First sps: cyphastrea. What is the issue?

[KonradTO]

Hi everyone!
I added my first corals last week in a 6 months tank. I decided to give it a go with sps already as cyphastrea is my favorite coral and I would like to get it entrusting my background. All the lps and softies are doing well but my cyphastrea never showed any feeding behavior. The color is OK but I am not sure if I should see polyps when it's dark (like leptastrea does). I placed it in a medium light position.
Do cyphastrea suffer nitrates more than lps? As mine is mainly a lps tank right now I am keeping po4 around 0.1-0.5 mg/l and NO3 around 10-15 mg/l.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pictures under white lights may help assess what is going on with it. Can be salinity issue, temp issue, hi alk, low CA. too much light or flow- Many things

 

[KonradTO]

Pictures under white lights may help assess what is going on with it. Can be salinity issue, temp issue, hi alk, low CA. too much light or flow- Many things

Salinity is stable at 34 ppt, temp at 25 C, kH around 9 (but I dose manually). Calcium is within range and actually never change much.
I was wondering if could be nitrates or it tolerates higher nutrients..

 

[X-37B]

Pics.
What type of a cyphastrea is it?

 

[BanjoBandito]

My cyphastrea always did well in a pretty high flow (secondary) area and with min. light. I treated it like a lepto and it did well. It was a JF toxic waste and then I had a cheapie copperhead from WWC. Both have done well, they are hidden on the sides of rocks and near the bottom right at the "curve" in my tank where they catch some good flow. Good luck!

 

[KonradTO]

Pics.
What type of a cyphastrea is it?

I think is called "lila" cyphastrea

 

[X-37B]

I think is called "lila" cyphastrea

I would glue it on the back wall.
It will take some time to encrust.
I have a few on the overflow and the back wall. Also a branching type. I do not feed any corals in my ystems only the fish.
Here are a few pics.
The branching on is the pink one.
Mime are in high light and high random flow.

 

[KonradTO]

I left if on the sand against the wall because I was reading that it needs low light..how long it take for this coral to get used to a new tank? I am not sure if I should keep moving it until it opens or wait few weeks

 

[X-37B]

Its harder to glue to the glass than it is to the acrylic. Once its encrusted your good to go.
Only two of the four in the first pic made it. The two that made it had encrusted off the plug which is why they made it. Also my urchins may have helped remove the other two.

 

[X-37B]

I left if on the sand against the wall because I was reading that it needs low light..how long it take for this coral to get used to a new tank? I am not sure if I should keep moving it until it opens or wait few weeks

I run halides and OR3 lighr bars so
They get alot of light as I can grow sps on the bottom of my 120.
My full system at 2.5 years now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Salinity is stable at 34 ppt, temp at 25 C, kH around 9 (but I dose manually). Calcium is within range and actually never change much.
I was wondering if could be nitrates or it tolerates higher nutrients..

Suggested parameters:

Moderate light and water flow

Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .5
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-10
CA 440

 

[KonradTO]

I moved it to a darker spot and let's see how it goes. On the nutrient side I doubt I can do much as I have many softies and lps, filter feeders and such

 

[KonradTO]

I moved it to a darker spot and let's see how it goes. On the nutrient side I doubt I can do much as I have many softies and lps, filter feeders and such

I there another encrousting coral that would cover my background and tolerates higher nitrates/phos? maybe I need to wait for the cyphastrea. Today was still closed, I am a bit concerned.