Hey NPS Keepers!

[dyno]

For those that keep NPS corals: common yellow/red gorgonians, dendros, balanophyllia, sun corals.

Is the bright light we have for our photosynthetic corals actually bad for the health of these corals? Any effects you have noticed keeping then under bright lighting typical for softies/lps/macro algae?

I got a bunch of dendros, balanophyllia, and sun corals and want to provide the best care possible.

 

[fishguy242]

@Nate Chalk

 

[VintageReefer]

I keep magnetic shelf with Aussie dendro and a fat head dendro in the top right of my tank. It’s not directly under the lights, but it is one of the highest spots in the tank

 

[dennis romano]

When I kept a NPS tank, keeping the gorgonians free of algae and diatoms was a pain. I had to clean them with an old tooth brush every few days. The dendros and chili corals that I have currently are in the darkest area of my tanks, mainly to brighten a dark spot.

 

[dyno]

I keep magnetic shelf with Aussie dendro and a fat head dendro in the top right of my tank. It’s not directly under the lights, but it is one of the highest spots in the tank

Thank you that is a beautiful tank! I like your frag holder. I figured that these corals grow in dark areas on the reef because thats just the best place to not have to compete with a bunch of photosynthetic corals. However, was wondering because I have yellow and red gorgonians that can’t seem to fight off the algae and detritus that builds up on them while in direct light. I have never seen sun corals and dendros taken over by algae though so am assuming high light is ok once the polyps have been trained to stay open throughout the day.

 

[dyno]

When I kept a NPS tank, keeping the gorgonians free of algae and diatoms was a pain. I had to clean them with an old tooth brush every few days. The dendros and chili corals that I have currently are in the darkest area of my tanks, mainly to brighten a dark spot.

Me too! Use a turkey baster and the algae comes right off.

 

[dennis romano]

Me too! Use a turkey baster and the algae comes right off.

Here's one that you don't see often, chili coral

 

[dyno]

 

[dyno]

Here's one that you don't see often, chili coral

Beautiful coral Dennis, do they eat phytoplankton or zooplankton?

 

[Nate Chalk]

For those that keep NPS corals: common yellow/red gorgonians, dendros, balanophyllia, sun corals.

Is the bright light we have for our photosynthetic corals actually bad for the health of these corals? Any effects you have noticed keeping then under bright lighting typical for softies/lps/macro algae?

I got a bunch of dendros, balanophyllia, and sun corals and want to provide the best care possible.

Not personally my gorgs have been with me for 1month -3months

200 par daylight.

 

[dennis romano]

Beautiful coral Dennis, do they eat phytoplankton or zooplankton?

I have three in two tanks. Most of the time, they are limp and look like raw hamburger. They get a combo of phyto and zoo. One is six years old. This one is six months old and the third is only a week. Yours are way cool. At one time, I had orange, yellow, black and blue Tubastrea. Sadly, lost them all when I was in the hospital and no one knew how to feed them.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Also haven't fed much. Don't filter much. And so far so good. Dendros I have are withering moved them though. Flow is important

 

[dyno]

Not personally my gorgs have been with me for 1month -3months

200 par daylight.

Hi Nate, are these the common Caribbean red/yellow gorgonians we see often? Curious if the tissue was originally dark and brown?

 

[dyno]

I have three in two tanks. Most of the time, they are limp and look like raw hamburger. They get a combo of phyto and zoo. One is six years old. This one is six months old and the third is only a week. Yours are way cool. At one time, I had orange, yellow, black and blue Tubastrea. Sadly, lost them all when I was in the hospital and no one knew how to feed them.

6 years wow. I have never seen these in stores. Was reading about the blue suns yesterday, many people claim they had been dyed. However one other had new baby polyps emerge that were also blue so I am not sure. Which zoo plankton do you use?

 

[Uncle99]

My Sun Coral stays retracted until sunset where it partially opens.

It fully opens when dark.

I directly feed it every other day, Mysis or brine.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Hi Nate, are these the common Caribbean red/yellow gorgonians we see often? Curious if the tissue was originally dark and brown?

Nope came to me red and yellow. Still pretty good looking I'd say

 

[CrimsonTide]

I have NPS Gorgonians. I have yellow and red ones. They aren't directly under my lights. They are kinda off to the right a little but they love flow. They also will eat reef roids whenever broadcast into the tank. Feeding them actually raised my nitrates too much. I have cut back feeding them some. I feel like flow and feeding is important for my NPS. High lighting or less lighting hasn't seemed to bother them. They used to be on frag racks near the light and did fine then too. It's just the flow that's important.

 

[dennis romano]

Here was the tank in its full NPS glory.

 

[SauceyReef]

I just got some NPS gorgs and they have been pretty much closed the past 3-5 days (I got them right after being cut). I am glad to have found this thread from the sponsor FB posts for R2R. Following here. They are sitting at medium flow with around 150 PAR. I have seen a few polyps open up during feeding. When they are thriving do they typically stay closed most of the time?

 

[dyno]