks.

[Ohhithere]

Also forgot to add but it has looked like that since I put in my tank.

[Ohhithere]

Here are some additional pics.

[meded13]

Originally Posted by Ohhithere

Here are some additional pics.

The times that I've had issues with my Frogspawn or Hammers, it's been due to my parameters being off. The last issue I had was my salinity being at 1.28.....they also don't like high phosphates. Too much direct flow can also irritate them. I would suggest you take it back to your LFS and let them bring it back to health. Also let them test your water.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[fishkeeprian]

Originally Posted by Ohhithere

Here are some additional pics.

I don’t think it is dying just irritated by something that’s why it’s not fully expanded, looks nice and fleshy around the base of the skeleton, doesn’t seem to be affected by Brown Jelly disease. With all my LPS excluding my torch seem to like low flow areas. Check the basics, temp, salinity, phos, nitrate, alk, cal, mag, if all are in check then move it around then leave for couple of days to see how it reacts.

If you tank is that youNG some of your parameters maybe out of wack, what lighting are you using, what light was if under at you LFS?

[MiddletoM]

have you dipped it at all?

I recently lost a head of my torch and 2 others were significantly damaged because of flatworms. I dipped the coral in coralrx and about 30 flatworms came off it.

If your parameters are fine it may be worth a quick dip.

[ClownNut]

do a full tank shot, i dont know how good is your light. remeber seem bright to you dont mean jack to corals. give us some water test numbers, dont just say good.

[jayball]

X2 on a full tank shot and your actual parameters esp. your ALK.

how many inches down and how many inches forward or back from the light and how is the flow (weak, strong, linear, chaotic, a gentle sway back and forth)?

Any Dosing?

What other inhabitants do you have, inverts, fish and coral.

If you want meaningful output from us you have to provide details.

If you have a low Dkh salt mix, something that tests at less than 9, I would recommend small daily water changes. Something like a gallon a day for a week or two than a 5 gallon change. Also if it is getting hard chaotic flow than move it somewhere it is getting a more gentle back and forth; if it is getting direct light up high move it further down. These are fairly blind suggestions due to the lack of detail.

[Orcus Varuna]

I would agree with those above more details are needed. The good news is that it has yet to recede from the skeleton and I do not see brown jelly. So there is hope it can be saved if we figure out the issue in your system. If parameters check out I would lean toward another pest or the lighting (a current light is unfortunately pretty terrible for such a spendy light). Finally, I question any lfs that retails a standard orange/pink frog spawn for $150 to anyone let alone a 14 year old. The pink/orange frog in my tank shot below was $25 for a 3 head frag. IMG_0499.JPG


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ohhithere]

Thanks Everyone,
I have a Blue Velvet damsel and a spotted Hawkfish(and they are actually getting along) currently. I have purple star polyps, a white candy cane, and a yellow leather. I saw somebody suggesting returning it to the store and having them watch it, but my LFS is not local. Also it would have to wait until next weekend before I could go back because I am not going to be in town this weekend. After school is not really an option either. I personally know the owner of my LFS that I get my corals from, and he is nice guy. I will check my tank parameters later today. My 2 Sicce nano stream 2000s are in the back corners pointed slightly upwards. The guy who helped with choosing a light for the tank actually used the frogspawn in the coral tank as an example of what it can grow, so I'm not to worried about the light itself. I will post a picture of the whole tank with the parameters later tonight. Thanks again!

[Ohhithere]

Here's the whole tank

[Ohhithere]

Also mistake on my most recent post, the power heads and Sicce's voyager nano 2000, not nano stream. I also noticed that the coral has come out a little more than yesterday, I included a pic

[b.crocker210]

+1 to checking your alkalinity. Mine was way low recently (less than 6dkh) and my frogspawn was the first to show signs of suffering. If it is low, water changes are the safest way to raise it.

I dig the aquascape! Sand's a little deep, but you're off to a great start!

