Glove/daisy polyp placement suggestions

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

Hey everyone, so I bought a hammer and glove polyp this weekend. Always wanted a hammer and the only coral I lost in a recent move was the glove/daisy polyp that was the misses’ coral.

As the pictures show, I set the hammer in the sandbed and glove/daisy near the top of my rock work which is roughly halfway up my tank. I have a Biocube 29 running a Current USA Marine Orbit Pro LED set (whites - 62%, Blue - 85%).

All other corals in the tank are popping but the glove/daisy doesn’t want to open. It partially opened today (also pictured), but if by Friday it doesn’t open more I’m going to move it. Any suggestions? My previous one was in roughly the same spot before the move (but on the opposite side of the tank).

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

How is the flow in that are where is at? When I had mine they loved a good but of flow.

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

tupes said:
How is the flow in that are where is at? When I had mine they loved a good but of flow.

Should be pretty well. I’ve got two 660gph circulation pumps (they run at about 60% or 70% usually) in addition to a Cobalt MJ1200 return. One is directly above the coral but pointed to the front of the tank. The other is on the left side of the tank pointed towards where I have the coral.

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

Mine have always liked a good bit of light and flow. How old is your tank? Do you know your current water parameters?

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

Tanks been up for about three years.

I’m due for a water test, it’s been probably 3 weeks. I’ll have to do that tomorrow and post my levels.

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

It looks established. How are your sps, zoa frag growing?

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

My zoas have actually exploded the last month or so. You can kind of see part of my Rasta zoas in one of those pictures, I’ve got probably 10-15 new heads on that in the last 1-2 months.

Have another zoa frag that was down to one head and now has 9 after 1-2 months.

Blue clove sansibia is taking over another rock.

I’ve got a montipora undata and a Duncan that both seem fine but haven’t grown at the same rate as the zoas.
I’m not too worried about the daisy polyp...yet. If it goes until Friday or Saturday without significantly opening like it was in the LFS then I’ll start looking to move it.

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

With what you said I'd think your tank water is on the dirtier side of organics.

My zoas and cloves have always liked a little dirty water and seeing the little patch of algea would likely confirm that also.

Post your parameters tomorrow and lets
go from there.

Monti being an spa normally like cleaner water but are a hardy one. With the Duncan try target feeding it. That'll help it grow.

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

Tank levels as of today:

Temp: 76-77
Salinity: 1.023
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Ph: 8.0
Calcium: 520
Alk: 10
Phosphate: 0.25 (gotta lower that)
Mg: about 1500

Media basket:
Top: filter floss (changed every 2-3 days)
Middle: new mix of purigen and phosguard
Bottom: chemipure elite (not due for replacement for another month)

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

Calcium (420+/-), magnesium(1300+/-) both should be lowered. Phosphate (.02+/-) and nitrate (5+/-) can come down a little also. All should be ppm.

What salt mix do you use? How often you do water changes? How are you testing your water?

Anyone else see anything?

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

Instant ocean reef crystals, which claims to have higher calcium and magnesium in the mix specifically for corals.

On a good schedule. Every two weeks. More typical? Usually a 5gal change once a month.

I’m using Red Sea and seachem test kits.

tupes · Mar 21, 2018

Ive never used IO salt beforecso maybe some others can chime in. Those numbers do seem a bit high. ive only used red sea and red sea coral pro. #reefsquad

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 21, 2018

It’s a grumpy coral.

I think your parameters are fine.

You are running a lot of phosphate removers.

But your on the right track. If it doesn’t open move it.
Might be Light might be flow might be grumpy. Lol.

A fwiw. The ones I have now aren’t super grumpy. The very first ones I had , I’d poke em and they close for days.

DSC reef · Mar 21, 2018

What are you testing salinity with. 1.023 seems low to have parameters that high? Not saying it's the problem, just curious. Our clove polyps would close quickly if we look at them wrong. They love light but our don't like a lot or even moderate flow.

19frank90 · Mar 21, 2018

I scooted them over slightly so they’d be roughly in the middle of my rock work. Lighting is about the same as where they were before (just to the right of their location in the picture) but they should get a little more flow here.

reefwiser · Mar 22, 2018

Alk way too high at 10. I would move the coral down to the sand bed first off. ( thou I wouldn't have a clove polyps in my tank at all, when established they become a pest and will kill other corals)
Due to the size of your aquarium using Reef crystals that has high Alk becomes an issue as the corals currently in your aquarium are not high Alk using corals as they do not use alk and cal to build their skeleton like SPS do.
One want to keep a constant Alk of 7.5 to 8.5 dkh and the reef crystals are keeping the level high do to your corals not consuming it to build skeleton growth.

19frank90 · Mar 22, 2018

DSC reef said:
What are you testing salinity with. 1.023 seems low to have parameters that high? Not saying it's the problem, just curious. Our clove polyps would close quickly if we look at them wrong. They love light but our don't like a lot or even moderate flow.

Red Sea refractometer

19frank90 · Mar 22, 2018

reefwiser said:
Alk way too high at 10. I would move the coral down to the sand bed first off. ( thou I wouldn't have a clove polyps in my tank at all, when established they become a pest and will kill other corals)
Due to the size of your aquarium using Reef crystals that has high Alk becomes an issue as the corals currently in your aquarium are not high Alk using corals as they do not use alk and cal to build their skeleton like SPS do.
One want to keep a constant Alk of 7.5 to 8.5 dkh and the reef crystals are keeping the level high do to your corals not consuming it to build skeleton growth.

What salt mix would you recommend then?

Move it to the sand bed for lighting/flow requirements or because it’ll take over? The last one I had grew a few new heads but never spread like wild fire or anything

DSC reef · Mar 22, 2018

reefwiser said:
Alk way too high at 10. I would move the coral down to the sand bed first off. ( thou I wouldn't have a clove polyps in my tank at all, when established they become a pest and will kill other corals)
Due to the size of your aquarium using Reef crystals that has high Alk becomes an issue as the corals currently in your aquarium are not high Alk using corals as they do not use alk and cal to build their skeleton like SPS do.
One want to keep a constant Alk of 7.5 to 8.5 dkh and the reef crystals are keeping the level high do to your corals not consuming it to build skeleton growth.

We grow them like crazy in my wife's nano and weekly water changes with reef crystals. Why would keeping the alk below 10 be substantial for the coral? Just generally curious. We seem to have better luck with higher alk versus lower alk. I'm sure nutrients are a factor as well.