What am I doing wrong with Scolys?

[Adamantium]

I never EVER have luck with scolys, and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.

The only thing I can think is too much light, but I moved one that was receding to under my rock work, and it continues to recede.

Over multiple tanks, I just have terrible luck with scolys. This was my longest stretch, maybe six months, but they’re all starting to recede, as usual.

Everything parameter-wise is well in check. NO3: 5, PO4: .04, Alk: 8, Cal: 420, Mg: 1400.

Any ideas? I’ve researched so much, and all I can figure is that they’re getting too much light, but then shouldn’t the one I put under the rock work last week be improving, not getting worse?

This is so upsetting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Here we go again..]

I wish I could find out too. Have had no luck with scolys either. All of my other livestock thrives and they just recede away to a skeleton...following this thread for sure.

 

[Adamantium]

Could anyone share their experiences?

 

[PicassoClown04]

I have 9 scolys, all perfectly fine. Anywhere from 50 to 200+ par and they’re all doing fantastic. Perhaps your problem is feeding, are you feeding them?

 

[Adamantium]

I have 9 scolys, all perfectly fine. Anywhere from 50 to 200+ par and they’re all doing fantastic. Perhaps your problem is feeding, are you feeding them?

Maybe I need to get a PAR meter...

And, yup, I sure am/was. Anywhere from 1-3 times per week. Fauna Marin LPS pellets.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Maybe I need to get a PAR meter...

And, yup, I sure am/was. Anywhere from 1-3 times per week. Fauna Marin LPS pellets.

How much were you feeding them? I found that to be my biggest success/fail factor. Too much and they choke to death/ it rots inside them because they can’t digest it fast enough. Too little and they just don’t have enough calories to survive.

 

[Adamantium]

How much were you feeding them? I found that to be my biggest success/fail factor. Too much and they choke to death/ it rots inside them because they can’t digest it fast enough. Too little and they just don’t have enough calories to survive.

Hmm, that very well could be part of the problem. Maybe I overfeed.

That said, they’re receding the same way previous ones that I barely ever fed have. It’s very frustrating.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hmm, that very well could be part of the problem. Maybe I overfeed.

That said, they’re receding the same way previous ones that I barely ever fed have. It’s very frustrating.

I give my big scolys 2 mysis shrimp and the croc islands 1/2 a mysis like 4 times a week (depending on how much time I have)

 

[ELChingonsReef]

I herd that they don't like to be too close to the sand bed. I glued a peice of rock to my scolly he sits 3 inches off the sand. I don't know if that's the reason he is doing ok but I don't think it hurts. I was feeding every day different foods switching from pellets to mysis to frozen brine. . Now I feed every day. I think a variety of different foods helps. I remember for years I couldn't keep acans..I would buy an acan frag and it would die in 3 days tops . It was very frustrating. I came to find out I has some anthiopods that would nip at them at night. So I got a couple 6line wrasse and a mandarin. And now acans do just fine. It took almost a year to figure that out..there's definitely an explanation. You just have to figure it out and be patient.

 

[PicassoClown04]

^^^ good point. In the wild, scolys live on the rocks not in the sand bed. I forgot to mention that I have a barebottom tank, therefore, no sand to irritate them.

 

[jassermd]

I have about 12 of them in total... some minis and some quite large. Some in sand bed, and others glued lower in rocks close to sand bed.
I've realized a couple of things: they like to be fed, especially at night; they like lower light 50-75 par (although I have one mutant in 100+ par at top of tank, don't ask!); and they like low-mod flow, nothing direct.
I agree with others on the temp, 76-78 is ideal for them.
I feed coral feast 3-4x week and mysis everyday (for the fish)
All are quite happy...

QUESTION OF THE DAY - Mama-SCOLY-mia! Love or Hate and how do you keep them healthy?

Yes, not my picture because I only have an iPhone 10. But here is a small video which does a decent job of what it really looks like.

www.reef2reef.com