Uh oh

[Saltybumfuzzle]

so I finally got my first coral(s), one was a small rock with 3 small xenia stalks, and the other was a little colony of zoas, but for some reason after I acclimated them and placed them the xenia was fine but the zoas opened for a bit and closed and haven't really opened since. I have a 10g tank with an hob filter and a cheap petco powerhead that I kinda modified to aim upward instead of just straight. But I placed them both at the bottom and after the zoas opened they closed up and have been since, except for when I moved them about an hour later and 2 polyps opened but not for long. The first spot didn't have a whole lot of flow, the second spot had pretty good flow and then where I have them now it's kind of in between. I know I shouldn't move them a lot so I left them where they are know but I moved them with atleast an hour between. But I was just worried because they're my first ones and I don't really wanna lose 25 dollars hahah. (The picture is a little while after being put in the tank when they were open the most, but then closed for whatever reason that I can't figure out haha) do you guys have any ideas, or am I just overreacting hahahah?

 

[Thor2j]

Zoos sometimes will take a week to open after a being put in a new tank. What lights do u have? Do u know what lighting they came from.

 

[MasterBacon]

Can you turn your lights down to help them acclimate?

 

[twilliard]

Also to note that nutrients plays a big role with these corals

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Zoos sometimes will take a week to open after a being put in a new tank. What lights do u have? Do u know what lighting they came from.

Yeahh I just thought it was kinda weird how they like, opened and then closed up. But I have led's that I'm not really sure of the name or anything and they came from another type of led. But I have a picture of my light that i can show you. They actually kinda started coming out this morning a minute or 2 after I turned my lights on but not all the way, hopefully they stay open this time hahah

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Can you turn your lights down to help them acclimate?

I actually think they're starting to stretch for light because they kinda look like they're reaching, you can kinda see in the photo

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Also to note that nutrients plays a big role with these corals

The last I checked they we're all pretty good

 

[twilliard]

The last I checked they we're all pretty good

Here we will discuss "clean" water compared to "dirty" water. Now many focus on 2 compounds No3 and Po4. Now we also must understand that although true that these levels should be maintained in a reduced level we may easily overlook one other compound that is reduced in this process. DOC's
Most of the times as we reduce No3 and Po4 we also strip this important compound, carbons.
This is noticed easily by the reaction of coral growth and color or the rapid decline in health.
It is important to know and understand the difference between No3, Po4 and "available carbons".
Here a person can get a good understanding of the importance of available carbons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolved_organic_carbon

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Here we will discuss "clean" water compared to "dirty" water. Now many focus on 2 compounds No3 and Po4. Now we also must understand that although true that these levels should be maintained in a reduced level we may easily overlook one other compound that is reduced in this process. DOC's
Most of the times as we reduce No3 and Po4 we also strip this important compound, carbons.
This is noticed easily by the reaction of coral growth and color or the rapid decline in health.
It is important to know and understand the difference between No3, Po4 and "available carbons".
Here a person can get a good understanding of the importance of available carbons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolved_organic_carbon

Im fairly new to most of this, so I might sound a little dumb here but bare with me hahah, but I have a bag of activated carbon, would that help with that at all?

 

[twilliard]

Im fairly new to most of this, so I might sound a little dumb here but bare with me hahah, but I have a bag of activated carbon, would that help with that at all?

Well that carbon differs from DOC's
The best source for DOC's if food
But be aware that this also will increase No3 a little as the food breaks down.

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Well that carbon differs from DOC's
The best source for DOC's if food
But be aware that this also will increase No3 a little as the food breaks down.

Ohh okay haha but I hunk it might have just been me because now most of the polyps are open to some extent, but most of the ones that are open aren't fully open and they're not really bunched together like you'd usually see, do you think it's because they don't have enough light at the bottom? (Also do you have any idea wha that small brown guy is all the way to the left of the colony? He was on there when I got it)

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

This is a better shot of it, I apologize for the bad iphone camera quality hahah

 

[twilliard]

I would superglue the brown guy
What lighting are you using?

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

I had a good for a 20g that was a "string" of led's that I took off and kinda made my own light bar sorta thing hahah. But the picture for some reason doesn't show he light how it actually looks but this hopefully might show the light better and I have a picture of the thingy I made hahah (you can see they closed up again but the Xenia looks fine so I have no idea hahah)

 

[twilliard]

Nice DIY!
As time moved forward you will learn a lot about the nm spectrum of lighting and the relationship to zooxanthellae survival, reproduction.

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

Nice DIY!
As time moved forward you will learn a lot about the nm spectrum of lighting and the relationship to zooxanthellae survival, reproduction.

Thankss! That was actually a little before it was finished but I hope I learn it soon because I would really hate to lose these haha

 

[twilliard]

too much 6500k will spur any algae that was introduced from the coral frags. A good site to learn is here https://orphek.com/atlantik-v2-1/

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

too much 6500k will spur any algae that was introduced from the coral frags. A good site to learn is here https://orphek.com/atlantik-v2-1/

Ohh okay thankss

 

[Saltybumfuzzle]

I would superglue the brown guy
What lighting are you using?

So I'm almost certain I've figured out the problemo haha xD but I'm super curious about everything and I like to know as much as I can about anything hahah but I guess it's a good thing, because that little brown guy on the side of my colony is (I'm sure you've probably heard of it) an aptasia and I read that they have a worse sting than any coral and can cause polyps to close up and possibly die. So you bet he's a goner now hahah

 

[Debramb]

Yes, send it back to H.....l where it belongs lol PS, wish you were local, I've got hundreds I'd share