Jack-o-Lantern Lepto Not Doing too Well

[NickNiz]

I've had a Jack-o-Lantern Leptoseris for about a month now and for the first 3 weeks it looked great and fed well. This past week it has really declined... This is my first SPS so I'm looking for advice as far as placement and dosages go. Here are some details.

12-gallon Nano Cube (6 months old)
Filter Media: Purigen-carbon blend, Phosphate pad, sponge, LR rubble
Livestock (Not including coral): 2 False perc clowns, Coral banded shrimp, serpent starfish, emerald crab, various snails.
Feeding routine: 1 pipet mysis every day (~1/5 cube) and small amount of reef roids target fed 2x per week with pumps off for 20 minutes.
Surrounding corals (Within 3-4 inches): 1 rainbow acan polyp, very small emerald-eye favia, Small scoly, Toadstool Leather.
Water change schedule: 2.5 gallons every week using Red Sea Coral Pro salt.

Current water params using API Reef Master (I know I need a better kit):
Nitrate: less than 10ppm
Calcium: ~500 dkh
Phosphate: 0.25ppm
Salinity: 1.027

I'm confused on placement because I've heard that SPS prefer high flow/light, and that Leptos prefer lower flow/light. I also have a friend who's lepto is thriving placed high in the tank under an AI Prime HD fixture. My lighting consists of stock LED Nanocube lights with a blue strip added. Flow comes from stock filter pump and a Koralia nano 240

Keep in mind green eyes aren't visible because I turkey basted some gunk off of it...

 

[dave57]

I'd would suggest keeping it low /hidden with indirect light, even when these corals are placed on the bottom they can still yet receive too much light especially if you just got this coral. Also I didn't see your alkalinity levels, I would suggest keeping it stable. Your po4 might also be on the high side. Try lowering it over time unless you normally keep higher phosphates. Another thing to consider is spectrum and par levels. Good luck

 

[NickNiz]

Thank you for the input! I'll work on positioning it that way... I hope it makes some sort of comeback... Is the feeding schedule alright or should I increase to 3x per week (just for the lepto) in an attempt to help it out?

 

[BlueCursor]

Leptos are an LPS, not SPS. They like more nutrients in the tank, like nitrate and phosphate. I don't "think" your nitrate and phosphate are too high for lepto, but I have never had phosphate that high. The nitrate is definitely not an issue. So take Nick's advice and try lowering your phosphate SLOWLY!!!

Here are some things I have learned about jack-o-lantern. If the light is low, it spreads quickly but has very few yellow/green eyes. The new growth also never really thickens, it just stays thin sheets. If the light is too low, it spreads quickly but the new growth frequently dies off with any stress. If the light is on the higher side, it spreads super slowly or not at all, but the lepto will thicken up and get eyes in the growth it has. Sometimes, under higher light, it goes from orange to a redish orange. This is how you can just how happy it is with the light. Of course, this is assuming conditions are right for it to grow. It still needs good Ca, All, Mg, etc.

If the light is just right, it spreads well and new green eyes develop after a while in the new growth. After a little while, the new growth will also thicken instead of being a thing sheet of growth.

In my tank my jack-o-lantern grows very well. Not as fast as my neon green lepto, but it grows fast. I have a PAR meter, and it is in about 175 PAR. I consider it on the high end of where it should be for light. And the part that gets more light grows super slow, while the part that gets less light grows faster.

 

[NickNiz]

Thank you! So they're an LPS? I read a very confusing thread here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/jason-fox-jack-o-lantern-leptoseris-care-help.102675/ that went back and fourth on whether they were LPS or SPS... And it doesn't look like any of my LPS (different feeders, etc.) so I just assumed SPS... The thread also never really gives a definitive answer as to lighting/flow, which leads me to think it's pretty adaptive.

Right now I've got it half in the light and half in the shade under an overhang. This'll let me know if the problem is with the light, which would be strange since it was on the sandbed of a Nano Cube with stock lighting. If it is the phosphate, I've started dosing a little bit of NOPOX and I'll probably do a 30-40% water change tomorrow. If it revives a bit I'll probably try direct lighting again, since I'd rather have more eyes than rapid growth.

 

[Gordonm]

I'd would suggest keeping it low /hidden with indirect light, even when these corals are placed on the bottom they can still yet receive too much light especially if you just got this coral. Also I didn't see your alkalinity levels, I would suggest keeping it stable. Your po4 might also be on the high side. Try lowering it over time unless you normally keep higher phosphates. Another thing to consider is spectrum and par levels. Good luck

Really?????

 

[Gordonm]

Really?????

Wow.....2017

 

[Waynerock]

150 par and good flow. I am sure yours is either dead or huge by now