Anthelia dying

[noobzy]

Hi everyone,

So... I got a frag of Anthelia a few months ago, and it flourished; it split into 3 very full and very healthy looking colonies until a few days ago when they all suddenly started dying. Everything else looks fine and parameters are stable.

Changes to the tank this week were pretty significant, so maybe one of them is the cause: I added a paly frag, a zoa frag, a large CUC (nerites, ceriths, and nassarious) and some cheato.

I've read up online and it seems that there are others with similar experiences; does anyone know how I can save them? So far, I have started dosing Iodide and I put in fresh carbon, but I don't know what else I can do aside from removing them.

Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
pH: 8.0 - 8.2
Calcium: 540 (a little high, but it always has been)
Specific gravity: 1.022

 

[Reeftanker3295]

Maybe because of chaeto? Xenia and anthelia like nutrients in the water and chaeto takes that out.

 

[KathyC]

Are you testing for the Iodine that you are dosing? If not, you should not be dosing it

Regarding the high Ca - that is on the steep side (as you know). Do you know what your Alk level is? Magnesium?

...and your SG is a little low at 1.022 - you might want to raise that up closer to 1.024 or 1.025

IMO the items you added should not be having an impact on your anthelia, even if placed very near to each other.

 

[beerfish]

What's your secret? I know people that tried everything to get rid of their Anthelia plague!

 

[noobzy]

Reeftanker: that seems a little extreme. I dunno if they really need "dirty" water.

Kathy: I know... I try not to dose anything I don't measure. I just dosed for the first time tonight on the suspicion that they outgrew the iodine supply. I don't check Mg, PO4 or Alk, but I am going to change that this week. I'll let you know how it looks. My other suspicion was that the zoas had released toxins that the anthelia were susceptible to... maybe not?

Beer: I have heard that... but I liked my anthelia, and my sexy shrimp called the mother colony home

 

[beerfish]

When you say that they're dying, are they melting away or just not opening up?

 

[noobzy]

When you say that they're dying, are they melting away or just not opening up?

The crowns start going white and the polyp closes up. Shortly thereafter, they melt away.

 

[noobzy]

Seems like the carbon replacement, iodide supplement and water change all helped... or maybe just one of them? Anthelia are starting to bounce back, but one colony is definitely gone.

So, if you ever want to get rid of Anthelia, I guess try introducing a recently fragged zoa and paly, remove the carbon, stop dosing iodide and see what happens?

 

[BZOFIQ]

Like xenias, they need water with higher salinity. If during a water change salinity changes significantly a whole colony can wipe itself.

 

[Obsessed]

Take out the new carbon. Carbon can also hurt a reef tank

 

[SIReefer]

How does carbon hurt a reef tank??????

 

[DrHarryLopez]

I'll give you some more when all is stable in your tank Avi.

 

[guarda]

Avi, are the xenia's still pulsing? Lmk if you need some/all of the anthelia back. They are doing well in my tank with 4 month old chemi-pure elite and chaeto.

 

[wonderballz]

Same thing happened to me. The blue anthilia was doing so well. It was even spreading out it's feet. It looked full and it was totally extended, Then out of nowhere it stopped opening, and eventually just melted away. Everything else flourished. My leather, frogspawn, xenia, blue/green sympodium, and star polyp. Even my pulsing sinularia was on the rebound from a run in with one of my hermits.

Still unsure what caused it.

 

[noobzy]

No worries... this thread got resurrected somehow, but things have been fine since I posted that things bounced back. I am pretty sure that the carbon did it. Not sure what was meant about carbon being harmful to reefs... Anyway, I've since replaced the carbon with Chemipure Elite, based on Chief's suggestion, and things are still looking good.

Art, enjoy the frag without worries The Anthelia is thriving, and I'll be posting some more of it on the DBTC soon. The Xenia are doing great too; looks like I already have a secondary colony. Now, if only my Halloween Hermit would stop sitting on them... lol

Doc, thanks for the offer! Although, I don't remember seeing Anthelia in your tank... let me know if you want some. That little frag on the bottom right could be yours!