Problems with Yuma!

[15milerd]

I have a 75g and everything is doing Awesome. Hammer 2 new heads, Star Polyps growing like grass, Zoos are speading, Bubble, Pogoda cup, Yellow polyps, Monti, Green birds nest, Gorgonia Mushrooms all thriving..But every time i get some Yuma it melts, anyone know why??
Salt....1.024
Alk......9dkh
Cal......450
PH.......8.3
temp...79-80

 

[Clownguy]

I don't know why they are melting but mine is having a similar problem

 

[kahunakatz]

This is a common problem. I have seen some colonies melt away in a system while other yumas do just fine. Some systems can barely keep any yumas and just about any yumas do great in other systems. I have not seen this same problem in Ricordia florida. So far, I have not found the common denomenator. I would love to hear from someone who has figured out the yuma mystery.

Best Wishes,
Barry Katz
(800) 764-0884
[email protected]

 

[Anthony Calfo]

with the exception of your Pagoda, Monti and Bird's Nest corals... you have listed some of the THE most aggressive corals in the sea. Severelt so in the case of the Euphylliids (Bubble and Hammer) and chemically (zoos, mushrooms and GSP especially... brutally noxious/allelopathic).

Without knowig about your husbandry (large weekly water changes and ozone use or not to combat the toxic accumulations week after week)... we can say that allelopathic concerns are valid here if not causative. FWIW

Do send a pic of your display if you can, as well as describe placement of the yumas and your lighting and other hardware employed.

kindly, Anthony

 

[15milerd]

Without knowig about your husbandry (large weekly water changes and ozone use or not to combat the toxic accumulations week after week)... we can say that allelopathic concerns are valid here if not causative. FWIW

Do send a pic of your display if you can, as well as describe placement of the yumas and your lighting and other hardware employed.

kindly, Anthony

I have 2 175 10k MH and 4 96 watt PC (2 10k and 2 Actinic). My water changes are 5 gallons every Wednesday and Sunday as per Wet web recommendation. I skim using a Aqua C Remora Urchin in my 20 Gallon Refugium. I clean the skimmer every 2 weeks.
I use a mesh sack of Phos-Ban for phosphate removal, no carbon because of my earlier understanding (Conflict) that I may remove my Trace Elements. But with further reseach on wet web I think I'll use Chemi-pure. (Please Assist me in this decision?)

Next to the cup on the sand there is a Galaxia. Top far right just above the Hammer there is a Colt.

Dead center between the zoo's there is a Cynarida (Doughnut) Coral.

Right under the Pin Cusion Leather, there is a crevice just Right of the zoo's where the two rocks meet is where I placed some Yuma.

To the far left bottom corner you can see a piece of my Green Brain, and a frag of Brown stars. Inside the hole under the Pin Cusion Leather are some White Star polyps Hard to see. Some yuma was also placed around the base of the Pin Cushion, and in the hole of the rock just under the Pin Cushion before I put the White Stars inside of it..There are some Green Mushrooms around the Pin cushion

In about two weeks I will be switching this tank out for a 90g. So I can have more room between the front glass and the rock. :doubt:
Hope this helps..

 

[Anthony Calfo]

do make a habit of cleaning your skimmer near daily (3-5 times weekly minimum) for drasticlly improved simmate collection. The colloidal matter that accumulates in the first couple days of skimming severely impedes skimmate production after that. We some great skimmer threads here on RF (see "skimmer 101") and more listed in the sticky atop this forum called "Fav links..." (look for the links alphabetically under "discussions"). There are some very simple ways to dramatically improve water quality via improved skimmate production.

Re: carbon... no worries regarding trace element depletion. While its true that carbon takes out some desirable trace elements... so do our corals And without chemical media you still need to dilute undesirables and replenish desirable elements to the water. I recommend 10% bare minimum weekyl water changes. You will see that larger water changes most always translate to better growth, health and vigor in your aquarium specimens.

I recommend the use of carbon, ozone and chemical media (small amounts changed frequently)

kindly, Anthony

 

[kahunakatz]

Anthony,

I have worked in the marine aquarium industry for some time. I have observed that many people with otherwise healthy reefs are having trouble with yumas. This thread along with numerous 'Help my Yuma ...' threads on Reef Central are a testiment to the problems that people are having with yumas. Ricordia florida typically do much better. While I have a couple theories as to why, I was hoping that you may be able to provide an explanation.

Much Thanks and Best Wishes,
Barry Katz
(800) 764-0884

 

[15milerd]

Thanks Anthony for your advice.
:?: So do you think the problem with me keeping Yuma would be noxious/allelopathic of the other formentioned corals, or the need to increase water changes, and daily cleaning of the skimmer with the addition of Carbon.
Or all of the above.:razz:
What is your recommendation as to the brand of carbon works best?? A chemi-pure or something like Black Diamond Activated carbon?

Thanks
Regards
Ken

 

[Anthony Calfo]

we've had similar discussions about other so-called "problem" species in the hobby despite other hardy congeners/kin and its often the same thing (most often indeed!): such species do well in new and lightly stocked tanks or in monoculture systems (coral farming) but as soon as they are added to crowded or well stocked tanks... they have problems. The mix is unnatural in species and concentration of competitive cnidarians and other noxious inverts. Yet most aquarists don't understand this becuase they first of all don't think their tanks are crowded with something like waaaay more than one specimen per ten gallons. Worse still are the light or very poor water change schedules (less than 25% monthly), weak use of carbon... lack of ozone, etc. Then there is the exceedingly fast speed most folks (over)stock their new tanks ... within months they are full.

All that said... a large number of species will tolerate this and survive for many months or even some years.

And then... there are other species that simply do not. I tried to convince a good chap about this regarding Cespitularia and after some time (and lost Cespitularia) I think he agrees (and has great success now too for the removal from a crowded garden reef tank). Eric Borneman recently has given a great lecture about this too (removing a species that was thriving even... but failing to reintroduce it months/years later after other species took the foothold(s).