Polyp Extension
- Thread starter blkhawk10
- Start date
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niftyjosh
Active Member
Flow hands down. I have seen tanks with perfect parameters, awesome lighting, and low flow have next to no extension while tanks with unstable parameters, mediocre lighting, and varying strong flow have full extension.
secretreefer
**MAD PHANTOM SCIENTIST**
+1 flow is very important for an SPS tank. Also check for RB (redbugs) Polyp extension will be less with them irritating the coral.
Thatgrimguy
Active Member
Well that type of "full" extension is likely a sign of stress. A little extension is good, a lot can be a sign of stress. Of course, this depends on the exact species of coral.
Anthony Calfo had a thread on it here a while back.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-sps-discussion/57132-polyp-extention-2.html
"Polyp extension is not a reliable sign of good health (or bad health). Store tanks often show better extension because of older or weaker lighting (the corals are panning for light when they overextend) or heavy bioloads (lots of extra carbon/sugars)
Some folks even cheat in their so-called coral vitamin products and the like by simply adding sugar. That will make your corals polyp out bigtime (though adding sugars is a bad long term habit). So when you hear people say "I LOVE the smell of X brand coral supplement...it smells like pear or apple juice!" Well..there is a reason wht it smells that way"
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niftyjosh
Active Member
Let me get my ruler out so I can measure how much extension they really have....
The full extension in taking about is a nice bushy pile of sticks. Not a OVERextended polyp that looks nasty.
^ that's what I call full extension
