Frogspawn corals are easy and beautiful coral breeds to keep in your tank. They’re easy to look after and are very well-behaved.
Why is it that your frogspawn coral is dying?
Your frogspawn coral might die due to various reasons. This can be due to wrong water chemistry, high water flow, infection, or aggressive mates.
With simple tips like water changes, fragging the coral, and buying the right tank gear, you can help the coral.
If you have some time to spare, indulge in the article we have for you. It contains all the signs and tricks to help your coral thrive.
How Do I Know If My Frogspawn Coral Is Dying?
Corals behave differently under stress. Unlike fish, they can’t show you that they’re troubled.
To understand if they’re dying, you need to look for some signs.
Let’s see what these signs are.
Coral Receding Or Closing Inwards
This is one of the first signs you should look out for. If you get a new coral, it’ll take some time to get familiar with the tank.
This phase can last from 3 days to a normal week.
However, after this stage, if your coral is still not opening, it could be worrying. It’s likely a sign of stress, and inevitably, death can occur.
Bleaching And Frogspawn Coral Turning White
Another common sign to look out for is bleaching. Similar to algae turning white, frogspawn coral can also turn white.
This is a sign that it’s expelling the polyps and the living tissue on its surface. It’s an indicator of prolonged stress. Without proper care, your frogspawn coral will die.
Smelly Brown Slime On Corals
If you notice a brown substance on your coral, that’s a clear sign of your frogspawn coral dying. On top of that, it’s also dangerous for other organisms in your tank.
This slime is mainly a sign of infection. And it would be best if you treat it fast.
If you’ve seen these signs, you must wonder why your frogspawn is coral dying. Let’s look at the reasons in detail now.
Why Is My Frogspawn Coral Dying? ( Reasons & Solutions)
There are a few reasons why your frogspawn coral is dying. Let’s explore the reasons now.
Wrong Water Chemistry
Since frogspawn coral lives in saltwater biomes, their tank water needs to be similar.
The water has to be slightly alkaline, with a pH slightly above 8. The temperature should also be between 25℃ to 27℃.
Under any circumstances, there can’t be any ammonia or nitrates in the tank. Nitrates are dangerous and will kill your coral. For this, check the nitrate content with a reliable nitrate testing kit.
Do A Water Change
The easiest way to help your frogspawn coral is to do a water change. After changing the water, ensure the ammonia and nitrate are kept at 0.
The other parameters of temperature and pH should be kept suitable too.
If the water chemistry is fixed, the frogspawn coral will open up. This will indicate it’s alive and happy.
High Water Flow
Frogspawn coral lives in waters with moderate flow. This allows them to discard toxins and keep the polyps active.
If the water flow is too high, the polyps on the frogspawn coral will be stressed. In extreme conditions, the polyps may die, inevitably killing the frogspawn coral.
Reduce The Water Flow
For this, you need to check your water pump and filter. Get your tank a specialized filter. Once attached, your frogspawn coral should show signs of distress.
However, if you’re unsure which filter to buy, don’t worry. Look at our selection of filters that’ll get the job done.
Once you decide on the filter, let’s see how else to help your coral.
Wrong Lighting
Frogspawn corals reside relatively deep underwater in oceans. At this specific depth, the light they get is moderate. You need to emulate the same environment for your tank.
Too much light can cause the coral to suffer from bleaching. A bleached frogspawn coral only has a slim chance of recovery and will die.
Too little light is also problematic. If there isn’t enough light, the frogspawn coral will starve, especially because frogspawn coral won’t be able to perform photosynthesis.
Fix The Lighting
Lighting is one of the most crucial elements for frogspawn coral health. To adjust the levels, you’ll either need a light filter or a new light entirely.
If you’re a coral enthusiast, invest in a trustworthy coral bulb that’ll enable coral growth. This is a wise idea because you can use one light to accommodate all types of corals.
Make sure you set the lighting to moderate and see how your frogspawn coral reacts. Once you hit the golden spot, it should revive.
Aggressive Mates
This is a relatively rare issue, but it can happen in your tank. Some fish, like Clownfish or Dottybacks, can attack your frogspawn coral.
They usually mistake the coral for other creatures like sea anemones. If this happens, your frogspawn coral will die if the polyps get damaged too much.
Tame The Mates
If aggressive mates are the issue, you might have to remove them temporarily. Slowly reintroduce them to the frogspawn coral, preferably after a water and light change.
If that doesn’t help, see if your clownfish or Dottybacks need a diet change. If their diet is changed, they should stop attacking the frogspawn coral.
Brown Jelly Infections
This is the biggest threat to frogspawn coral. This infection spreads fast and can kill more than just the coral.
If your frogspawn coral suffered from physical damage, this infection is highly likely. Once infected, the polyps will die and kill your coral.
Frag The Infected Portion
If the brown jelly infection is the reason, you may need to frag it. If you’re fragging the coral yourself, you need to handle it gently.
On top of that, frag the infected portion in a separate tank.
Once you cut the infected part, mount the coral afterward. After this, give the main tank a water change to stay completely safe.
This way, your coral shall revive in no time.
With all that said, we are almost at the very end of our dive in this article.
FAQs
Question: Where should I place my Frogspawn coral?
Answer: It’s wise to place it in the middle of your tank, with some buffer distance.
When newly introduced, the frogspawn coral can be slightly aggressive. This will pass after 3 days once it has a chance to acclimatize.
Question: How fast do Frogspawn corals grow?
Answer: If your Frogspawn coral is very dense, the strands and polyps will take some time to grow and may yield 10 heads a year.
If it’s not as dense, you can see a maximum of 30 heads a year.
Question: Do you need to remove dead coral?
Answer: This will depend on the type of coral. If it’s a hard coral, then you can leave it in the tank.
However, if it’s a soft tissue coral, it’s wise you take it out. As the tissue rots, the toxins will contaminate the tank.
Conclusion
With a little care and caution, you can stop your frogspawn coral from dying. All you need to do is keep a simple lookout and minor checks.