Firework Clove shrinking, closing, not growing. . . help

[FloridaMicroReef]

6 months ago I put a combo frag of 5 Firework cloves and 5 Lemon tip cloves. The Lemon tip cloves have grown larger and increased in number. The Firework cloves have not reproduced much, and in comparison seem to be shrinking. Maybe 1 new Firework polyp hasappeared.

Are the Firework cloves normally slower growers than other clove polyps? I'm wondering how the Lemon tips could grow, while the Firework cloves slowly shrink and wither. My tank already has too much green in it. I am hoping to hold onto the orange coloration of the Firework cloves.

(because this is a reefjar, 90% water changes weekly, so unfortunately I do not have a wide array of testing stats on water quality.)

3 gallons
Salinity = 1.025
Temp = 79.5 F
Light = API PAR 38 Tuna Blue bulb 12w

(Perhaps the clove polyps don't like the frequent water changes.)

I have included photos. Hard to tell, because I don't have a great color filter, but the tiny bright green clove polyps are the Firework polyps, and the larger more drab polyps are the Lemon tip polyps.

 

[Saltyreef]

Two different types of the same coral, ones gonna have to win...
Its like putting some zoas together, sometimes they grow over eachother and smother out the ones you really like....

 

[FloridaMicroReef]

Really? I've heard about coral warfare before, but I assumed these two were compatible. No problem. I'll go in and remove the Firework Polyps, and relocate them to their own rock.

I think there is a secret rule somewhere: the uglier the coral = the stronger it is.

 

[FloridaMicroReef]

Oh. . . I see. You're not saying coral warfare. You just mean speed of growth and size, crowding out the weaker.

 

[Saltyreef]

Oh. . . I see. You're not saying coral warfare. You just mean speed of growth and size, crowding out the weaker.

You got it

I think this is the case here.
Smotherly love lol.

 

[Tired]

Definitely separate them out. Also, check your nutrients. Nitrates shouldn't go below 5ppm and phosphates shouldn't go below 0.05 in most tanks, as corals need the nutrients to live. With water changes that big, I'd worry about nutrient levels.

 

[FloridaMicroReef]

Good point. The reefjar has been going well for 18 months. But I don't test for any parameters, so I'm basically flying blind. Salinity and temp are the only thing I track. I then have to assume calcium and magnesium stay okay, due to the frequent water changes. But I'm beginning to think you are right that a lack of Nitrates could be a long-term problem.

I dose Amino Acid, and "Tropic Marin All for Reef", and do a super feeding the night before changing the water but. . . I think its time for a nitrate test kit.

(My budget has always been so tight, that I was never in a rush to go buy a bunch of test kits, and just had faith in the water changes).

Looking back, 9 months ago a Pulsing Xenia frag withered away to nothing. Those things love Nitrates. And I have had some Zoas shrink on me, while others reproduced. I bet those are both signs that there is actually too little Nitrate and Phosphate in the reefjar. I'll look into it. Thank you.

I think its time for me to join the rest of the reefing world and test for Nitrates and Phosphates.

 

[Tired]

I would highly recommend getting nitrate and phosphate test kits, yes. Water changes work great for everything else, so you probably don't need to test calcium and the like unless you see signs of them being low, but water changes won't fix nitrate or phosphate being low.

If nutrients need to go up, you can dose them, or you can try feeding more often. Any LPS in there? They like big, meaty foods.

You want to have a minimum of 5ppm nitrates, and over 0.03 phosphates. Higher than that is generally better on both, especially for softies. Most people keep nitrates under 30 (but some do fine at or above), and phosphates don't really have a maximum. High phosphates can encourage algae, may negatively affect color if your lighting isn't high enough to compensate for high phosphate, and there's some anecdotal evidence of it causing brittle new growth in SPS, but it won't directly kill your corals in any number you could reasonably get. Some tanks run 1+ppm phosphate and are fine, even though that's really high by reef standards.

 

[FloridaMicroReef]

Thanks for the details. No LPS yet. Eventually I would like Duncans and Candy Canes. No SPS yet either. Eventually, I'd like Montipora Digitata / Setosa, Birdsnest, Stylophora. . .and a Meteor Shower Cyphastrea. But I can't get those till I prove myself with the Softies. Thanks for the tips!