SPS Question (1 Viewer)

[dayton]

Hey everyone,

I have a 180g that is about 4-5 months old and im doing an all sps tank. I bought 2 colonies of milli, one from tnt and one from fjw. The milli from tnt had great polyp extension while it was in their tank, I acclamated it in my tank and slowly brought it up and is now more of a cream color with blue/purpleish tips. It still has some extension but not nearly as much as it did in their tank. For the second one i got from fjw, it fell in the back of dennis tank and is a brownish color, he said its a rainbow and I do see it starting to color up some but it too dosnt have much if any polyp extension. The scroll coral has great extension on its polyps. They have good flow (1 sicce #7 and 1 sicce #4 point at eachother and onether smaller powerhead) They are fed phytofeast and I just started doseing part A and B a couple days ago. My question is does anyone have any ideas on why they dont have much polyp extension? P.S water is good, calcium is a little over 400, no nitrates or nitrites.

 

[fightmeaboutit]

Too much phosphate in your tank is why they lost color an possibly not enough random flow

 

[dayton]

They didnt loose color in my tank, they are regaining the color. Like I said the one from fjw lost its color in dennis's tank because it fell to the back and he forgot about it.

 

[dayton]

The colors are fine, Im wanting to know about the polyps. Maybe something in the water?

 

[Jasonc]

What's your ALK running? Lighting?

 

[Mark L.]

Type of lighting?
Phosphate level?
Alk level?
How long have they been in your tank?
How often do you do water changes and how much?

 

[dayton]

Dennis just checked the alk, he said it was good. Dont remember the number off of the top of my head (i think he said 7ish? maybe that was something else I was looking at coral when he told me) Im thinking its the lighting. I have 2 250 MHs that stay on longer than I think they should (approx 9-10 hrs) in the next week or so im going to add a vho system to start the day then have the MH kick on (about 6 hrs) and then end the day again with vho. They have been in the tank about 2 weeks. Should I maybe lower them or do you think its a water issue or am I just paranoid. Water changes are not as often as they should be, every 3 or 4 weeks (this is my busy season at work)

 

[Diesel]

Darn landscaping! Hire a good crew leader,one that allow you to do every two weeks a 25% WC, and hang around FJW once a week, LOL!
Keep the balance and do a biweekly WC most likely it will all turn out ok.

 

[reeftopia]

Do you have any angelfish in your tank? Is there good flow where your corals sit?

 

[Ostentum]

Milles like very high, alternating flow. IMHO they are kinda like xenia with there tell tale signs and a good indicator to water quality. They retract their polyps when the water isnt stable. I have always kept milles in my sps tanks cause you can tell when something isnt quite right with the water by looking at the milles, when their polyps extend they are happy. They are usually the first to respond to stressors in the tank. 7 alk is good for Zeo systems, otherwise I think its too low. Also I just read your first post. if your Alk is 7 ish and your Ca is 400, then something is off, check mag and your ph. All of these parameters are chained. They affect one another.

One other thing to check, parasites. Check for red bugs and Flatworm bite marks, They also will cause the polyps to retract.

 

[dayton]

Diesel, Yes your right im going crazy over here.

Reeftopia, no angels

Ostentum, Im thinking getting back on a WC schedule will fix the stablility issue?

 

[Diesel]

Hey dude, been there did that! New house, busy season in the landscape business, new born baby, keep your wife happy and on top of that to maintain a 180 reef tank.
Wonder if you sleep? Keep up the WC for a while only.

 

[Ostentum]

Diesel, Yes your right im going crazy over here.

Reeftopia, no angels

Ostentum, Im thinking getting back on a WC schedule will fix the stablility issue?

Well I only changed my water every 4-8 weeks. I also had everything in place that would allow me to go lengths like that. I was able to keep Phos and Nit low with the use of prodibio, I keep up with trace elements and parameter swings with the use of a calcium reactor and an ato. But I can say this. Is you dont have the means in place to keep rock solid stable water parameters, definitely getting on a set schedule for water changes and doing them 1-2 weeks would be a big benefit. Again Milles love high light high random flow.

 

[dayton]

I have the sicce 4, sicce 7, tunz (not sure size but I think in the range of the sicce 4) and nother smaller pump all on a red sea wave maker at the highest circulation rate it can be set on during the day and then switch it to night mode when the lights are off. As far as light goes they are directly under 250w MH. I have an island set up with one island under each light. I would say the millies are half way up the light at this point (slowly bringing them up) approx. 24in from the light fixture. Bring them higher?

 

[Ostentum]

I have mine 6 inches from a vortech mp40 and about 12 inches under the water about 22 inches from a 250w Radium on a lumenarc reflector. Probably getting in the neighborhood of 500 par.

 

[dayton]

Ooohhhhh really? It will be moved up this evening, I took the number 7 off of the wave maker and plugged it into the outlet so its just on, I do have the 4 point ing back at it so its a turbulant kind of flow

 

[Ostentum]

Don't constant flow hammer it. Not many acros like constant hard flow

 

[dayton]

I rearranged the powerheads and plugged the number 7 back into the wave maker so they dont have constant flow. I wish it would allow me to speed up the time bt the powerheads coming on.