Acan Die off...WHY???HELP!!!

[rookie07]

I have a 4 head frag of acans.....and other acan colonies.
The frag has been in my system(and I would say growing) for about 1 month.

Just now I noticed a new peppermint shrimp(I got him to eat aiptasia, about 4 days ago) picking at my acan frag. Then I noticed a decent amount of white skeleton on the acan(2 heads... one on outside, one in the middle).

Was the peppermint eating the acan, or cleaning the dead tissue.

ALSO...Ive noticed the acan frag was closed late last night(3 AM)...but I didnt see any die off or skeleton last night.

My other acans are closed alittle more than usuall, but aside from that seem fine....

All other livestock seems fine(except my dendro which is closed up also)

Ask me any other questions...PLEASE HELP ME
I checked ammonia today, its @ 0

 

[rookie07]

I just remembered...one of my other acans had 1 head die...but I assumed that was b/c it was fragged about 1 month ago...

 

[KathyC]

You need to check ALL of your water parameters..Ca, Alk, Mg, temp, your salinity?
Are you putting any additives into the tank..if so, what?
The peppermint would have been eating dead tissue..not guilty of the crime itself.

 

[FREEZE]

I'd do a water change. when did you do your last one? I might do a little more than usual as well (maybe do 20 or 25%). it may be a water quality issue, although acans are pretty tough, ime.

 

[BrooklynsReefMan1]

OMG dude water change,...... check parameters several times........ and get new test tubes might be tainted too...

PHOSPHATES TOO

 

[rookie07]

salinity1.025
calcium is 410
temp=78.4
I dont know alk & Mag...will have to test those aswell
did water change last week(10%) I also added live stock(total of 5 gl change on 34 gl tank)
Im going to do a small change now...2 gallons.


Oh..Im using the prepackaged salt water....could that have given me a pest or disease?

 

[KathyC]

salinity1.025
calcium is 410
temp=78.4
I dont know alk & Mag...will have to test those aswell
did water change last week(10%) I also added live stock(total of 5 gl change on 34 gl tank)
Im going to do a small change now...2 gallons.


Oh..Im using the prepackaged salt water....could that have given me a pest or disease?

Highly doubtful.
Are you using pre-packaged to do this water change?
Please test the Alk & PH also.

 

[rookie07]

Yes, I used the prepackaged water for this change as well... I did about 4 gallons on this change...it was done quickly, so the temp dropped down to 76.5...its on the raise now though.

PH=8.2(or maybe 8.0...these test suck...instant ocean)

Alk looks about 8(which I guess is dKH)

 

[BrooklynsReefMan1]

i find instant ocean good but check your alk at your lfs maybe AE they do it and pick up a test kit for yourself

 

[rookie07]

KATHYC....where do you keep your calcium?
Ive been told that anywhere from 350-450 is ok(everyone has there own opinion)

Mine seems to settle at 400-410(after I add B-ionic 2 part, and add calcium 2x per week)

 

[Vic8361]

Keep an eye out for that pepperment shrimp it may be the culprit.
Sometimes you get one that dosen't follow our rules.
Vic

 

[ming]

Peppermints IME will eat aiptasia when starving, but they'll also annoy/destroy some LPS at the same time even though places will usually say reef safe...

 

[rookie07]

ok..thanks

I moved the small acan frag to the ohter side of the tank...peppermint never goes there(that ive seen in 4 days of having him)...I think the acan die off was so fast(24 hours and 3 heads got hit) that I thought something was eating it, not die off....I will see

 

[rookie07]

I think its the peppermint...everytime I look(@ night) he is near an LPS(acan or dendro).
I just moved the dendro, and as I looked back at the original spot, the peppermint had moved from the dendro's spot, to the acan's spot...
I hope this made sense

 

[rookie07]

It was being eaten....
I moved it away...it opened up...I can see that some of the meaty parts were eaten, but no skeleton is visible.
Correct me if im wrong, but that means that it was eaten, not dying off.

 

[noodleman]

a picture would help

 

[rookie07]

Its night time...I will get one tomorrow, 2 heads had the inside eaten...and 1 or 2 other heads are missing outside, or have skeleton showing(there are 7 heads in total).
I saw them last night and they were fine(no missing tissue).

 

[Deanos]

Do you honestly believe moving a coral around the tank will prevent a peppermint shrimp from accessing it?

 

[danelam]

maybe you should have some shrimp for lunch

 

[ellebelle]

Sometime when LPS die, the tissue pulls out of the middle of them - that happened to my blastos that I had been struggling with for quite a while.

A picture would definitely help.