Polyp extension is minimal on some sps frags

[e1v4n]

Hey guys,

I got a RSM Max E 170 with a 50liter sump.
Got a hydra 26hd
I run carbon in reactor, skimmer and sock, changing every 3 days.

My Water params:

KH: 9.4 - 9.7 dosing
MG: 1450 stable
CA: 450 been since starting tank
No3: 2.5 the last 3 months stable!
Po4: 0.05 - 0.07
PH: 8.2 - 8.4 during 24h period.
slinity: 1.026

Fish:
2 ocelaris (Nemo)
1 baby hepatus tang
1 cleaner wrasse
1 lawnmower blenny
1 juvenile red hawkfish
1 Anthias squimpinnis

Coral:
3 hammer corals
1 hellfire torch
both branching and encrusting motiporas abot 6 diffrent species - they got lots of polyp extension
6 more sps, millepora and others.
1 chalice
2 cyphastrea
gsp
5 kinds of zoas

20 Snails diffrent kinds and 8 hermit crabs di´ffrent kinds.

Feeding:
Fishes: pellets diffrent kinds and frozen mix 3 times each day.
Corals: aminos 4 times a week and roids 2-3 times (spot feeding)

My tank has been going for 7.5 months now, i got 2 jebao slw 20 and a tunze for flow.
Parametres are stable and i dose with a doser.

Problem: 2 of my sps the millepora and antoher one (dont know the name) had good polyp extension for a good period of 3 months, last 2-3 weeks they have minimal extension.. they are encrusting and growing good but got no extension. will post pictures how they look.

All the other sps got good extension and lps are fluffy and beautiful, Colors in corals are great.

I haven't seen the tang on any sps, and as far as i know no other fish nibbles on sps that i have.

Only 2 things that have changed the last month is i added chaeto in the back that is growing slowly and the tang..

Hope you can give me some informaton.

 

[Chrisv.]

So this is incredibly unsatisfying, but sometimes this just happens. If most coral are happy, don't make drastic changes. My suggestion is to make sure you're running fresh carbon in your reactor and do a 20% water change. It's amazing how much can be solved with a 20% water change.

 

[e1v4n]

So this is incredibly unsatisfying, but sometimes this just happens. If most coral are happy, don't make drastic changes. My suggestion is to make sure you're running fresh carbon in your reactor and do a 20% water change. It's amazing how much can be solved with a 20% water change.

Thing is that those are my oldest sps frags that already have been acclimated and placed early. The new SPS frags thrive and have mutch better extension. I will try a 20 % water change. Should I do it weekly?

 

[e1v4n]

I'm also thinking maybe it's to harsh flow on theese 2, i will post a small video clip tonight. They have been throwing in the same flow before..

 

[homer1475]

If it only these 2 corals, and they have been fine before this, I wouldn't do squat, just observe.

Corals can have off weeks(days to them, remember these things are centuries old, and what seems like weeks to us, is like days to them), just like we humans do.

If they don't show improvement in a couple days, then I might try to investigate it further.

On that same note, something that happened a month ago, might just be them showing the effects now.

 

[minus9]

How’s the polyp extension at night?

 

[e1v4n]

How’s the polyp extension at night?

looked last night, dont think it was better.. it usually was mutch better night time before, but at that time they had great polyp extension at daytime.

Will see if i can manag to make a better video later tonight and post it with some pictures.

 

[minus9]

looked last night, dont think it was better.. it usually was mutch better night time before, but at that time they had great polyp extension at daytime.

Will see if i can manag to make a better video later tonight and post it with some pictures.

Have you checked for pests? Also, it may be worth it to send off an ICP.

 

[e1v4n]

Have you checked for pests? Also, it may be worth it to send off an ICP.

im carefully inspecting them everyday only with eyes tho, got any tips on how to?

 

[minus9]

im carefully inspecting them everyday only with eyes tho, got any tips on how to?

Looks for bugs on the tissue of those with minimal PE. There shouldn't be any pods on the tissue at all. Magnifying glass usually helps here if the corals aren't too far away. Or take a close up pic and zoom in.

 

[minus9]

Here’s an example of red bugs and what to look for. There are three known species that will affect sps.

