What causes PD and NG to close like a clover?

[Paintguru]

Anyone else running into this? I was chatting with Marvin about this briefly, but in my main show tank, I have, for quite a while, had my NGs basically "partially open" in what I can only explain as a clover shape (almost like it closes in at three points, but not completely). The polyps also stay quite small. On the other hand, in the same tank, I had my PDs at the bottom and they would open fully and have very large polyps.

Fast forward to today where, of course, I changed a few things. I reduced the light to 250W from 400W MH, but at the same time I did some rearranging of rock, and now the PDs are pretty high up. Well they have also started showing signs of this closure pattern. In my frag tank, I do not have this problem in either type of paly. I assume those with this type of coral have run into this, but I am curious if (A) this is just how PD/NG polyp types (aren't they called protopalys or something??) close regardless of the irritant, or (B) this is a specific symptom of perhaps too much/not enough light or something like that. I can take pictures later if that would help any.

 

[Hypertek99]

Never have that problem before. I have purple deaths in different parts of my tank.

 

[Kigs!]

It's funny that someone would post about this topic. I was over a friend's house last night and he asked me the exact same questions about his NGs an PDs. He had his tank lit with VHOs, with the frags placed at the bottom of the tank. The only reasons I could think of was that 1)not enough lighting from VHOs, 2) being irritated by the PPE polyps nearby. Another thing I noticed was that their skirts were somewhat "bleached" white though the center stayed solid green or purple.

 

[ServantSoldier]

i had this problem as well. they have always been on my sandbed, however, when i moved them under some rock they opened up and grew much larger.

 

[msman825]

high salinity will do this also

 

[surfn]

:nopic::nopic2:

 

[Kigs!]

high salinity will do this also

I've never heard of this, I wonder if it is the sole reason? Can you elaborate on that msman. I believe my friend was telling me he was trying out a new brand of salt for WC.

protopalys usually prefer being placed on the sandbed, so I don't think sand particles can be considered an irritant. Paintguru, are you running a BB by any chance?

 

[Paintguru]

I've never heard of this, I wonder if it is the sole reason? Can you elaborate on that msman. I believe my friend was telling me he was trying out a new brand of salt for WC.

protopalys usually prefer being placed on the sandbed, so I don't think sand particles can be considered an irritant. Paintguru, are you running a BB by any chance?

Yes in both systems. Like I said, the PDs just started to do this when I moved them up (in both cases they were on the rock). In the frag vat, no issues are seen really (even though polyp size is still pretty small compared to the PDs in the show tank).

 

[J. Montgomery]

The nuclear greens that I got from Al have that appearance. They've started to open up more lately. I'll see if I can't get a picture when I get home. I've suspected that they were somewhat ill or just traumatized by the fragging, but thats just a guess (and I wouldn't have said anything if this thread hadn't popped up). I've just been leaving them alone and giving them an opportunity to recover.

My purple deaths (also from Al) have been happy since day one and are growing quickly. The PD and NG both started in the same position in the tank.

 

[Paintguru]

 

[Azurel]

I have mine in high flow and under direct lighting in the rocks and sand bed and never had this issue.....They do look healthy though and that is a good thing.....

 

[surfn]

oh yeah, my PD's and some of my NG's have always looked like that, was never sure why. but i do have my PD's under a ledge now so they aren't in the light, and they are opening up fuller now. but i had my NG's half way up my tank and most of them were open full too.

 

[msman825]

I've never heard of this, I wonder if it is the sole reason? Can you elaborate on that msman. I believe my friend was telling me he was trying out a new brand of salt for WC.

protopalys usually prefer being placed on the sandbed, so I don't think sand particles can be considered an irritant. Paintguru, are you running a BB by any chance?

{Salinity} I ran mine for about 7-10 days about 30-34... burnt a few of my monti's up

 

[MarvinsReef]

this is a good discussion... IME, PD's and Nukes are happier with indirect lighting... ofcourse, it might be different for others... find a place where they are happy and big and try not to move them.. LoLz...

 

[msman825]

{Salinity} I ran mine for about 7-10 days about 30-34... burnt a few of my monti's up

[SG] 1.030-1.034 just too be clear,

 

[J. Montgomery]

oh yeah, my PD's and some of my NG's have always looked like that, was never sure why. but i do have my PD's under a ledge now so they aren't in the light, and they are opening up fuller now. but i had my NG's half way up my tank and most of them were open full too.

Thats how my nuclear green frag looks. The purple deaths open up as much as they can (they grow close together for having such a large skirt).

 

[Hypertek99]

I wish mine would do that. I think it looks cool like that. All of mine are round and opened. I have purple deaths in 3 different places in my tank and all the same. I have the nuclear greens in a shaded area. My purple deaths that's in a shaded area are a lot more purple than the ones in the light.

 

[Kigs!]

indirect lighting definitely brings out more purple in PDs, but I'm not entirely sure if the amount of light has anything to do with the way they open up. When I blasted them with MH, both NGs and PDs opened up completely and now I'm running T5s, I'm observing the same physical form. On both occassions, they were out in the open, not under the shade.

What about feeding? Could it be a factor that makes them open up more? I've gotten in the habit of feeding them mysis shrimps on a regular basis.

 

[Hypertek99]

I don't feed mine.

 

[edwing206]

What's that black and blue thing on the top right of the picture you posted?