Acropora lovers - I get no polyp extension -why??

[X-37B]

I have my 400w moguls mounted 12'' above my water surface (25'' tall aquarium) and I'm only getting 230 par at lower mid level. 180 if I include the fish screen, which was another surprise. Used an apogee 520 for measuring. I didn't expect it to be so low, so I was just curious.

Pm me for more info as I dont want to take from op's thread.
The light fixtures make a huge difference in par.

 

[GarrettT]

Pm me for more info as I dont want to take from op's thread.
The light fixtures make a huge difference in par.

For sure. It was really just an observation to the original post that he may want to verify his current par levels, as I see he was using 250w MH.

 

[ScottB]

Bumping this thread again as I have the same issue with my acros in my DT. They grow fast, but PE is very limited when I compare against the same named pieces I see on here. The same pieces in my frag system have more, but still not a ton.

Disney under morning blues; this is about all the fur I can get out of this colony. Some blame my coral beauty, but I have never seen it even nearby as my PBT owns that part of the tank.

 

[SPS247]

I had/have the same problem with my SPS in my 180. It wasn’t until I added chaotic strong random flow and live phyto about 50ml a day with skimmer off for a few hours during feeding. It took about a month to notice a change but I had SPS in the tank for years with zero polyp extension and now I have signs of it everywhere. My WD finally is showing life of being furry like it should be along with the rest of my Acros. Bonus to adding flow/Phyto, clams, mushrooms, Zoas, and Acan are buffing up too. I guess my tank wasn’t dirty enough. Anyway thought I’d share my observation so far on my tank.
Side note I’ve tried other products for months too so this isn’t my one shot got lucky find. It’s just something that is working for my tank at this time. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Jeffcb]

I had/have the same problem with my SPS in my 180. It wasn’t until I added chaotic strong random flow and live phyto about 50ml a day with skimmer off for a few hours during feeding. It took about a month to notice a change but I had SPS in the tank for years with zero polyp extension and now I have signs of it everywhere. My WD finally is showing life of being furry like it should be along with the rest of my Acros. Bonus to adding flow/Phyto, clams, mushrooms, Zoas, and Acan are buffing up too. I guess my tank wasn’t dirty enough. Anyway thought I’d share my observation so far on my tank.
Side note I’ve tried other products for months too so this isn’t my one shot got lucky find. It’s just something that is working for my tank at this time. Hope this helps and good luck.

I am in same boat. Mine grow well but little to no PE. LFS says they wont have PE if they get enough light, alk and ca but idk. I am going to try live phyto

 

[SPS247]

I am in same boat. Mine grow well but little to no PE. LFS says they wont have PE if they get enough light, alk and ca but idk. I am going to try live phyto

Yeah I’m not sure about lighting. In my old tank I use to run 250w Radium metal halide 12 “ off the surface and had corals growing at the surface with great polyp extension 350-400+par but I didn’t do any water changes or add phyto but had crazy flow. So now In my new180 all the corals are at the bottom to mid running Orphek’s par about 250-350 great color low polyp extension. So I’m in the boat more chaotic flow the better and dirty the water with phyto.
So far I’m liking how my Acros and the rest are responding.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

IMO you have way to much flow. All those pumps at 100% geez you could blow the skin right off them.. In my 120 I have 1 mp40 and 1 icecap 2k. Both run at no more then 25%. I have polyp extension for days!!! My wd has almost 1/2inch long polyps. Rainbow splice has at least 1/4 inch. Otherwise I run about 500gph thru the tank from sump

 

[acropora4u]

0I had/have the same problem with my SPS in my 180. It wasn’t until I added chaotic strong random flow and live phyto about 50ml a day with skimmer off for a few hours during feeding. It took about a month to notice a change but I had SPS in the tank for years with zero polyp extension and now I have signs of it everywhere. My WD finally is showing life of being furry like it should be along with the rest of my Acros. Bonus to adding flow/Phyto, clams, mushrooms, Zoas, and Acan are buffing up too. I guess my tank wasn’t dirty enough. Anyway thought I’d share my observation so far on my tank.
Side note I’ve tried other products for months too so this isn’t my one shot got lucky find. It’s just something that is working for my tank at this time. Hope this helps and good luck.