 

[e1v4n]

This is the millepora how it looked the first 3 months and begun to have lots more extension, how is the flow here? Too harsh?

 

[e1v4n]

Here’s an example of red bugs and what to look for. There are three known species that will affect sps.

Don't think I've seen anything like that, have to inspect closer

 

[e1v4n]

This is only how it looked in good condition

 

[minus9]

This is only how it looked in good condition

Does the flow change at all? There’s never an issue with too much flow, but incorrect flow. If you’re just pointing a powerhead directly at it and there’s no change, then you should move the ph so that it creates random intermittent flow in a wider footprint. You’re better off pointing two ph’s at each other and letting them create chaotic random flow or create surges/pulses.

 

[arafas]

following same issue, I have tried multiple things. Didnt have this issue about 2.5 years ago in the other tank where the corals were, I went to a larger tank 200g. even older colonies no polyp extension. Every time i add a frag has polyp extension then about 2-3 weeks later none really. Sent an ICP waiting. Also will be boosting PH with CO2 scrubber.

 

[e1v4n]

Does the flow change at all? There’s never an issue with too much flow, but incorrect flow. If you’re just pointing a powerhead directly at it and there’s no change, then you should move the ph so that it creates random intermittent flow in a wider footprint. You’re better off pointing two ph’s at each other and letting them create chaotic random flow or create surges/pulses.

i might have it at too trong at that point, ive changed the flow but im thinking it still too strong.. strange thing the millie seem to like that harsh flow for couple of months.. i changed the direction of the pumps to more above the corals then it was.. now it looks better but im still worried about the flow.. since the rsm 170 is a small box and theres 3 pumps in it, but i got them on low speed.. will post pics and vids in a few hours, by that time its almost sleep for the corals but ill see how they look

 

[e1v4n]

following same issue, I have tried multiple things. Didnt have this issue about 2.5 years ago in the other tank where the corals were, I went to a larger tank 200g. even older colonies no polyp extension. Every time i add a frag has polyp extension then about 2-3 weeks later none really. Sent an ICP waiting. Also will be boosting PH with CO2 scrubber.

this only happed to my millie and another sps, all other sps are really thriving.. but i get what you mean, new frags love it then sometimes they dont stay happy with the poly extension

 

[minus9]

i might have it at too trong at that point, ive changed the flow but im thinking it still too strong.. strange thing the millie seem to like that harsh flow for couple of months.. i changed the direction of the pumps to more above the corals then it was.. now it looks better but im still worried about the flow.. since the rsm 170 is a small box and theres 3 pumps in it, but i got them on low speed.. will post pics and vids in a few hours, by that time its almost sleep for the corals but ill see how they look

We can never have too much flow in our tanks, it's simply impossible, but you can have the wrong type of flow. There's a huge difference between the two. It's about volume and not narrow directed flow that makes the difference. In smaller tanks, it's very important to widen the flow, whereas in bigger, longer tanks, the flow will widen the further it goes when interacting with opposing flow. For nano tanks, I love the Tunze 6040, it's simply an awesome little controllable pump with a whole slew of flow options. If you have narrow stream pumps, then put them on the ends so they have room to "widen" or shoot them over the corals and aim them at each other. Constant steady flow is the not what corals want/need, especially sps.

 

[e1v4n]

We can never have too much flow in our tanks, it's simply impossible, but you can have the wrong type of flow. There's a huge difference between the two. It's about volume and not narrow directed flow that makes the difference. In smaller tanks, it's very important to widen the flow, whereas in bigger, longer tanks, the flow will widen the further it goes when interacting with opposing flow. For nano tanks, I love the Tunze 6040, it's simply an awesome little controllable pump with a whole slew of flow options. If you have narrow stream pumps, then put them on the ends so they have room to "widen" or shoot them over the corals and aim them at each other. Constant steady flow is the not what corals want/need, especially sps.

I got 2 of these not on full flow tho, it is to strong.. i did have the flow just above them but i changed it when I saw the polyps get smaller.. now i got the flow more above them and it's more of a swinging movement. My first thought was the flow since the other SPS all are to the sides of the flow.. hope it's a flow issue and not pests