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trumpet trouble

M

monsterfishkeeper

I have about 13 heads of trumpet coral that have been receading for the past two weeks of so. My water parameters have been perfect and i have a 130 watt compact florescent fixture over the tank. So any insight to why they might be having trouble would be greatly appreciated.

Rich
 
M

mladencovic

monsterfishkeeper said:
I have about 13 heads of trumpet coral that have been receading for the past two weeks of so. My water parameters have been perfect and i have a 130 watt compact florescent fixture over the tank. So any insight to why they might be having trouble would be greatly appreciated.

Rich
Click to expand...

How long did you have your coral before that? How old are light bulbs?
 
M

monsterfishkeeper

About 3 or 4 weeks before they started receeding. They were doing great up until a week or two. The bulbs are about 1 year old but they have only been used for about 6 months.

Rich
 
M

mladencovic

First, and for certain, your bulbs should be replaced.

Second, it is quite possible that your conditions were never favorable for thm to start with. The corals probably were starwing slovly, and for 1 month were probably using their stored reserves. Those could be depleted by now and they are accelerating their decline.

Possible course of action:
1) Change bulbs, and bring corals to full exposure. Trumpets really like at least medium light and can easily decline from 130W of PC (from personal experience). How big is the tank? Or in other words, how much is those 130W covering. If 130W is spread to cover ~50 gal tank, it is definitively not sufficient light for these corals.

2) Target feed them. I have found excelent results with feeding them 2-3 times week with Formula 1 pelets. 1 pelet per head 2-3 times a week does wonders for them.

3) You say that water chemistry is perfect. Are you sure you do not have large Alk and pH swings? I have seen my trumpets react to those swings in my tank.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Have you checked your magnesium? I find LPS particularly sensitive to Mg levels.
 
M

mladencovic

monsterfishkeeper said:
Oh, and what brand of food do recommend?

Rich
Click to expand...

I have a good success with the Formula 1 pellets, but that is because I (corals) have to fight fish, hermits and stars that are much faster and more agile in stealing their food. Pellets of Formula 1 can be swallowed pretty fast. The more "natural" food for them would be mysid shrimps (if they can afford the time to swallow it), rotifers and similar pods, target feed or any sea food blended to small pieces and then target fed them. Smaller stuff (rotifers) are more appropriate during night when their feeding tentacles are extended, and larger "chunks" (mys id and F1) during the day. Just try not to touch the corals or squirt too strong water at them when you feed them because they might get "spooked" and refuse the food.
 
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