slow grow softies?

[SRO-sales]

What can I do? I've had my 46 gal bow front for close to a year now. For the most part it's doing rather well I think. The only hang up i have is it seems that my Green Star Polyps are not growing/spreading very fast at all and the Kenyan Tree is just now starting to fill out. I've had these softies for a few months now. Is it me or should they be so much more than where they are? See pics attached.

Just got this little guy too. Hopefully i can keep him out of the power head this time.

 

[Utubereefer]

That green hair algae my be slowing the growth of your gsp. What are your water parameters? Lighting? Maintenance routine?

 

[SRO-sales]

That green hair algae my be slowing the growth of your gsp. What are your water parameters? Lighting? Maintenance routine?

High Range ph 8.3
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
KH 140-200 ppm
Lighting is two T8 bulbs (1-white and 1- Coral Blue 460 NM)
See pics on lighting.......

20% water change once every two months / filter cleanout every three weeks or so.

 

[Dbichler]

Nitrate at 0 won’t grow softies very well in most cases

 

[Ryde]

Your nitrate is 0ppm. Most softies need a little bit of nitrate.

 

[SRO-sales]

Nitrate at 0 won’t grow softies very well in most cases

Thank you so much! Before i go google how to remedy is there any advice on what to do?

 

[Ryde]

Thank you so much! Before i go google how to remedy is there any advice on what to do?

You could feed more. Or manually dose nitrate.
But I'm sure you fish won't mind the first option.

 

[SRO-sales]

You could feed more. Or manually dose nitrate.
But I'm sure you fish won't mind the first option.

Man, was that a noob question or what. Feeding more, duh. Thanks for your help Ryde

 

[Ryde]

Man, was that a noob question or what. Feeding more, duh. Thanks for your help Ryde

No problem.

 

[SRO-sales]

That green hair algae my be slowing the growth of your gsp. What are your water parameters? Lighting? Maintenance routine?

Utubreefer, aside from pulling the algae, or buying a tang what else can i do for the algae.

 

[Utubereefer]

Utubreefer, aside from pulling the algae, or buying a tang what else can i do for the algae.

What is your mechanical filtration like? What Is your lighting and feeding schedule like?

 

[SRO-sales]

What is your mechanical filtration like? What Is your lighting and feeding schedule like?

I have an external fluval 307 canister filter, the light kicks on 9:30am to 9:30pm, feed once a day.

 

[Utubereefer]

Try lowering your light schedule. That’s a long time for t5’s. And try a little less food and more frequent cleaning of your canister filter. It’s all about finding a routine that works for you

 

[SRO-sales]

Try lowering your light schedule. That’s a long time for t5’s. And try a little less food and more frequent cleaning of your canister filter. It’s all about finding a routine that works for you

Thanks! Ill post results in a few weeks.

 

[Utubereefer]

Patients is key. You will not get an instant solution. Just keep at it and soon your system will start to talk to you.

 

[melonheadorion]

the GSP are probably having 2 issues. one of which was already mentioned, and you happen to take a picture of the problem, and not even know it. polyps tend to close when they have an outside source touch them aka the hair algae. along with the hair algae, doesnt look like there is much flow, which is fine, but in my experience with my GSP, they tend to like water flow. they have a tendence to grow in the direction that the flow is going. if flow is a little stagnant, it probably wont grow too fast. when i first got my gsp, it took a while for them to go, but once they did, they got quite long, and now its just taking off at rates of grow that are quite fast. probably a diameter of about an inch worth of growth in the matter of probably a month.

 

[homer1475]

Anyone else notice only 2 T8 bulbs?

Probably not even close to adequate lighting. If it were a FOWLR tank, sure, but corals need light.

 

[Ghost25]

Anyone else notice only 2 T8 bulbs?

Probably not even close to adequate lighting. If it were a FOWLR tank, sure, but corals need light.

Agreed, that is not enough light in my opinion. Feed more (direct feeding frozen food to softies is effective) and more light.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Agreed, that is not enough light in my opinion. Feed more (direct feeding frozen food to softies is effective) and more light.

What kind of food and which softies do you feed?

 

[Aiptaisia anemone]

Try dosing amino acid and feeding reefroids