Restore colour to green bubble?

[RAV-65]

Hi all,

I have green bubble coral dat i like alot, but recently, the ph fell very quickly and it seems that the bubble lost its colour, used to be more intense green... anyone got idea how to restore the colour intensity?

Vincent Ho

[ryz]

losing it's colour? Zooxanthelle die??

[FuEl]

I've had my bubble turn white..then went brown..and back to green.

Rather a bullet proof LPS if you ask me. Just keep water parameters stable and all should go well..

[Clownfish]

wat type of food u feeding it?

[RAV-65]

really dun know,

the bubbles didn't really open, den i tested ph and it was about 7.9, only 2 days ago, it was 8.2 so i added the marine buffer, when i increase the ph, now it starts blooming again, but the colour already faded... sigh... a

Anyway, why does the ph keep dropping?

Vincent Ho

[FuEl]

Bubble no need feed that often one la...mine recovered from bleaching without feeding..again it might be pure luck..but I only started feeding it cause I had too much time in my hands...out of the 2 years it has been with me..it went 1.5 years without target feeding.

[RAV-65]

i dun really feed it leh... i used to use those phytoplankton like marine delux, juz bought DT few days back... is it good enuff?

Vincent Ho

[Clownfish]

really dun know,

the bubbles didn't really open, den i tested ph and it was about 7.9, only 2 days ago, it was 8.2 so i added the marine buffer, when i increase the ph, now it starts blooming again, but the colour already faded... sigh... a

Anyway, why does the ph keep dropping?

Vincent Ho

it's a new setup?

got change ur water regularly or hav u been adding some addictives that causes some imbalance somewhere?

[19percula]

i thought bubbles are easy to rear corals?

[Clownfish]

i thought bubbles are easy to rear corals?

its the same principle for all corals....

good water parameters with suitable lightings n current

[FuEl]

Buy a test kit and test your kH...kH is crucial to prevent pH drops. Did you take note of the time you measure your pH? pH levels are lowest during early morning before lights are on...pH levels tend to be highest just before lights off...

You can consider dosing kalkwasser to prevent pH drops during the night.

Check the stocking of your tank..overstocking can lead to low pH levels too..

LPS tend to prefer meaty foods like mysis...DT phyto is mainly for filter-feeding organisms like tubeworms, scallops, clams etc.

[RAV-65]

Wah, siao!

I tot the DT is good for corals.... anyway, how to feed it with mysis shrimps??? I do add additives but dunno about dousing kalk, coz mine only 2 feet tank.... i understand about the KH thing, do i need to add carbonate?

Vincent Ho

[ryz]

Dt's is phytoplankton that is food for zooplankton. Corals mostly take meaty food like zooplankton. Thus dosing DT's will feed the zooplankton and indirectly feed the corals.

I think..

[RAV-65]

huh?

anyone can clarify this? I tot phytoplankton is a kind of zooplankton?! i'm totally confused liao... think its back to reading again...

Vincent Ho

[BarraCudaTM]

huh?

anyone can clarify this? I tot phytoplankton is a kind of zooplankton?! i'm totally confused liao... think its back to reading again...

Vincent Ho

phytoplankton is plant based

zooplankton is animal based

[RAV-65]

So actually the corals do eat the phytoplankton rite?

Vincent Ho

[ryz]

No, the corals indirectly feed on the phytoplankton. Just like lions indirectly feed on grass that the antelopes eat. They are seperated by one link in the food chain. The corals eat things that eat phytoplankton(zooplankton)

[RAV-65]

okie...

i think i understand liao... but does the zooplankton grow by itself? beside adding the phytoplankton, how to promote its growth?

Vincent Ho

[ryz]

think you could get a refugium for zooplankton to seek refuge from fishes that would eat them. This would allow them to multiply and provide a constant supply of zooplankton to your main tank. Go to the plankton culturing forum.

[RAV-65]

Another question, i just added some DT's phytoplankton about 1 hour ago and now my goniopora seems to be "happy", it seems to be extending out a little more, izit becoz of the increase ph from 7.8 to 8.1 or izit the phytoplankton at work dat quickly?

Vincent Ho

[BarraCudaTM]

So actually the corals do eat the phytoplankton rite?

Vincent Ho

Depends on what type of corals you are talking about. Most corals accept both phyto and zooplankton. Its all about the size, both plankton have different species thus different sizes. You will have to match the corals capture size with the plankton strain.

[ryz]

LPS corals have zooxanthelle algae in them. They have a symbiotic relationship. The zooxanthelle algae harnesse the light energy and photosynthesise carbon and water to glucose. This glucose is then shared with the LPS coral for it's activity. However the zooxanthelle only provides the coral with glucose and not proteinaceous food for polyp growth/production. Therefore the coral must feed on the protein based zooplankton so as to obtain the raw material needed to synthesise new polyps etc. Calcium and other minerals essential for the coral's growth and prosperity will aslo be taken from the water. LPS corals need protein. phytos have little protein value in them and the coral cannot digest the cellulose that makes up the bulk of the phyto. Therefore phytoplankton as food for your coral would be an inefficient source of food. Zooplankton is the main diet of the coral.

The word PLankton is subjective, To filter feeders, it might be microscopic bacteria etc. but to a whale the term plankton can refer to 6 inches long krill. Leaving scraps of prawns etc near the mouth or on the tentacles of the LPS and it will take it in. I've been doing that for my torch hammer and fox. they have all been eating it.

[RAV-65]

ryz....

thanxs for the detailed explanation... really needed dat to clear my mind up... anyway, about feeding zooplankton, i can use the frozen mysis shrimps i have rite? but how to feed? the water current keep sweeping it away and also, the cleaner shrimp will compete for it... den eventually when i get my 3x2x2 tank, feeding it would be a huge effort coz of the height f the tank... any advise? or wat about those BBS? izit good enuff?

Vincent Ho

[Achilles Tang]

ryz... you can't over generalize phytoplankton as having little protein value.

They are actually a very good source of fatty acids, protein & carbohydrates.

In fact, most zooplankton are devoid of essential nutrients and need to be enriched by having them consume phytoplankton... loading them with 'goodness' so to speak.

BBS and rotifers need to be fed with phytoplankton to gut-load them before feeding to corals or baby fry... or they will be eating nothing more than 'potato chips' equivalent of marine food!

Some corals just have different sized polyps that capture plankton of different micron sizes.

[RAV-65]

Hmm... AT,

if dat's the case, which is the best way to feed the corals? Can i use BBS? plus DT? but i still dunno how to cultivate the zooplankton...

Vincent Ho