Help with no SPS polyp Extension

[arking_mark]

Instead of focusing on all my SPS, Im starting a new thread to focus on my Bubble Gum Digi polyp extension which shows the same PE issues as all my SPS.

Please look here for all my tank parameters and initial discussion:

Help with SPS in my tank

I could use some help with SPS in my tank. I'm not seeing good growth, color, or PE. I'd like some advice from the R2R community. I'm thinking placement of powerheads and lighting may be suboptimal. Tank: 5' long RS 525xl Age: 9 months old Total volume: 400L Lighting: 2 x Kessil 360x, 1 x...

www.reef2reef.com

Here is a picture of the bubblegum digi and PAR:

This coral is about 5 months old and lost polyp extension after a couple weeks in the tank.

As you can see from the picture, the coral is growing, but showing virtually no PE.

Per the previous thread, flow (~50x) and nutrients (NO3 > 3, PO4 > 0.03) have been addressed.

Any ideas why the digi has its Polyps pulled in?

 

[jim_fitz]

have you tested for iodine ?
i know its not the easiest test at home
but this was my issue

 

[RedReefer]

Something with your water. Par looks fine. What salt?

 

[arking_mark]

have you tested for iodine ?
i know its not the easiest test at home
but this was my issue

Iodine is low:

Something with your water. Par looks fine. What salt?

TM Pro

 

[arking_mark]

Better picture...

 

[RedReefer]

Check your mixed water and tank water salinity. Did you switch salts? Be careful putting hands and items in the water. You could transfer something in the water. Maybe pollutant?

 

[arking_mark]

Check your mixed water and tank water salinity. Did you switch salts?

I'll re-check, but the salinity is 1.0264 (as measured by GHL TM high-precision hydrometer) and automatically adjusted through my GHL.

 

[Alaeriel]

Have you checked for PE after lights out?

 

[arking_mark]

I'll re-check, but the salinity is 1.0264 (as measured by GHL TM high-precision hydrometer) and automatically adjusted through my GHL.

Hmm. I just tested with my TM high-precision hydrometer is showing 1.02715 which seems to indicate my GHL needs recalibration again. It's showing 1.0264 exactly.

 

[arking_mark]

Have you checked for PE after lights out?

Yes. It may be a tad more out but I can't really see a real difference.

 

[RedReefer]

Have you been using the same salt salt?

 

[arking_mark]

Have you been using the same salt salt?

Yes. I've been using this salt for the last several months.

 

[arking_mark]

Bump. Still looking for help...

 

[arking_mark]

@Coral Euphoria any expert advice?

 

[Ancient Mariner]

I reviewed your thread from 1 month ago and it seems a good number of people think your tank needs to mature. I agree with that. I started with 50% old live rock and 50% new dry sterile rock with some old sand from my previous reef and I had no acropora polyp extension for almost a year. I did have some montipora, pocillapora and stylophora PE and growth but I attribute that to using some old rock and sand from the start. It still took a year to get the acroporas going. If your frags otherwise aren’t bleaching and certainly if they have some signs of growth, patience is all that’s needed.

 

[arking_mark]

I reviewed your thread from 1 month ago and it seems a good number of people think your tank needs to mature. I agree with that. I started with 50% old live rock and 50% new dry sterile rock with some old sand from my previous reef and I had no acropora polyp extension for almost a year. I did have some montipora, pocillapora and stylophora PE and growth but I attribute that to using some old rock and sand from the start. It still took a year to get the acroporas going. If your frags otherwise aren’t bleaching and certainly if they have some signs of growth, patience is all that’s needed.

Thanks for the feedback!

So if I understand your feedback correctly, you are saying that while my SPS is growing my lack of PE is due to the immaturity of the tank.

Or in other words, it seems like my tank is mature enough to sustain SPS but not enable them to thrive yet.

Would you agree that the Bubblegum Digi is a good canary SPS for judging my tank's maturity? Or is there another SPS that would be a better canary to watch?

 

[Jeffcb]

Going to sound wierd but. I added 10 sps acros and even a Bubble Gum Digi to my 250 liter back in December and polyps never opened or extended. In April I started getting a white slime and corals were bleaching. I pulled carbon, shut off skimmer for 3 weeks and stopped water changes and feed more, over feed like crazy. Havent done a water change yet. Dose Red Sea program, NeoPhos for P04 and everything is spreding like wild fire.

Dont have a par meter but Bubble Gum Digi is up at the top of tank with 100% Blue 22% white Its even grown since this pic a month ago. Look at my Build thread for FTS and see placment. Maybe try more nutients and light.

 

[arking_mark]

Going to sound wierd but. I added 10 sps acros and even a Bubble Gum Digi to my 250 liter back in December and polyps never opened or extended. In April I started getting a white slime and corals were bleaching. I pulled carbon, shut off skimmer for 3 weeks and stopped water changes and feed more, over feed like crazy. Havent done a water change yet. Dose Red Sea program, NeoPhos for P04 and everything is spreding like wild fire.

Dont have a par meter but Bubble Gum Digi is up at the top of tank with 100% Blue 22% white Its even grown since this pic a month ago. Look at my Build thread for FTS and see placment. Maybe try more nutients and light.

While your tank is younger than mine, you started with live rock.

Do you know your NO3/PO4 #s?

 

[Jeffcb]

While your tank is younger than mine, you started with live rock.

Do you know your NO3/PO4 #s?

The Reefer 250 is not live rock. Its Carib Sea purple stuff. I really have not checked in a while but I do keep a log and of 6/13 it was ...
No3 Zero Hana LR
Po4 0.05 Hana I dose Brightwell NeoPhos
Ca 340 was doseing R.S. 7.5ml daily raised to 10, hopefully its up some
Mg 1560 too high, stopped doseing mg for a week now back on it.
Dkh 11.5

I also pulled all the grape caulerpa in fug at the time to try and get nutrients up. Its all grow back and just harvested again. Thats probly why No3 is zero. With zero No3 bacteria blooms can pop so I feed alot.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Thanks for the feedback!

So if I understand your feedback correctly, you are saying that while my SPS is growing my lack of PE is due to the immaturity of the tank.

Or in other words, it seems like my tank is mature enough to sustain SPS but not enable them to thrive yet.

Would you agree that the Bubblegum Digi is a good canary SPS for judging my tank's maturity? Or is there another SPS that would be a better canary to watch?

Yes, to both points! I had ORA green and purple Montipora digitata that I used to as trial specimens as well as ORA green pocillapora and ORA green stylophora. I did have some encrusting montipora (Jedi mindtrick and Superman) that faded steadily. I also had a peach digitata that faded and died but that might have been a lighting issue. I still had to figure out lighting, flow, and chemistry. I lost a lot of acros (and clams). But if you have a few frags that are surviving and not fading I really think just a little more time. I thought for sure I wouldn’t have to wait a year and kept tweaking and moving frags and buying exact same replacements and kept losing them! I checked every night for PE and didn’t see any in the acros for the first year. Like you I’d see PE for the first days or weeks then nothing. Like you all my parameters checked out. But now after 1&1/2 years my PE is great, some even with lights on. And I haven’t lost any frags in 6 months. I am to the point where I feel like I can’t kill anything! But it was a long slog!