thanks for input...ill add 2 x Mp60 and see if that changes anything. thanks to all

 

[((FORDTECH))]

thanks for input...ill add 2 x Mp60 and see if that changes anything. thanks to all

Smh and your gunna add more flow geez Louise

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Smh and your gunna add more flow geez Louise

Couldn’t agree more
Mp40s at 25%

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Couldn’t agree more
Mp40s at 25%

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

Yes this is exactly what mine look like at 25%

 

[mattdumitrescu]

get an icp test and check your iodine, I noticed better pe after dosing it

 

[Scdell]

get an icp test and check your iodine, I noticed better pe after dosing it

You might be on to something here. I dose iodine every day and have good PE.
It's certainly not from too much flow. I run 4 mp40's on a 150g almost full with random flow rates. I have a ton of flow. I agree with the icp test. I run moonshiners program and dose accordingly.

 

[X-37B]

You might be on to something here. I dose iodine every day and have good PE.
It's certainly not from too much flow. I run 4 mp40's on a 150g almost full with random flow rates. I have a ton of flow. I agree with the icp test. I run moonshiners program and dose accordingly.

My trace also has iodine and I dose daily too.

 

[Thor2j]

IMO you have way to much flow. All those pumps at 100% geez you could blow the skin right off them.. In my 120 I have 1 mp40 and 1 icecap 2k. Both run at no more then 25%. I have polyp extension for days!!! My wd has almost 1/2inch long polyps. Rainbow splice has at least 1/4 inch. Otherwise I run about 500gph thru the tank from sump

Mp40s do nothing in a 6 ft tank except maybe 2 feet and that's at 100%. I have 2 ice cap 4ks ramping up to 90% and 2 nero 5s at 20-50% on a 4ft tank. Acros love it. Tons on PE.
My guess is he doesn't have enough flow in the tank over all.

 

[ScottB]

Wow. The diversity of opinion regarding flow here is astonishing. I have no PE (in my DT), fast growing sticks, a ton of flow (2XMP40 and 2XReefwave on a 5 foot tank) and limited Iodine.

Time to experiment with less flow and more Iodine I guess.

Here is my denuded Disney, the test subject for this. Sorry Charlie. I know you are sick of this pic. But in the name of science...

 

[Scdell]

Wow. The diversity of opinion regarding flow here is astonishing. I have no PE (in my DT), fast growing sticks, a ton of flow (2XMP40 and 2XReefwave on a 5 foot tank) and limited Iodine.

Time to experiment with less flow and more Iodine I guess.

Here is my denuded Disney, the test subject for this. Sorry Charlie. I know you are sick of this pic. But in the name of science...

Don't give up on the flow. Acros love random flow. Dose iodine. Do an icp test and I strongly suggest checking out the moonshiners program. It's done wonders for me. My tank uses a lot of trace elements. I was struggling along the same lines until I found that program. After I started moonshiners my tank flourished. It's not a coincidence.

 

[ScottB]

Don't give up on the flow. Acros love random flow. Dose iodine. Do an icp test and I strongly suggest checking out the moonshiners program. It's done wonders for me. My tank uses a lot of trace elements. I was struggling along the same lines until I found that program. After I started moonshiners my tank flourished. It's not a coincidence.

Thank you. Is there an "official thread" on moonshiners here or somewhere else? I have two systems and can afford to experiment a little.

 

[Scdell]

Thank you. Is there an "official thread" on moonshiners here or somewhere else? I have two systems and can afford to experiment a little.

There probably is. Search Moonshiners and it should pop up. There is a Facebook thread on it also.

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

I'm surprised I haven't seen suggestions on ramping up on lighting. 2 x 250s sounds quite low for your system. I would expect 400 watt bulbs, especially if you want them to be your main lighting source. Good luck!