Red Sea AB+ and Polyp Extension

[TerraFerma]

In full disclosure I've made some large-ish changes on my tank right when I switched from phyto to AB+. With AB+ I can't complain about the results. Growth and color is good, I have less algae, and for whatever reason the skimmer isn't pulling as much stuff out. But many (not all) of my SPS that used to be polyps out all day no longer have polyps out at all.

Old setup: T5's and Reef Nutrition Phyto

New setup: Radion G5 and AB+

I don't test for nitrate and phosphate. If something gets wonky I assume something is off an adjust things until I'm back to normal. The only other potential variable is I went from very steady ALK with Tropic Marin All for Reef to slightly less stable ALK with it (I think it had to do with the move to Radion...their lighting schedule doesn't seem to put out as much juice over the day as running T5's full on from sunrise to sunset). But the ALK has been stable enough.

Anyone else having a similar experience with AB+? The LPS and mushrooms seem really happy with it. SPS are fine - its just weird seeing previously heavy polypers be sucked in all day.

 

[Twotone24v]

You made a major light change to the tank, I would put the sps polyp issues on that and not the red sea AB. I switched from Radion G3s to Kessil A360xs and had a few month downturn in my acro corals.

 

[ReefingThee813]

Sorry to hear about the lack of PE on your sticks. In my experience it could be a nutrient issue that’s causing it. I had a sps frag that had tons of pe at the lfs which is why I bought the thing to begin with but over the next few weeks in my tank pe started to deteriorate. Come to find out my phosphates were .5.

Test your water you may be surprised.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Definitely need to check your no3/po4? Did you check your par with the G5’s?

 

[Hydrored]

Oddly enough for me I lowered the PAR for my homewrecker and WD to 290-310 and the polyp extension has been amazing since adding the G5’s. Listen to @Chaswood79 his sps gives me envy

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Oddly enough for me I lowered the PAR for my homewrecker and WD to 290-310 and the polyp extension has been amazing since adding the G5’s. Listen to @Chaswood79 his sps gives me envy

Are you LED only? I believe more than 350-400 from LED only causes more bad than good.

 

[Hydrored]

Are you LED only? I believe more than 350-400 from LED only causes more bad than good.

yes, running 5 G5 XR30’s diffused. No options for T5’s unfortunately with the wife’s demands.

 

[Waynerock]

I have been using AB+ since feb and the sticks that I do have are super fuzzy. Besides fish food that’s my only coral food I use. I bet they are getting way more light now and not happy. My nutrients are always super low and my corals would prob starve without AB+ and an hour or so after dosing they get fluffier. This was tonight after I fed. Couldn’t really hurt too bad to Kick the lights down a few percentages for a few weeks and see if anything gets better

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

yes, running 5 G5 XR30’s diffused. No options for T5’s unfortunately with the wife’s demands.

Me too. On both accounts

 

[RYcube2951]

I just ordered a bottle of Reef Energy AB+. My 29g biocube has 2 fish and soft coral frags. Does anyone have something similar to my setup and use AB+? How much do you dose and how often? My nitrates are typically @ 15 and phosphates @ 0.25. Red Sea has a dosing calculator for typical setups but they recommend daily dosing. I was figuring starting slow with biweekly dosing. What do you say?

 

[RYcube2951]

Forgot to mention that my softie coral frags are doing Ok but I want to accelerate their growth , develop new polyps faster, and help with coloration.