RR Pink Floyd Struggling?

[cshouston]

I picked up a frag of Pink Floyd from Cali Kid Corals during the live sale a couple of weekends back. Since it arrived, it’s pretty much the one frag in my tank which seems to be struggling. I’ve had zero polyp extension since it arrived, and the color is slowly fading. It’s on a rack with all the other frags, getting strong, indirect flow from my MP40s, and about 150-200 PAR. I’m sure it was getting blasted before it shipped, so I imagine it’ll color back up once I get it into position and the lighting schedule is turned back up. It’s the lack of polyp extension that I’m really wondering about. They haven’t shown themselves at all since it got here about two weeks ago. Can anyone with experience growing this coral provide some insights into their flow, par and whatnot? Thanks.

what it should look like

what it looks like, next to a rainbow acro that is growing like crazy right next door and has great PE.

 

[P-Dub]

Beautiful coral. It's alive so there is that. Have you looked at it during lights out to see if there is polyp extension?

 

[cshouston]

Beautiful coral. It's alive so there is that. Have you looked at it during lights out to see if there is polyp extension?

I sure have, and there’s no difference at night after the lights are off.

 

[P-Dub]

Hmmm, Patience at this point I guess, and hold the course. Maybe shout out to Cali Kid Corals?

 

[Uncle99]

Do you know what it was being grown under before?
Definitely looks light related...
Stunning in the first pic.

 

[SeaDweller]

Give it time.

 

[cshouston]

Do you know what it was being grown under before?
Definitely looks light related...
Stunning in the first pic.

I’m sending a note to the vendor asking about just that. I also moved the frag off the rack on the glass and into a hole in the live rock where it’ll get light from 3 different sources at all angles. It’ll have higher PAR there for sure.

 

[fishguy242]

Hi,is first pic in your tank? or their pic??agree stay the course

 

[cshouston]

Do you know what it was being grown under before?
Definitely looks light related...
Stunning in the first pic.

I actually called them and got to speak directly to the owner, Ben. He talked me through the colony’s parameters. It’s under Radion G4’s and getting about 290 PAR at peak and less off-peak. I have it under Radion G5’s and just moved it to a spot where it will get 300 PAR at peak. Our Alk/Cal/Mag were almost identical, but they run 10-15ppm nitrate and .1-.15ppm phosphate, whereas I have 5ppm nitrate and .04-.06 phosphate. I might try raising my phosphate to .08 and see if that combined with the higher lighting helps revitalize it.

 

[cshouston]

Hi,is first pic in your tank? or their pic??agree stay the course

Nah, stock photo. It arrived a gorgeous yellow from them, though. It has just faded in my tank and had no PE.

 

[Uncle99]

I’m sending a note to the vendor asking about just that. I also moved the frag off the rack on the glass and into a hole in the live rock where it’ll get light from 3 different sources at all angles. It’ll have higher PAR there for sure.

Perfect.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I think your Nitrate/Phosphate are fine, I run similar. IMO your issue is a combination of PAR and it just adjusting to a new tank. I keep mine around 450 PAR.

 

[cshouston]

I think your Nitrate/Phosphate are fine, I run similar. IMO your issue is a combination of PAR and it just adjusting to a new tank. I keep mine around 450 PAR.

Beautiful colony! Yeah, it’s definitely not getting high par on the frag rack. I put them there to acclimate, but I think it’s time to move it to the rocks and increase the lighting intensity that it receives. Hopefully, those polyps will start showing themselves soon.

Thank you for sharing your PAR rating as well. I have four Radions over the tank so I hold them back to keep the par around 300 at peak, but I’ve been thinking about slowly ramping them up to chase color.

 

[cshouston]

I think your Nitrate/Phosphate are fine, I run similar. IMO your issue is a combination of PAR and it just adjusting to a new tank. I keep mine around 450 PAR.

Out of curiosity, what would happen if that colony tables out and hits the glass? Would it just grow up along the glass or possibly encrust it?

 

[melanotaenia]

Definitely needs more light. You should see better results once it gets a higher intensity.

 

[fishguy242]

I think your Nitrate/Phosphate are fine, I run similar. IMO your issue is a combination of PAR and it just adjusting to a new tank. I keep mine around 450 PAR.

beautiful corals

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Beautiful colony! Yeah, it’s definitely not getting high par on the frag rack. I put them there to acclimate, but I think it’s time to move it to the rocks and increase the lighting intensity that it receives. Hopefully, those polyps will start showing themselves soon.

Thank you for sharing your PAR rating as well. I have four Radions over the tank so I hold them back to keep the par around 300 at peak, but I’ve been thinking about slowly ramping them up to chase color.

I run T5 and I peak out around 500 at the tops of my rocks. You could definitely increase PAR for acros, but move slowly and let them adjust. Also, be aware that some acros look better in low light than high. That pic on your rack looks like a PC Rainbow next to it. My PC Rainbow is super bright red since it’s in about 450-500 PAR. At lower PAR, I find it shows more yellow and blue.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Out of curiosity, what would happen if that colony tables out and hits the glass? Would it just grow up along the glass or possibly encrust it?

Yes, it would. I’ve seen tanks like that. I hacked mine to about 1/3 that size just after that photo.

 

[cshouston]

I run T5 and I peak out around 500 at the tops of my rocks. You could definitely increase PAR for acros, but move slowly and let them adjust. Also, be aware that some acros look better in low light than high. That pic on your rack looks like a PC Rainbow next to it. My PC Rainbow is super bright red since it’s in about 450-500 PAR. At lower PAR, I find it shows more yellow and blue.

I’ll definitely move slowly with the increase. Thanks! And, yes, it is a PC Rainbow. It’s actually growing the best of all my frags and is in fairly low PAR on that rack. I intended to keep it lower in the tank regardless, but I have seen high/low par photos of it, and I have to admit I like the high PAR version with the bright, vibrant coloration.

 

[rusgum]

I picked up a frag of Pink Floyd from Cali Kid Corals during the live sale a couple of weekends back. Since it arrived, it’s pretty much the one frag in my tank which seems to be struggling. I’ve had zero polyp extension since it arrived, and the color is slowly fading. It’s on a rack with all the other frags, getting strong, indirect flow from my MP40s, and about 150-200 PAR. I’m sure it was getting blasted before it shipped, so I imagine it’ll color back up once I get it into position and the lighting schedule is turned back up. It’s the lack of polyp extension that I’m really wondering about. They haven’t shown themselves at all since it got here about two weeks ago. Can anyone with experience growing this coral provide some insights into their flow, par and whatnot? Thanks.

what it should look like

what it looks like, next to a rainbow acro that is growing like crazy right next door and has great PE.

Hello. Give him time. He is not whimsical and will adjust to your parameters. Mine is on a par with Akan and gets about 250 units. May turn green with elevated nitrates.