[Ohhithere]

I don't know why the parameters didn't post, but I think they were Ammonia=0-0.25, Nitrite=0.25, Nitrate=20ppm, High range oh=8.2-8.3, Salinity=1.028. I am heading to a city that has a large marine store and was wondering if getting a frag or 2 is a bad idea, also if anyone has any suggestions for a test kit that is cost effective I would like to get a Alk/Phos/Calcium test kit if anyone has any suggestions for a good one. Thanks all!

[jayball]

Originally Posted by Ohhithere

I don't know why the parameters didn't post, but I think they were Ammonia=0-0.25, Nitrite=0.25, Nitrate=20ppm, High range oh=8.2-8.3, Salinity=1.028. I am heading to a city that has a large marine store and was wondering if getting a frag or 2 is a bad idea, also if anyone has any suggestions for a test kit that is cost effective I would like to get a Alk/Phos/Calcium test kit if anyone has any suggestions for a good one. Thanks all!

No, no frags for a while unless something like a zoanthid or pother easy soft coral. Your tank does not appear to have finished cycling. You should not be able to measure ammonia or nitrite in an established tank. Your salinity is also high should be 1.025-1.026.



I use the Red Sea pro tests and like them. Be sure to get a test kit for alk.

[meded13]

Jay ball, as I originally posted....I had the same issue when my salinity went high....once I brought it back to 1.025, it started loosening up.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Ohhithere]

Ok thanks all and I will try to get a Red Sea test kit and lower my salinity later tonight. And any suggestions for a new softie?

[Ohhithere]

Also I did use a bottle of bio-Spira and live sand when I first set up the tank and the. Let it sit for 1 1/2 weeks before adding anything.

[Reef Bass]

Originally Posted by jayball

No, no frags for a while unless something like a zoanthid or pother easy soft coral. Your tank does not appear to have finished cycling. You should not be able to measure ammonia or nitrite in an established tank...

This. Ammonia is toxic and may be the cause of your frogspawn's grumpiness. Any ammonia is bad and the tank shouldn't have occupants until it tests ammonia free.

[Ohhithere]

Problem? See pic, it looks like the tissue is dying on the polyps nearest to the camera. I got a Red Sea test kit, but found it very confusing so I'm still trying to figure out. What should I do about the frogspawn?

[meded13]

Originally Posted by Ohhithere

Problem? See pic, it looks like the tissue is dying on the polyps nearest to the camera. I got a Red Sea test kit, but found it very confusing so I'm still trying to figure out. What should I do about the frogspawn?

As I've suggested before,,,take it back to the LFS you bought it from and ask them to nurse it back to life before it dies. Your 150 is going down the drain....it's happened to me before and I regretted not taking it back until I got my water squared away....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Ohhithere]

I'm going to try to take it back asap, but that is the only part of the coral that looks bad, I took out a power head tester day and the other polyps are coming out a lot more(see pic). I had a candy cane that looked like this but came back and looks great now after some time. Also I had gotten some purple star polyps and they look pretty bad low after having them for quite some time. There looks like there is something hairy on it and I don't know what it is, could someone please help? I posted a pic

[Ohhithere]

My polyps, also I have a sample of reef roids, and if anyone has any experience with them, I am wondering if it could help my frogspawn. And the hair like stuff on my polyps looks like it has spread to the feet of my frogspawn and leather.

[OoNickoC]

Originally Posted by Ohhithere

My polyps, also I have a sample of reef roids, and if anyone has any experience with them, I am wondering if it could help my frogspawn. And the hair like stuff on my polyps looks like it has spread to the feet of my frogspawn and leather.

Like others have said, the ammonia at ANY level is bad, that combined with SG of 1.028 would aggravate most corals. Personally, I would take it back for housing at the LFS until the tank has time to age. It is difficult to take it slow even for someone with patience, let alone being young. I wasted thousands in the beginning, many of us did . Ill be blunt, trying to give honest criticism that may save you money and frustrations. Slow down. Your problem is that your tank is still getting used to the bio-load you introduced. Let it develop more without adding anything for at least a few weeks minimum to be safe.
1.025 is a good salinity to shoot for, even the low side of that if you don't have automatic top off. Ammonia and Nitrites should never be present at consistently detectable levels, never.

[Ohhithere]

My salinity is at 1.025 now