Sinuarlia closing ?

hrdneglcry · May 18, 2022

I have a 120 g 4x2. I had a grouper in it so I had two aquaclear 110s running on it in addition to a maxspect gyre and my return pump. my siularia was in a spot of low to moderate flow. I recently removed on aquaclear 110 (closest to sinularia) to put on my 90 gallon. Right away the sinualria started to close. It was always open daily. The 110 is a power filter and does about 500 gph. It wasn't in top of the sinularia but the sinularia did get some flow from it. Nothing else has changed and seems like more flow not less is what makes the sinularia close. Inless the flow from the filter was slowing down the gyre flow. Any tips?

cdw79 · May 18, 2022

What are your params? That's always a good start. I googled the aqua clear 110, it's a HOB filter right? That seems pretty small to be able to be solely handling a grouper's bio load, so I wonder if your nitrates or phosphates are up

I had a similar episode with sinularia- turns out they too shed a mucus layer, just not nearly as often as a toadstool for example. I find mine really likes the flow of the powerhead right near it and actively grows toward the flow, and a lack of flow could mean more detritus and other things suspended in the water column are settling on the coral and ticking it off. That said you also have a gyre, so in theory you're getting some water flow at least, so that may or may not be part of it